BISMARCK, N.D., May 8, 2023 – Gov. Doug Burgum has proclaimed May 8-12 as Educator Appreciation Week, North Dakota School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said Monday.

“Thousands of devoted educators across North Dakota put in countless hours, extra time, and their own resources to prepare learners for what they choose later in life, whether it be post-secondary education, the workforce, or the military,” the governor’s proclamation reads in part.

“Teachers play an essential role in showing our young people the value of honesty, kindness, justice, courage, wisdom, and temperance; the importance of a high degree of intelligence, patriotism, integrity, and morality; and respect for civic virtue, service, and the history and foundations of our republic,” it reads.

Separately, Baesler emailed a thank-you letter to North Dakota educators Monday to “extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to you, my colleagues in education and members of the world’s most important profession.”

“I thank you for the commitment, empathy, intellectual courage, and love that you extend to your students and bring to your classrooms every day,” the superintendent wrote. “I thank you for the difference you make in the lives of your students, their families, and your shared community.”

Burgum’s proclamation and Baesler’s letter coincide with National Teacher Appreciation Week, which takes place during the first full week of May.