"Over 80% of North Dotans who took this think that that we need to do a better job," Superintendent of Public Schools Levi Bachmeier said on this episode of Plain Talk. "And I can't help but agree when I visit schools and we have a critical workforce shortage."

He's referring to a recent survey conducted by his department. One way Bachmeier thinks schools can do a better job, and something that's backed up by sentiments from North Dakotans in the survey, is teacher pay.

"I'll be the first to say that pay doesn't solve every problem. We've got to make sure that teachers feel like their work is sustainable and meaningful," he said. "Money can't ever be a replacement for leadership, but at the same time, that gap--if you compare what teachers make to others who hold a bachelor's degree, I mean, that's a problem."

"And it isn't just a problem because I think we should pay teachers more," he continued. "It's a problem because we have schools across our state that don't have teachers in the classroom."

Bachmeier said he's heard "from juniors in Wishek who wanted to be reading books and working on projects together in English class" but "they're forced to be taking an asynchronous online class."

Bachmeier also talked about other results from the survey and their implications for education policy, including technology in the classroom, and whether virtual learning is really the best way to address snow days during harsh winter weather.

On that last, Bachmeier thinks it may be better to just let the kids have a day off.

"I'm a big believer in as many quality minutes as possible, and I'll bet on kids in a class classroom with each other and a teacher versus trying to log on a device any day of the week," he said.

Also on this episode, co-host Chad Oban and I discuss the list of bills lawmakers on the Legislative Management Committee forwarded for the upcoming special session in September, and one resolution, calling for clemency for the extremists jailed after their murderous involvement in the infamous Medina shootout, which wasn't forwarded.

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