Kirsten Baesler Superintendent | North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler is organizing celebrations this week to honor the four finalists for the 2026 North Dakota Teacher of the Year award. The events will be held at each finalist's school.
Leah Wheeling, a sixth-grade teacher specializing in physical education and digital literacy at Simle Middle School in Bismarck, will have her celebration at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at Simle Middle School, located at 1218 Simle Drive.
Emily Dawes, who works as a K-5 literacy specialist at Lake Agassiz Elementary School in Grand Forks, will be recognized at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, at Lake Agassiz Elementary School, 605 Stanford Road. Dawes recently transferred to Agassiz for the current school year after teaching first grade last year at J. Nelson Kelly Elementary School in Grand Forks.
Frannie Tunseth teaches grades 4-8 at Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg Public School in Mayville. Her event is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, at the school’s location on 900 Main St. West.
Hannah Sagvold is a business education teacher at Lisbon Public School and will be honored during a ceremony set for 2:15 p.m., also on Friday, Sept. 12, at Lisbon Public School located at 502 Ash St.
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