News Releases for January 2006
January 31, 2006
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Commission on Education Improvement Holds First Meeting
BISMARCK, N.D. – The Governor’s Commission on Education Improvement will hold its first meeting Wednesday, February 1 beginning at 10 a.m. in the Roughrider Room of the State Capitol Building in Bismarck. Lt. Gov. Jack Dalrymple will chair the 13-member commission, comprised of administrators, educators and legislators from across the state.
The commission’s 10 voting members include:
- Jack Dalrymple is North Dakota’s 35th lieutenant governor, elected in November 2000 and re-elected in November 2004. He joined the North Dakota Legislature in 1985, representing a rural Cass County House district, and served eight terms, including four as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Jack currently presides over the North Dakota Senate and is responsible for legislative relations, the state budget and agri-business development.
- Tim Flakoll has been representing District 44 as a Republican state senator since 1998 and has actively served on the Senate Education, Higher Education and No Child Left Behind committees. Tim is involved with the Midwest Higher Education Compact, the Education Commission of the States and chairs the Select Committee for appointments to the State Board of Higher Education.
- RaeAnn Kelsch is a Republican state representative from Mandan serving District 34 and is chair of the House Education Committee. She has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1991, and also serves on the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review and No Child Left Behind committees. RaeAnn is manager of external affairs for Cellular One.
- Warren Larson has worked with the Williston Public School District since 1984 as an elementary principal, assistant superintendent and currently, superintendent of schools. Prior to that, he served as an elementary principal for the Divide County School District and as administrator for East Fairview Schools. Warren is president of the North Dakota Association of School Administrators.
- Mark Lemer began his career as a teacher in Riverdale, where he taught mathematics and computer courses. After two years of teaching, he joined the Williston Public School District as the assistant business manager and later, was promoted to business manager. In 1991, Mark accepted a position with the Department of Public Instruction as the assistant director of school finance, and in 1995, became business manager for the West Fargo Public School District. He serves as treasurer of the North Dakota Association of School Business Managers and is a member of the North Dakota Council of School Administrators, the North Dakota Association of School Business Officials and the Department of Public Instruction’s Special Education Finance and Data Advisory committees.
- David Monson represents district 10 in northeastern North Dakota as a Republican state representative and assistant majority leader of the House of Representatives. He serves on several committees, including the Education Section of the House Appropriations Committee. David is the superintendent of Edinburg Public School.
- David O’Connell is a Democrat state senator from Lansford representing District 6 in north central North Dakota, and serves as minority leader of the North Dakota Senate. He has served in the Senate since 1989, and was a member of the House of Representatives between 1983 and 1988. David was a member of the Senate Education Committee, and is currently a member of the Budget Section. He farms near Lansford.
- Wayne Sanstead has served North Dakota in elective offices for 38 years, as a state representative, state senator and lieutenant governor. Currently, he is serving his 22nd year as the state’s superintendent of public instruction and is considered the nation’s senior state school chief. Wayne received a doctorate in secondary education from the University of North Dakota, and during his academic career, was named a James J. Hill Foundation Scholar, an Eagleton Scholar and a Coe Family Foundation Scholar.
- Martin Schock began his school administration career in 1989 when he became the high school principal for the New Leipzig School District and then superintendent one year later. In 1992, he also began serving as superintendent of the Elgin School District, and in 1998, was named superintendent of the newly organized Elgin/New Leipzig School District. In 2004, Martin expanded his administrative responsibilities to include the Roosevelt School District in Carson. He was named the state’s Superintendent of the Year for 2006 by the North Dakota Association of School Administrators.
- Paul Stremick has worked in education for 18 years in Montana and North Dakota, and has spent the last nine years as a superintendent. Currently, he serves as superintendent of Grafton Public Schools and is an adjunct professor at the University of North Dakota, teaching policy and educational finance at the graduate level. Paul received his doctorate in school administration in 2001.
The commission’s three additional, non-voting members include:
- Doug Johnson became the executive director of the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders in 2005, after serving as the assistant executive director for two years. Prior to that, he served as principal at Simle Middle School, and assistant principal at Simle and Wachter junior high schools in Bismarck. Doug also taught science at Wachter Junior High School for 12 years. He is a member of the North Dakota Education Commission of the States and served for several years on the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board. In 2000, Doug was named the state’s Middle Level Principal of the Year, and in 1996, the Middle Level Educator of the Year.
- Bev Nielson is the assistant to the executive director for the North Dakota School Boards Association, headquartered in Bismarck. Prior to joining the association’s staff in 1998, she served as president and a member of its board of directors. Bev was also a member of the Fargo Board of Education for 12 years.
- Joe Westby has been the executive director of the North Dakota Education Association since 1990. Prior to becoming executive director, he was employed by the association as a UniServ director from 1980-1990. Before his employment with the association, he served on its board of directors and taught chemistry and advanced biology courses at Valley City High School for 19 years. Gloria Lokken is president of the North Dakota Education Association and previously served two terms as the association’s vice president and two terms as Northwest Region director. Prior to her tenure as association president, she was a fourth grade teacher at Edison Elementary School in Minot. Gloria is an active member of the Minot Education Association.
Gov. Hoeven created the Commission on Education Improvement as part of the education funding plan proposed by the state and nine school districts suing North Dakota over school funding equity. The school districts have agreed to stay their lawsuit while the state pursues the plan. The commission will make recommendations to the Legislature for improving both funding adequacy and equity among districts.
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