BISMARCK, N.D. - Frannie Tunseth, a reading and mathematics teacher at Mayville-Portland-Clifford-Galesburg Public School in Mayville, is North Dakota's Teacher of the Year for 2026, Gov. Kelly Armstrong and state School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said in a joint announcement Friday.

Tunseth is a math and reading interventionist in grades four through eight. She provides extra help and instruction for students who are struggling with those subjects. She has worked as a teacher and elementary school principal during her 11-year education career and was recognized as the Griggs County Teacher of the Year in 2022.

"Many of the students I work with have experienced repeated challenges in school, which can lead to disengagement and a belief that they are not capable," Tunseth said in her Teacher of the Year application. "My core belief is that all kids can experience success every single day, and it's my responsibility to create the conditions for that success."

Tunseth begins her stint as Teacher of the Year on Jan. 1. She will succeed Kendall Bergrud, a mathematics teacher at Wachter Middle School in Bismarck.

Her award was announced Friday at a state Capitol ceremony held to celebrate the four finalists for the honor. Aside from Tunseth, they were Emily Dawes, a literacy specialist at Lake Agassiz Elementary School in Grand Forks; Hannah Sagvold, a business education teacher at Lisbon Public School; and Leah Wheeling, a sixth-grade teacher of physical education and digital literacy at Simle Middle School in Bismarck.

"We're fortunate in North Dakota to have teachers like Mrs. Tunseth who care deeply and go the extra mile to create a bright future for our children," Armstrong said. "Her commitment to helping every student succeed no matter how big the obstacle is an inspiration for educators everywhere, and we congratulate her on this deserving honor as Teacher of the Year."

"Mrs. Tunseth's teaching style is inspirational. When a student is having difficulties, she is able to transform their outlook on education. Her love and dedication for teaching and her students are evident," Baesler said. "She works hard to bring parents and families into her classroom instruction, because she knows that family involvement is a key part of student success."

"Mrs. Tunseth will be an excellent representative for the outstanding North Dakota teachers that we have in our classrooms across North Dakota," Baesler said.

Tunseth began her teaching career in 2014 at the University of North Dakota, where she was a resident kindergarten teacher while pursuing graduate studies full time. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees from UND and is studying for a Ph.D. in teaching and leading. She is on track to receive her doctorate from UND in May 2027.

At the start of her career, Tunseth taught first grade in Thief River Falls, Minn., before moving to positions in Grand Forks as a kindergarten teacher and Hillsboro as a fourth-grade instructor. In 2020, she began a three-year stint as an elementary principal in the Griggs County Central school district in Cooperstown.

In 2023, she moved to her current position as an interventionist in reading and mathematics at Mayville-Portland-Cllifford-Galesburg.

The process of selecting the 2026 Teacher of the Year began last spring, when Baesler invited nominations for County Teachers of the Year. Forty-eight North Dakota educators were subsequently honored as Teachers of the Year from their respective counties.

The four state Teachers of the Year finalists were picked from among those 48 educators, including Tunseth, who was honored as the Traill County Teacher of the Year.

The state Teacher of the Year was chosen by an eight-member screening committee of education stakeholders, who reviewed their applications and interviewed the finalists. The process is outlined in North Dakota law, NDCC 15.1-02-21.

Tunseth's selection means she will be considered for National Teacher of the Year, which will be announced in the spring of 2026. The Council of Chief State School Officers, which represents state education interests in Washington, D.C., supervises the selection process. Baesler is a former president of the CCSSO's board of directors.