BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler celebrated 49 North Dakota educators who have been named as County Teachers of the Year, saying they are leaders in their schools and communities.
“Across our state, in rural areas and larger communities alike, our teachers bring their skills, compassion and dedication to their North Dakota classrooms,” Baesler said. “These County Teachers of the Year are examples of educational excellence, who have been recognized as such by their colleagues, their students and their families.”
The 2024 county winners are:
Adams: Anna Block, Hettinger Public School
Barnes: Tresa Cruff, Barnes County North
Benson: Abel Sacatani, Warwick Public School
Billings: Jennifer O’Brien, Prairie Elementary School
Bottineau: Casey Mills, Westhope Public School
Bowman: Amy Burke, Bowman County
Burke: Whitney Rick, Burke Central
Burleigh: Kendall Bergrud, Wachter Middle School
Cass: Deb Pieper, West Fargo High School
Cavalier: Lane Lindseth, Langdon Area Schools
Dickey: Anna Kemmer, Southeast Region Career and Technology Center, Oakes
Divide: Rayme Haggin, Divide County Elementary
Dunn: Vicki Carney, Killdeer Public School
Emmons: Kadie Walls, Linton Public School
Foster: Kristen Hewitt, Carrington High School
Golden Valley: Chelsey Erdmann, Lincoln Elementary
Grand Forks: John Stempinski, Valley Middle School
Grant: Kayla Tatro, Roosevelt Public School, Carson
Griggs: Kayla Danielson, Griggs County Central
Hettinger: Eamon Alido, Mott Regent Public School
Kidder: Danielle Wachter, Kidder County Public School
LaMoure (2): Cameron Young, Edgeley Public School; Heidi Mathern, Edgeley Public School
Logan: Christina Gross, Napoleon Public School
McHenry: Emma Cook, TGU Towner
McIntosh: Alli Mogen, Wishek Public School
McKenzie: Tiffany Olson, Fox Hills Elementary
McLean: Seleena Briones, White Shield School
Mercer: Katie Isaak, Beulah Elementary School
Morton: Mary McHugh, Sweet Briar School
Mountrail: Erica McRae, Parshall High School
Nelson: Jill Wall, Lakota Elementary School
Oliver: Lynn Schwalk, Center-Stanton High School
Pembina: Heather Lafferty, North Border
Pierce: Ashleigh Blikre, Ely Elementary
Ramsey: Kelly Anderson, Sweetwater Elementary
Ransom: Ashley Nudell, Lisbon Public Schools
Renville: Chaleigh Clark, MLS Mohall
Richland: Kristi Nordick, Zimmerman Elementary
Rolette: Brooke Zupan, St. John’s Public School
Sheridan: Lucas Senske, McClusky-Goodrich High School
Sioux: Tessa Jahner, Solen High School
Steele: Denise Carlson, Finley-Sharon Public School
Stutsman: Charity Dosch, Montpelier Public School
Traill: Wendy Dafforn, Hatton Eielson School
Walsh: Trisha Cole, Park River Area School
Ward: Macie Harris-Nelson, Kenmare Public Schools
Wells: Angel Opdahl, Central Regional Special Education Unit
Williams: Kari Hall, Williston High School
Baesler has expanded North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year program during her tenure as state school superintendent, with a goal of having county award winners from all 53 of North Dakota’s counties. The 2024 class has 49 award winners from 48 counties. LaMoure County has two County Teacher of the Year winners because of a tie in the program’s scoring metrics.
The county awards announced Wednesday are part of North Dakota’s state Teacher of the Year recognition program. County award recipients are eligible to apply for state Teacher of the Year honors.
North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year for 2025 will be named Sept. 27 at a ceremony in the state Capitol. The person who is honored will succeed the incumbent, Sheila Peterson, a physical education teacher at Wachter Middle School in Bismarck. The tenure of the new state Teacher of the Year begins Jan. 1 and ends Dec. 31, 2025.
County Teacher of the Year candidates were nominated in January and February. A total of 356 educators were nominated from all 53 counties; nominated teachers in five of those counties chose not to apply for County Teacher of the Year consideration. In all, there were 496 nominations for the 356 teachers (many were nominated more than once), including 166 nominations from Williams County alone.
Of the 356 teachers who were nominated, 183 applied to be considered for county awards. The applications were then reviewed and scored, and winners from 48 counties were chosen earlier this month.
Anyone who believes a North Dakota teacher is deserving of County Teacher of the Year recognition may nominate her or him, including students, family members, teacher colleagues, or administrators.