North Dakota state school superintendent Levi Bachmeier, along with Department of Public Instruction staff, will be volunteering as substitute teachers during the 2026-2027 school year.
Bachmeier has been visiting local schools around the state – and he said he has enjoyed that.
"Visiting a school gives you a great sense of how the school operates," Bachmeier said. "You get to meet students and some teachers. But you're not actually teaching. I think this is such an important job, that the state Superintendent never loses that connection to the classroom. And it's important to remain grounded in the everyday experiences of students and teachers."
Bachmeier said he's looking at this as an opportunity for him to stay in touch with what's going on in the classroom every day.
Bachmeier said he plans to substitute teach for three full days – one for elementary school, one for middle school and one for high school.
"I'm a high school teacher by trade, teaching government or U. S. History classes — that's where you'll find me the most comfortable," Bachmeier said. "I'll probably pick one of those for my high school, because I miss it. I also want to understand what it's like to work in a middle school and in an elementary school."
Bachmeier said he also hopes to shed some light on the importance of substitute teachers. He said so far, more than three dozen districts have opted-in, and some of the district superintendents will be offering to substitute-teach as well.
