Gov. Burgum grants request to address teacher shortage

Bismarck, North Dakota – The North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board asked the governor to declare a teacher emergency, which will give schools more leeway in addressing the state’s teacher shortfall.

The teachers’ union North Dakota Unite opposed the declaration, which will temporarily permit school districts to deploy more student teachers as they try to hire and retain teachers.

“Our administration…agrees that emergency rulemaking is reasonably necessary,” Burgum said. This is a Band-Aid, not a permanent solution. This emergency action simply gives local school boards and administrators additional flexibility and retains local control in determining how to fill teacher openings with the best interests of students in mind.”

In addition, Burgum announced the creation of a task team to address issues with teacher retention and recruitment.