Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction visited the chambers of the state capitol today, speaking to lawmakers about the future of Montana’s education system. Elsie Arntzen, the first Republican to hold the seat as Montana’s top education official in three decades, delivered her Education Address to a crowd of lawmakers and statewide officials.
Superintendent Arntzen says some of the initial work in her administration will be to improve middle school students’ proficiency in math.
"Raising math achievement will be a priority in Montana," says Arntzen. "Students who are not proficient in math when they enter college, have only a ten percent chance of degree completion."
As an overarching goal for the state’s education system, Arntzen says she will work with Montana’s U.S. congressional delegation to push back on what she calls federal overreach.
"Local control, flexibility for parents, teachers, and local public schools, create the environment opportunity that each unique Montana students to succeed and be proud of," says Arntzen.
Arntzen ended her fifteen-minute speech with a phrase that’s become a slogan for her new office, calling on lawmakers to 'Put Montana Students First'.