The 2008 National Teacher of the Year, a teacher at Crook County Middle School in Prineville, believes states will have to take bold action to balance budgets. Michael Geisen will be serving on Governor Kitzhaber's State Education Investment Team: “ I think we’re really at the tipping point in the educational skewer right now. We are at point where something needs to happen. Obviously the financial situation is major, a major payer in that.” Geisen likes Governor Kitzhaber's plan to fund schools based on performance rather than population.