Steve Johnson, Ph.D.

BREAKING: Happy TACO Tuesday. Told ya so. I’m glad!

One of the most unstoppable dynasties in college football is built in the middle of nowhere — and now it’s headed for the FBS. In this college football breakdown / video essay, we dive into how North Dakota State became a championship machine through dominant offensive line play in the trenches, a relentless run game identity, NFL Draft development, and one of the biggest home-field advantages in the sport: the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota. With the Bison making the jump from the FCS to the Mountain West, the question isn’t if they “belong” — it’s whether the Group of 5 (and the rest of the FBS) is ready for what’s coming. If you love college football trenches, offensive line film, run game scheme, program-building, conference realignment, and what it takes to win championships, this one’s for you. Drop a comment: how do you think North Dakota State will do in Year 1 in the Mountain West? @NDSUfootball #RollBison #ndsu #collegefootball #trenchlife #joemooreaward

Rural Counties: New Arrivals Offset Natural Declines for Fifth Consecutive Year dailyyonder.com/rural-counties…

Last week, @nrea1 was on the Hill advocating for the 10 million students in rural schools across America. NREA is urging Congress to fully fund Title I, IDEA, Title II-A, REAP, and Perkins CTE to ensure rural students have the support and postsecondary pathways they deserve. 🌾

And they've only begun feeling that way since they took over the party. inforum.com/opinion/column…

Inside how North Dakota State has become an unlikely pipeline for NFL quarterbacks: 'Have a leg up' trib.al/1iWfwhD

The NDGOP could only endorse two candidates for seven statewide races. Someone made a motion to strip the Republican brand from the incumbents who didn’t show up to the state convention. We’ve been debating this for two hours. inforum.com/news/north-dak…

Supt. Johnson Represents ND at Rural Education Hill Days: newsdakota.com/2026/03/26/sup…

Today, a jury in L.A. found Meta and Google liable for the depression and anxiety of a young woman who started using Instagram at 9. In 2017, when I first connected the increase in teen depression to the rise of social media, social media companies were considered untouchable. No more. This will be the first of many trials holding social media companies to account for platforms designed to use as much time and attention as possible, a strategy that had a particularly negative impact on children and teens, including those 12 and under who weren't supposed to be using them in the first place. Hoping this will, at the very least, push social media companies to verify that their users are at least 13. 16 or 18 would be even better. npr.org/2026/03/25/nx-…

Illinois Is Taking a Close Look at the Potential Effects of the Data Center Boom dailyyonder.com/illinois-is-ta…

Yesterday, CEF held a briefing about changes the Admin has made to several areas of education funding, what may happen with the recently enacted fiscal year 2026 funding, and the challenges looming for the upcoming cycle for fiscal year 2027. Watch here: youtube.com/watch?v=oK-uwi…

The majority of people want more – not less – support for education, yet @USEDgov funding is more than $20 billion below what it was 15 years ago in inflation-adjusted terms. Use CEF's toolkit to tell Congress #DontFlunkTheFuture cef.org/advocacy/

The turmoil and corruption in the NDGOP’s endorsement process makes a strong case for requiring that all candidates petition to be placed on the June primary ballot. inforum.com/opinion/column…

Representing North Dakota at #NREA Hill Days in Washington DC Strong conversations focused on rural schools, students & communities #RuralEducation

A Democrat leader in Congress suggested Republicans were hypocrites for exempting North Dakota, the only state in the nation without voter registration, from some provisions of the SAVE Act. inforum.com/opinion/column…

Moultonborough names Michael Whaland next superintendent laconiadailysun.com/community/anno… via @laconiadailysun

Republicans target public lands protections in a new way northdakotamonitor.com/2026/03/15/rep…

Virtual reality makes manufacturing more accessible for people with disabilities northdakotamonitor.com/2026/03/13/vir…

Through laziness and incompetence, the Fargo Police Department harmed and humiliated a Tennessee grandmother. There must be accountability for that. inforum.com/opinion/column…

The Quiet Courage of a Fort Ransom Soldier During WWII: newsdakota.com/2026/03/12/the…