From kindergarten through graduate school, I've been lucky to be a product of North Dakota's public education system. I owe a lot to the teachers, professors, and coaches who have gone out of their way to create opportunities for me over the years.

As good as we are at educating our kids in North Dakota, the salaries we pay our educators don't exactly make the grade. Our state ranks nearly last in average salaries for public school teachers. We can do much better than that, and the Legislature should use the coming session as an opportunity to boost our national ranking in teacher pay.

And when young North Dakotans graduate from high school, they should have access to a high-quality college education at an affordable price right here in our state. The Legislature should further invest in higher education to reflect our universities' increased roles as research institutions and engines of job creation. This will help us continue to build the national reputation of the Red River Valley Research Corridor as a dynamic area of opportunity while maintaining access to education for North Dakota's best and brightest.