North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year has received a first of its kind grant to promote teaching and education.
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction awarded the $15,000 grant to Bret Dockter, who teaches at B.M Hanson Elementary in Harvey.
In this interview with North Dakota United’s Tom Gerhardt, Dockter outlines plans he has in place to use the grant across the state.
Dockter says teacher retention is hitting close to home. A pair of young educators have already resigned in Harvey this year. And he says the number of applicants to fill vacancies has decreased dramatically since he entered the profession.
Ultimately, he says with all the talk of educators leaving the profession, he wants to talk about reasons he and others are staying in the classroom.