2024 North Dakota Teacher of the Year

10/07/2025

I’m honored to be a part of the NDU Foundation!

The NDU Foundation is dedicated to supporting educators and students across North Dakota—through professional development opportunities, scholarships, and more.

Update: SOLD!

We’re currently running an exciting fundraising raffle, and who doesn’t love a good raffle?

🎟 Tickets are just $20 each, and with only 400 tickets available, your chances are great!
💰 Daily drawings will be held throughout December, with $125 awarded each day.
🎄 Special prizes of $500 will be drawn on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve!
✨ And yes—you can win more than once!

Let me know if you’d like to purchase a ticket and help us support North Dakota's educators and students!

10/01/2025

My year of service has been complete for a while now, but I remain deeply honored to have been selected to share my Teacher TED Talk at the 2025 National Teachers of the Year Washington Week. It was humbling to stand alongside such inspiring educators and to be uplifted by the powerful talks of my friends. I’m especially grateful to CCSSO for all you do to elevate and celebrate teachers.

07/28/2025

One of the best parts of the Teacher of the Year journey is 55 new friends! It has been a joy this summer to travel to celebrate my friends! What a great opportunity to work at Sounds of the South Band Camp in Mississippi with the 2024 Mississippi Teacher of the Year Louise Smith and 2024 New York Teacher of the Year Zachary Arenz. I then traveled to Colorado to see the 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year Jessica May and get her new book, Flipping the Script https://www.amazon.com/Flip-Script-Relationships-transformative-relationships/dp/B0DZ41DKRH.

07/28/2025

Appreciated the opportunity to thank Representative Laurie Beth Hager for all her work for our students and education policy in North Dakota.

07/28/2025

I was incredibly proud to welcome my friend Missy Testerman, the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, to North Dakota. We were honored to have her join us at the North Dakota Indian Education Summit. So grateful to Superintendent Baesler, Sashay Schettler, Andy Prokop and the many friends who helped showcase the very best of our great state!

07/02/2025

I had a fantastic experience at the Bismarck State College Choice Ready Workshop last week! It was an eye-opening opportunity to explore the wide range of pathways available to students as they prepare for their futures. I was especially impressed by the strong industry-education partnerships, the abundance of internship opportunities, and high job placement rates—most programs reaching nearly 100%**.

What surprised me most was learning that many students receive job offers before even reaching the halfway point of their degree. I even got to fly a drone to the Cupid Shuffle! 🎶

Huge thanks to BSC for hosting such a valuable and engaging event. I highly recommend this workshop to any educator looking to better understand postsecondary opportunities for their students!

05/21/2025

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I was nominated by a student and by Greg Kester, 2024 Missouri Teacher of the Year. I nominate all of the North Dakota Teachers of the Year! 2025 North Dakota Teacher of the Year - Kendall Bergrud

04/25/2025

Congratulations to all of the County Teachers of the Year. So excited for my PLC Pestie! Leah Wheeling, 2025 Burleigh County Teacher of the Year!!

04/25/2025

So proud of these kids! We pulled off a community event with the BPS Peer to Peer groups!

04/11/2025

From the fields to the front of the class — one migrant student shares how her parents' sacrifices and her own grit led her to the top 10 of her high school class and a future at the University of North Dakota.

Read her inspiring journey of resilience, gratitude, and growth.
https://rebrand.ly/ch4afuc

Hillsboro Public Schools

04/11/2025

Cannot wait to host our 2nd Annual Neurodiversity Palooza! 6:30-7:45 at Wachter Middle School. Hosted by BPS Peer to Peer programs. Carnival games, therapeutic community resources, and assistive technology sessions.

04/11/2025

We are so excited for our 2nd Annual Neurodiversity Palooza hosted by BPS Peer-to-Peer programs. The event will be at Wachter Middle School from 6:30-7:45. The event is free to the public. We are looking forward to celebrating Neurodiversity! We will have carnival games, therapeutic community resources, and assistive technology sessions. Please come join the fun! Thank you Dee for all you do to promote this amazing crew of kids!

On this Episode of Drinks With Dee I chat with Christina B. and Tami D. teachers and staff at Horizon Middle School in Bismarck. Conversations about the amazin