Dr. Russ Ziegler, Superintendent
russell.ziegler@k12.nd.us
Elgin/New Leipzig Public School
110 West Street North
Elgin, North Dakota 58533
Phone: 701-584-2374
Fax: 701-584-3018
 

A little bit about me. I graduated from high school in Las Vegas, Nevada – too many years ago to count. I received my bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from Dickinson State University, my master’s degree in educational leadership from North Dakota State University, and finally my doctorate degree in educational leadership and administration from the University of Mary. I was also in the United States Marine Corps back before college. Semper Fi to all the Leathernecks reading this.

I am married to a wonderful woman (Carrie Ziegler) who is also in education and is teaching at the Mandan Middle School. We have two adult boys; the oldest (Marshall, 25) is following his music passion and is in training to be a dueling pianos performer with a traveling group out of Kansas City, KA; our youngest (Derrick, 22)is a trained electrical lineman who has switched careers and is now an apprentice electrician with an electrical company out of Bismarck. We all love to go fishing, hiking, or just sitting around with each other watching TV.

 One item that I would like to talk to you about is my plans and goals for the Elgin/New Leipzig school district. E/NL has a very good school, and my goal is to keep moving it upward and forward. We cannot be satisfied with where things are, as long as we know how things could be. I am a believer in the concept that many heads make the best decisions. I want feedback, good and bad. I want to know the thoughts and ideas of others, as the old saying goes, “There is more than one way to skin a cat.” I am also a believer in open honest communication. I have seen great projects fail because of the lack of communication. Communication is a two-way street, there has to be some discussions, some of those may be difficult, but I have found that most things work out when we know and understand where the other person is coming from. We may not always agree, but we also know the reasons behind our thoughts and actions.

 The last item that I would like to address here is the importance of relationships. Safe, respectful, and proper relationships are the foundation for good communication and honest feedback. When relationships are built between all stakeholders in the school there is no problem that cannot be overcome. I have found that it is definitely a lot simpler to have a tough conversation with someone I know than with a stranger.