Wayne Sanstead has been the state superintendent of public instruction for 24 years and wants to continue in that position.

"I know that I have the energy, enthusiasm and experience to serve, and there's work to be done. I'm passionate about providing additional education opportunities for our students," said Sanstead, 73.

In a debate earlier this month, Sanstead and opponent Max Laird agreed that vocational and technical education programs deserve more state money as an alternative for students who don't want to pursue a college degree.

"We need to make sure that all of our students have classes that are interesting and relevant. Many of the better-paying entry jobs in North Dakota industries these days do not require a four-year degree," he said.

Sanstead said we need welders, electricians, plant operators, computer technicians, and miners. "We need to do a better job of informing our students and our parents of the great many options available to our students," he said.

Sanstead is the nation's longest-serving chief state school officer, states the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction's Web site, http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/dept/supt.shtm. He received his bachelor's degree in speech and political science from St. Olaf College at Northfield, Minn. and his master's degree in public address and group communications from Northwestern University. He earned his doctorate in secondary education from the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of North Dakota.

Sanstead has served North Dakota in elected offices for 41 years, including eight years as a state representative, two years as state senator and eight years as lieutenant governor. He has earned the 1991 Distinguished Alumnus Award from St. Olaf College. He was selected as Communicator of the Year for 1992 by the National Forensic League and in 1993, he received the International Reading Association Literacy Award.

In 1994, Sanstead was selected Advocate of the Year by the American School Counselor Association. In 1995, he was selected as the recipient of the National Federation Outstanding Speech Educator Award.

As superintendent of public instruction, Sanstead has addressed No Child Left Behind, a federal education law established to improve the performance of schools by increasing the standards of accountability for states, school districts and schools.

No Child Left Behind has some redeeming qualities, Sanstead said.

"I wouldn't support it (No Child Left Behind) in its present form for re-authorization, but I'm sure there are going to be a great many changes proposed and in that sense, I think it has real meaning because it has focused on accountability and standards as the basis for quality education," he said.

Sanstead added it's made a difference in that school districts have paid more attention to the progress of their students since its inception. However, it's flawed in that it hasn't provided an adequate amount of funding.

"I would want to see more funding, because they promised that and didn't deliver," he said.

There also needs to be more recognition that each state in the nation is different and should be treated as such.

"The difference between rural and urban needs to be recognized," Sanstead said.

In the future, Sanstead would like to consider the possibility of providing instructional coaches for the classroom and mentors for new teachers. It's important for the state education commission to address curriculum improvements, performance standards and benchmarks for core high school subjects, and the commission is doing a good job addressing those issues, Sanstead said.

Of all the accomplishments during his tenure, Sanstead said the education commission revamped the education funding formula so equity was addressed among school districts, which is an important advancement in education.

In addition, the open-enrollment policy and dual-credit programs have been beneficial for students. The open-enrollment policy gives students options on where to attend school. With the dual-credit program, students are entering higher education with plenty of college credits, Sanstead said.

Sanstead and his wife, Mary Jane, have two sons and live in Bismarck.