Sep. 26—BISMARCK — Frannie Tunseth is North Dakota’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, an honor announced Friday in Bismarck by Gov. Kelly Armstrong and state K-12 Superintendent Kirsten Baesler.
It’s a deserved honor, according to the superintendent of the
Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg Public School District, where Tunseth teaches.
“We’re very proud of her, and just excited to have a representative of May-Port CG. The fact that she’s representing the amazing work that all of our teachers do every day here at May-Port CG, it’s just quite an honor,” said Michael Bradner. “… She’s very personable and the relationships that she focuses on and builds with students, I think, is one of the things that probably stands out.”
Tunseth is a reading and mathematics interventionist for fourth- through eighth-grade students in Mayville. An educator with 11 years of experience, she provides additional support and instruction to students who are having difficulty with math and reading. Bradner said she is an outstanding teacher and has had a profound impact on students.
In a media release from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, Tunseth, in her Teacher of the Year application, said she believes all students are capable of success.
“Many of the students I work with have experienced repeated challenges in school, which can lead to disengagement and a belief that they are not capable,” Tunseth said. “My core belief is that all kids can experience success every single day, and it’s my responsibility to create the conditions for that success.”
Also in the media release, Baesler said Tunseth is an excellent representative for the state.
“Mrs. Tunseth’s teaching style is inspirational. When a student is having difficulties, she is able to transform their outlook on education. Her love and dedication for teaching and her students are evident,” Baesler said. “She works hard to bring parents and families into her classroom instruction, because she knows that family involvement is a key part of student success.”
Tunseth is one of 48 County Teachers of the Year and was named a finalist for the North Dakota Teacher of the Year for 2026 in July. The North Dakota Teacher of the Year program has been naming top teachers since 1963. Tunseth will become a candidate for the national Teacher of the Year award.
In a previous interview with the Herald, Baesler said having a North Dakota educator win the national Teacher of the Year award would be encouraging for students and educators across the state.
“To have a North Dakota winner representing North Dakota as a National Teacher of the Year would just be beyond what I think our state needs. Our state would just blossom under it,” she said. “… It gives young people the opportunity to celebrate the profession that they see every day, and hopefully encourage and maybe kindle a spark in a young person’s life that they want to choose teaching. Because these teachers are the rock stars and they deserve to be celebrated.”
Tunseth was one of four finalists for the Teacher of the Year award. The other finalists were Emily Dawes, a literacy specialist from Grand Forks; Hannah Sagvold, a business education teacher from Lisbon; and Leah Wheeling, a physical education and digital literacy teacher from Bismarck.
Jennifer Odell, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction Teacher of the Year program coordinator, said the winner is chosen by an eight-member committee whose members look at each candidate’s impact in and beyond the classroom.
“We’re looking for the extending influence beyond the classroom and how they serve as an advocate for the education profession,” she said.
Tunseth will officially start her term on Jan. 1, 2026. In the media release from the Department of Public Instruction, Armstrong said Tunseth is “an inspiration for educators everywhere.”
“We’re fortunate in North Dakota to have teachers like Mrs. Tunseth, who care deeply and go the extra mile to create a bright future for our children,” Armstrong said. “We congratulate her on this deserving honor as Teacher of the Year.”