Montana Department of Education: Shaping the Future of Education in the Treasure State
The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) serves as the state education agency, playing a pivotal role in guiding and overseeing the K-12 public education system across Montana. This article delves into the structure, responsibilities, and key aspects of the Montana OPI, shedding light on its impact on students, schools, and communities throughout the state.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction: An Elected Leader
Since 1889, the people of Montana have elected a Superintendent of Public Instruction as one of the five members of the executive branch. This demonstrates the importance Montana places on education and ensuring its leadership is directly accountable to the citizens. By law, the superintendent has general supervision of the K-12 public schools and school districts. Currently, Susie Hedalen serves as the Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is an elected official authorized by Article VI, Section 1, of the Montana Constitution.
Structure and Organization
Services are provided through two programs. Below is an organizational chart of the branch, including full-time employee (FTE) numbers and the HB 2 base general fund appropriations and the total of all funds.
Financial Oversight and Resource Allocation
A major source of growth for the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is due to K-12 BASE Aid, which has increased nearly every legislative session. Though the growth of OPI funding closely follows the growth of population and inflation, it is important to note that OPI accounts for the largest amount of general fund expenditures (approximately $797.7 million in FY 2019) when compared to any other state agency. This report includes a series of charts that compare expenditure growth to the growth in the economy and growth in inflation adjusted for population. Montana statute, 17-8-106, MCA, recommends using growth in personal income for comparison purposes. Personal income is a measure for growth in the economy. The guarantee account is a state special revenue fund dedicated to school funding, and its funds are usually statutorily appropriated. The guarantee account receives revenue generated from common school state land as well as interest from the common school trust.
Key Initiatives and Accomplishments
Under the leadership of previous superintendents, such as Denise Juneau who took office on January 5, 2009, Montana has seen progress in various areas of education. Student ACT scores were reporting up in 2009 from 2008. In that same year tobacco use among Montana teens declined.
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Partnerships and Collaborations
The University of Montana Western is proud to implement a Sprint Degree for Elementary Education in partnership with Great Falls Public Schools (GFPS). Awarded grant funding through the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE), this program compacts a 4-year program into a 9-semester sequence, which includes summers.
The Education Program at Montana Western
The Education Program at Montana Western is the oldest in the state. Students start out with plenty of hands-on field experiences in a wide variety of classrooms. Small classes are the rule, where students learn best. Learning is intensified in a one-of-a-kind, block schedule system called Experience One. The new Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation Model Classroom helps prepare teachers who can teach today’s students. Project REAL offers an accessible, fully online Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education for paraprofessionals and other individuals currently working in schools.
Faculty Expertise at Montana Western
Laura Straus, Ph.D. Laura Straus specializes in literacy education, with an emphasis on reading engagement and motivation to read. Katrina Kennett, Ph.D. Dr. Katrina Kennett is deeply interested in how pre-service teachers integrate authentic literacy practices and contemporary technology tools into their instruction. Her research focuses on how teachers plan for student learning and she coaches in-service teachers as they design sustained opportunities for student inquiry in their curriculum. Katrina coordinates - and teaches in - the Rural Fridays program at UMW. Shay Kidd, Ph.D.
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