North Dakota state superintendent seeks applicants for student cabinet

BISMARCK — The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is looking for a few good students to join her Superintendent’s Student Cabinet and offer advice on how to improve K-12 education.

State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler made the announcement in a press release on Thursday, Feb. 8, saying all students in grades three to 12 who attend public or nonpublic schools in North Dakota, or those who are in their first year of attending a North Dakota college, are eligible to apply.

The cabinet term is about 18 months, and meetings are typically held in the state Capitol in Bismarck every three months, according to the release.

Cabinet members have the chance to influence education improvements throughout the state and gain experience in leadership, public speaking, collaboration and decision-making. Members are chose to represent different age groups, cultures, school sizes and regions within the state.

The Student Cabinet application form is on the Department of Public Instruction’s website. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. on April 5. Applications may be emailed to

dpipa@nd.gov,

faxed to 701-328-0203 or mailed to the Department of Public Instruction, 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 201, Bismarck, N.D., 58505.

Since the cabinet began nine years ago, members have been able to influence education policy by expanding availability of advanced placement and dual-credit courses, advocating for early childhood education and speaking up for anti-bullying protection, Baesler said.

The Student Cabinet has no size limit. Incumbent members are eligible for reappointment, and of the current 25 members, eight have served more than one term.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.