Montana Office of Public Instruction

Next month, the state education department will have a new leader for the first time in eight years. Townsend Public Schools Superintendent Susie Hedalen is set to take over the Office of Public Instruction following a campaign promising to “bring education back to basics.” She joined MTPR’s Austin Amestoy to talk about her plans for her first term.

The state’s highest-ranking K-12 education leader is set to leave her post next month after eight years in office. Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Artnzen presided over an education landscape rocked and reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. She joined MTPR’s Austin Amestoy to reflect on her two terms and look ahead to the future of Montana’s schools.

About two dozen Missoula-area teachers pondered the uses and risks of artificial intelligence in the classroom at a first-of-its-kind AI “playdate” Thursday night.

Montana schools are short on teachers. The state education department’s hiring page showed more than 400 open jobs two months into the school year. Education leaders are experimenting with ways to recruit teachers for the long-haul, and at least one project is showing promise.

K-12 public school enrollment in Montana is down for a second year in a row. The schools have nearly 2,000 fewer students this fall than last — a 1.2% decrease. That’s according to preliminary data from the state education department.

More than 75,000 Montana children will receive delayed food benefits that were supposed to be sent to families this summer.

An audit of Montana’s Office of Public Instruction raises questions over how the agency spent more than $67 million in federal funding.

As Montana schools work to recruit and retain teachers, data suggest superintendent turnover in the state is among the highest in the nation.

Montana doubles the percentage of fully accredited public schools in Montana. One dead and 12 left ill from an E.coli outbreak in the Flathead. Western Montana can expect more seasonable temps next week.

We’re bringing you coverage of all the major political races this year. MTPR’s Corin Cates-Carney sat down with reporter Austin Amestoy to break down the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction.