New State Special Education Director

Good Morning!

I am very pleased to announce that Jenifer Cline has accepted the position of  State Director of Special Education and Administrator of Student Support Services.  We are excited to have someone of her experience, knowledge and expertise take on this critical leadership position.  Jenifer is Montana born and raised and understands our state, our way of working together, and the unique challenges we face.  She brings to the table her nearly two decades of work experience as a special education specialist, cooperative director, district special education director, and most recently special education manager at the Office of Public Instruction. 

Jenifer has had broad experience at the local, state and national level holding offices with both MCASE and the national CASE organizations.  She has presented professional development at numerous state and national professional conferences and co-authored several articles and books including: Efficient and Effective Management of Resources for CASE, Data: Making it Meaningful for National Professional Resources Inc., A Teachers Guide to Special Education for ASCD, Special Education Law Case Studies: A Review from Practitioners for Rowman and Littlefield, and Special Education Leadership; Building Effective Programming in Schools for Routledge.

Please join us in welcoming Jenifer to her new position!  We look forward to continuing our strong relationships with you, our partners, to better meet the needs of all students and particularly our students with disabilities.

Dick Trerise

For Questions, Please Contact: 

Dick Trerise, Assistant Director & Fiscal Management, 406-444-4429

The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, TTY 406-444-0235.