Montana Office of Public Instruction

The first results from Montana’s new standardized test show fewer than half of elementary-school students statewide are meeting math, reading and writing standards. The first year of testing had a rocky rollout.

State auditors are studying how efficiently the state education department sends out funding to schools. The study is part of an effort to reform how the state funds education.

Montana’s top education official this month sent a letter to schools telling them to “stay compliant” with state and federal laws. The letter from Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen references concerns schools are teaching diversity, equity and inclusion and gender identity. But it stops short of explaining what prompted those concerns. MTPR’s Austin Amestoy spoke with the Superintendent to learn more.

Last school year, the state implemented a new standardized test designed to make sure students are meeting state and federal requirements. But teachers say the rollout has been a mess.

The head of Montana’s education department was cited for driving under the influence last weekend

Schools across the state struggle to fill staffing vacancies. And while improving teacher pay and retention has been a top priority for the Montana Legislature, schools often turn to emergency authorized licenses to fill the gaps.

President Donald Trump is slashing the Department of Education’s workforce. MTPR’s Austin Amestoy speaks with Montana Superintendent of Schools Susie Hedalen to learn how public education in Montana may be impacted.

A bill on human trafficking education in Montana’s public schools is moving its way through the Legislature.

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.