Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Jill Louters
Eddy County now has a seat at the table influencing national education policy.
New Rockford-Sheyenne Public School Superintendent Jill Louters was appointed to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) effective July 1. She is one of three North Dakota representatives on the panel, as she was appointed by Governor Burgum to serve alongside North Dakota University System (NDUS) Chancellor Mark Hagerott and a state legislator. According to the WICHE website, Senator Ray Holmberg of Grand Forks holds that seat, as he served as the chair of the commission for 2018-19.
WICHE is a regional organization created by the Western Regional Education Compact and adopted in the 1950s by Western states to facilitate resource sharing among the higher education systems of the West. WICHE's members include 15 Western states, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.
The organization is committed to five main focus areas for the 2020 fiscal year. These focus areas include finance and affordability, access and success, workforce and society, technology and innovation, and accountability.
In an interview Tuesday, Louters said that one of the most exciting initiatives they are working on is creating pathways between and among states and institutions to make general transfers more seamless for students. WICHE is also exploring diverse credentialing, in which they plan to develop more formal certification programs for staff. Partnerships with industry will also impact education through their initiatives, as work-based learning is another major priority.
In the area of affordability, Louters said their goal is "to ensure that student costs are manageable" and to identify and maintain "sustainable resources for students to pursue" when paying for college or trade school.
Louters has served on the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) since July 1, 2018, when she was appointed by Governor Burgum and confirmed by the N.D. Senate. Burgum has taken an active role in transforming the education system in North Dakota since he became governor in 2017. In a letter to SBHE members and university presidents on July 8 he outlined key priorities for the state. He wrote, "Our students today are our leaders tomorrow, and they deserve an education that sets them up for success in whatever field they choose. As family members, parents, citizens and members of Team ND, we each have a stake in transforming our education system to best equip and empower our fellow and future North Dakotans. Regardless of whether we stand in front of a classroom, each of us has the opportunity to nurture curiosity. We can ask, 'Is that the right question?' rather than, 'Is that the right answer?' We have an interest and a role in preparing the next generation."
Louters noted that what she appreciates most is the "alignment we are seeing across the state regarding innovative initiatives." From kindergarten through graduate school, educators and policy makers are working together to get the students the real-time skills needed for their future careers.
