Montana’s smaller, more rural school districts are having a hard time finding and retaining teachers. About one-fifth of schools in the state have moved to four-day work weeks to recruit and retain educators.
Missoulian education reporter Skylar Rispens recently published two stories in a series about the teacher shortage in Montana. In her reporting, Ripsens found that when compared nationally, starting teachers in Montana are earning thousands of dollars less and at least $6,000 less than starting teachers in neighboring states.
She spoke with MTPR’s Freddy Monares about her reporting.