𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩? 𝟏𝟓𝟖 | 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐳 & 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐜𝐤

𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: In this episode of The Rural Scoop, Melissa Sadorf sits down with three influential leaders from the North Dakota Small Organized Schools (NDSOS): Mike Heilman, Mike Bitz, and Brandt Dick. Together, they explore the vital role small rural schools play in their communities, the realities of legislative advocacy, and the challenges facing education in North Dakota—including teacher shortages, funding constraints, and student enrollment declines. The conversation also highlights the importance of local decision-making, strong community ties, and strategic leadership transitions within NDSOS. This episode offers a candid, insightful look into how rural education leaders are navigating change while continuing to prioritize quality education for every student. 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬: 00:00 Meet the NDSOS Leaders 02:19 Mike Heilman Origin Story 03:47 Brant Dick Small School Roots 05:19 Mike Bitz Next Chapter 06:30 What Lawmakers Should Know 09:58 Why Serve on the Board 11:52 What NDSOS Actually Does 17:09 Superintendent Calls Right Now 18:56 North Dakota Strengths 22:08 Pressures on Rural Districts 25:25 How NDSOS Sets Priorities 30:32 Showing Up at the Capitol 32:21 Closures and Consolidation Choices 36:43 Transportation Costs and Funding 41:09 School Choice and Rural Impact 44:20 Guardrails for Public Dollars 46:35 Leadership Transition Ahead 49:27 Next Two Years Challenges 53:35 Defining the Rural Advantage 56:24 Final Thanks and Signoff 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: This conversation underscores a powerful truth: rural schools are not a secondary part of education—they are the foundation of many communities. Through collaboration, advocacy, and deep community ties, leaders like those at NDSOS continue to champion equitable education despite significant challenges. As education systems evolve, the commitment to local decision-making, strong relationships, and student-centered leadership remains essential. Rural schools may face unique obstacles, but they also possess a unique strength—their people. 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 & 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞: © 2026 Melissa Sadorf / The Rural Scoop. All rights reserved. The content of The Rural Scoop, including podcast episodes, audio recordings, transcripts, show notes, graphics, and other original materials, is protected by copyright. No portion of this content may be reproduced, republished, distributed, modified, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the copyright owner. Brief quotations or other uses may be permitted under applicable fair-use principles. For permission requests, please contact: Dr. Melissa Sadorf Email: [email protected] Phone: (520) 266-0081