David Marquardt

Being an educator, working with educators and knowing the current high demands of public education employees is one of the reasons I am running. I want ensure we invest in teacher, support staff and bus driver retention and attraction.We need people on the board who know public education, support staff, are willing to ask questions and know what needs to be done to make Moorhead Public even better.

I was a public-school teacher for 21 years. I now work for North Dakota United as a Field Consultant. I understand the public school system. I have committed my career to public education. I have created curriculum and taught children at all levels. I understand state standards and have written state standards. I know the importance of involving parents and all stakeholders in decision making. I am trained in AdvancED where I have done in-district and outside district visits. I was the Fargo Education Association President for 5 years. This position allowed me to have good insight into school boards. I was a part of creating policy, attending board meetings, looking at school budgets, annual operating plans and budgets, boundary lines, working with stakeholders and creating a vision and strategic plan. I helped select an evaluation tool for our district and have extensive experience as a negotiator.

Moorhead being able to attract and retain the staff is a huge concern for me. I want to invest in our staff, make sure classroom and and workloads are manageable and we have policies in place to ensure we support our staff.

Challenges I see are: Hiring teachers and support staff, student growth in our schools, state funding for our schools, and mental health.

Building the Career Academy has helped move ISD 152 into a premiere educational district. I want to see the Academy grow into something even bigger. I envision the students being ready for life when they graduate from Moorhead High School wether that being 2 or 4 year college or ready for the work force. I envision the community and businesses getting more involved in the school through the Academy. I want more Moorhead students involved in Bluestem programing and continued greatness in music, the arts and athletics. I see a premiere educational opportunity for our students by not just offering an adequate education but a superior one.