North Dakota United is a proud coalition member of North Dakotans for Public Schools (ND4PS), a grassroots organization whose purpose is to strengthen, protect and celebrate public schools in North Dakota. You might have seen the “We Love Our Public Schools” yard signs in communities around the state — those are from North Dakotans for Public Schools.
This spring, ND4PS received a grant to create a series of paid TV and digital advertisements that highlight the excellent work being done in our public schools every day. NDU’s communications and political staff has been working closely to create these ads and to get them out into the world.
Each ad features a student and an educator they’ve identified as having made an impact. The first features Century High School senior Alexis Thompson, an impressive young person who plans to attend Barnard College in New York City in the fall. She writes a letter to her Advanced Placement 12 English Literature teacher, Karri Landeis:
Dear Mrs. Landeis,
You have a gift for recognizing students as individuals and cultivating the abilities we don’t yet see in ourselves. Alongside the success I’ve found in the classroom, I learned the importance of trusting my own voice. I’ve carried a sense of confidence and a commitment to intellectual growth into every opportunity I’ve pursued since.
Sincerely,
Alexis
A separate set of ads will feature 2026 North Dakota Teacher of the Year Frannie Tunseth and May-Port CG junior Noah Djibonon. Noah is a standout athlete, and between shots of them on the basketball court, he reads a note to Mrs. Tunseth that he wrote, in which he says — in part — the following words about the effect she has had on him over the years:
Mrs. Tunseth,
You have influenced me in many ways that you probably don’t even realize. You set a good example for how to care for people, you’ve helped me understand that it’s important who I choose as my friends, and you have helped me navigate difficult obstacles in my life. You are way more than just a teacher to me. You make me feel special, and my life without your mentorship would be so different.
Sincerely,
Noah
Our hope is that with these ads — and other efforts from North Dakotans for Public Schools — we can shift the discourse around public education.
Too often, a small minority of negative voices are amplified when they say destructive things about our public schools. North Dakotans for Public Schools hopes to inspire an air of positivity about the fantastic public schools North Dakotans are so proud of, in order to influence positive change for K-12 education.
As we say in these ads, North Dakota’s public schools are an investment in our future.
