The OPI is providing this newsletter every month for an update on current events and ongoing education-related issues in Montana. The next Navigator will be sent to you on March 3, 2023.

For previous editions of the Navigator click here.

Calendar of Events

68th Legislative Session

Day 25

Important Upcoming Dates:

February is Black History Month and Career Technical Education (CTE) Month!

Tribal Education Caucus: Capitol Room 350 every Thursday beginning January 5, 2023, 4:00pm-5:00 pm

Education Caucus: Capitol Room 335 every other Tuesday beginning January 10, 2023,

7:00-7:30 am

Indian Education for All Gathering: February 13, 2023, Capitol Rotunda 9:00 am

Celebrating Women’s History: March 22, 2023, Capitol Rotunda 12:00 pm.

Recognition of Unified Champions- Special Olympics: March 28, 2023,

12:00-1:00 pm

MT Ready Day Career Day: April 12, 2023, Capitol Rotunda 12:00 pm

Attention Women Legislators! OPI is Producing a Women in Government Video

Your voice is important and OPI would like to share your story with Montana. Please scan the QR Code or click here to schedule a time to record. The 2021 video can be viewed here.

68th Legislature - 2023 Session Calendar – Draft Schedule

Click here to view the Legislative Calendar.

Legislation

Welcome New Legislators

Congratulations on being appointed to the Montana House of Representatives! Please remember to put students, families, schools, and communities first as you progress with your legislative work. We would like you to know our team at the Office of Public Instruction. Please visit our website at https://opi.mt.gov/ to learn about how we are serving Montana children, families, and educators. Look for our OPI Navigator, a monthly newsletter on innovative opportunities for teaching and learning.

Montana Legislature Bill Search Results for Education

Click the image to link to the list of Schools and Education Bills.

As of 02/03/2023, there are 290 Total Requested Education Bill Drafts and 46 Introduced Bills. These requested bills fit into the following categories:

There are 737 Introduced Bills and 4586 total Requested Bill Drafts as of 02/03/23.

OPI Priority Legislation

The top four priority bills for the OPI are: HB 15 - A Promise is a Promise: Base Aid requirements to fund Public Schools-this is in the Governor’s budget This bill passed through the Senate Education 11/0 and is headed to the Senate floor as of Feb. 2.  HB 22 - Teacher Dollars Working for Teachers: Teacher Licensing fees supporting the teacher licensing system. This bill unanimously passed the Senate Education and Cultural Resources Committee. There have been no opponents to the bill and it is headed to Senate floor for Second Reading HB 2 - A one-time-only present law adjustment in the Governor's Budget to fund audiology equipment. This bill will be finalized at the end of session HB 171 - Mental Health: Tuition for any residential mental health treatment. This bill passed 3rd reading on the House floor 99/0 as of Feb. 2.

OPI Proposed Legislation

Family

1. Immunity for use of a legal name
2. Identify violation of education statute as gross neglect of duty
3. Empower families through local grievance process

 Teacher

1. Consolidate licenses to three types
2. Require current contact information for licensees and applicants, and allow service of process via mail
3. Move to 8 years in teacher retirement with sunset
4. Flexible teacher retirement and reemployment

 Flexibility

1. State-tribal education compact
2. OPI approval of textbook content
3. Apply open meeting laws to public associations
4. Career coaches

 Elections

1. Move school elections to the general election date

Opportunities

1. Financial Literacy
2. Montana Interstate Children’s Compact Commission position
3. Digital pre-K learning
4. Expand Teach Act
5. Continue Teacher Residency program
6. Defining and aligning definitions with Chapter 55

Governors’ Prayer Breakfast

Montana's 68th Legislative Session Tribal Education Caucus

Please join us for the Tribal Education Caucus: Capitol Room 350 every Thursday beginning January 5, 2023, 4:00pm-5:00 pm

Please click here to watch and read presented meetings and materials.

Montana's 68th Legislative Education Caucus

Please join us for the Education Caucus: Capitol Room 335 every other Tuesday beginning  January 10, 2023, 7:00pm-8:00 pm for coffee and hot apple fritters

Join Us February 7^th , 2023 7:00 AM for our next Education Caucus

Please click here to see previous meeting materials and handouts.

OPI Updates

December 2022 Press Releases

• Superintendent Arntzen to Host Discussion on Federal COVID Relief Dollars
• Superintendent Arntzen Announces Participation in Automatic Enrollment Through Medicaid for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals
• Superintendent Arntzen Releases Teacher Licensing Report
• Superintendent Arntzen Opens Second Test Window for the Montana Alternative Student Testing Pilot Program
• Superintendent Arntzen Announces Montana’s United States Senate Youth Program Scholarship Awardees
• Superintendent Arntzen Releases Annual Critical Quality Educator Shortages Report
• Superintendent Arntzen Applauds Montana Board of Public Education for Recognizing the Importance of Financial Literacy and Civics Education
• Superintendent Arntzen Seeks Math Standards Review Task Force
• Superintendent Arntzen Seeks Community Summer Food Service Program Sponsors and Sites
• Superintendent Arntzen Hosts Teacher Leader and Executive Leadership Academies
• Superintendent Elsie Arntzen Congratulates Three Schools Nominated for the National Blue Ribbon Schools

For more information, please contact Brian O’Leary, Communications Director at Brian.O’Leary@mt.gov or 406-444-355.

Join us in Celebrating

National Technology Day

National Technology Day. Did you know the OPI collects and recycles used technology and provides it to schools? Last year 1,360 computers, 104 monitors, 13 printers, 160 tablets, and 72 network devices were supplied to our Montana schools!

School Flexibility

The uniqueness of our sparse frontiers to our urban cities reflects the individual learning of our Montana students. Education is vastly different in the one-room classrooms of places like Polaris than it is in the large schools of Billings. There is no one-size-fits-all in learning. Each child’s needs should be at the center of academic success and educational excellence. #PutMontanaStudentsFirst

Thank you,

Black History Month

During the month of February we celebrate Black History Month. In the 1890's Stagecoach Mary was known for protecting Montana mail routes from thieves. The Superintendent encourages you to watch "Hidden Stories: Montana's Black Past" Produced by the Montana Historical Society.

2023 Summer Food Service Program Sponsors and Sites Needed

OPI is seeking Summer Food Partners to host meal sites for our children. If you know any schools, churches, or organizations in your legislative district that would be interested in more information visit OPI to begin the application process please call 406-444-2501 or click here.

Virtual Teacher Job Fair

This free virtual job fair will connect you with Montana schools districts across the Last Best Place where there are over 820 public school districts from the one-room schoolhouse to our largest community of Billings that serves over 18,000 students.   

You will be able to search for available positions, participate in a live networking session where you meet many district decision-makers, chat with districts, and participate in private interviews. 

Register Now for the 5th OPI Sponsored Virtual Job Fair March 8-10

The teacher recruitment workshop on February 8th!

Congratulations to Montana's Blue-Ribbon School Nominees!

Shout out to Carrie Kouba, Innovation & Improvement Senior Manager, for helping to nominate schools for the National Blue Ribbon Award. The award will be presented in September.

Montana Meth Project #PaintTheState

Elsie Arntzen, Superintendent, and Jamey Petersen, Coordinated School Health Director, joined the Montana Meth Project in launching Paint the State on Monday.

Innovations for Montana Students

1. MAST Pilot Program
2. Chapter 55-Rule Changes
3. Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds
4. Math Content Standards Review

Montana Alternative Student Testing (MAST) Pilot Program

The second testing window ended on January 31, 2023. Window extensions are available upon request to maximize participation. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback after the first testing window! This feedback helps guarantee that the MAST program will be a success.  The next feedback session will be February 17, 2023, click here to join. Please see our MAST Update for January 2023 and visit our webpage for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Sam Walsh, Project Manager.

Chapter 55 – School Accreditation Rule Changes

Montana Board of Public Education (BPE) finished responding to public comment for the Chapter 55, School Accreditation rules. The board unanimously  supported Superintendent Arntzen’s addition of civics or government and financial literacy or economics to the current graduation requirements for Montana high school students. These graduation requirements are housed in Chapter 55 of Montana’s Administrative Rules. The additions carry the weight of half a unit towards graduation within the existing 20-unit requirement. These flexible requirements are determined at the local level through Math, Social Studies, or Career Technical Education. The BPE will vote to adopt the revised Chapter 55: School Accreditation rules during the March 9-10, 2023 meeting. Of the 173 Montana high schools, all but 29 currently offer at least one course that integrates financial literacy.   For more information, please contact Dr. Julie Murgel, Chief Operating Officer at julie.murgel@mt.gov or (406) 444-3172.

3.   Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Funds – ESSER

February’s Virtual ESSER Guidance Sessions will take place on February 16th & 17th. All sessions will be recorded and posted on the OPI ESSER Webpage. More information and updates will be sent out as we get closer to those sessions. The Afterschool and Summer Enrichment grants for School Year 2022-23 reopened under the updated name ESSER Consolidated Special ELO. These grants will focus on Math and Reading programming efforts, combined with best practices promoting Social/Emotional Learning. View our site HERE for more information. Each month school board trustees are sent a monthly allocation report for ESSER funds. These reports can be found here. The state-wide ESSER allocation through January 31, 2023 is:

Please remember that ESSER II dollars must be allocated by September 30, 2023, and ESSER III dollars must be allocated by September 30, 2024.

For more information, please contact Wendi Fawns at wendi.fawns@mt.gov

Math Content Standards Review

With approval from the Montana Board of Public Education, Superintendent Arntzen has opened the Montana Mathematics Content Standards for review. The purpose of the standards review process is to assure that Montana public schools are setting high academic standards for all children of our great state. Our goal is to serve our Montana students and educators with the best-possible mathematics standards to guide instruction and to prepare our students well for their lives beyond the classroom. The Office of Public Instruction is seeking applications/nominations for participation on the Mathematics Standards Review Task Force. The Task Force includes both a Revision/Writing Team, as well as a Review Team. The Task Force members will be chosen from applicants representing a variety of stakeholders who are involved with K-12 mathematics instruction across Montana. The application review process will involve both internal and external review, because we would like the people of Montana to engage in this process with us. The Mathematics Standards Review Task Force can expect to meet throughout the Revision Phase which runs from April through August of 2023. Specific dates for the Task Force meetings will be shared with successful applicants upon notification of selection. Participants will also use online tools to collaborate throughout this phase of the standards review process. Tentative Meetings: Revision/Writing Team: April (virtual); June (virtual); July (in person) 2023 Review Team: April, July, and August 2023 (virtual) Please submit the Mathematics Standards Review Task Force Application no later than Friday, February 10, 2023, by 5:00 p.m. If you would like to nominate someone for participation on the Task Force, please forward this application to them to complete. All applicants for the Mathematics Review Task Force will be notified via e-mail by March 31, 2023. If you have questions, please contact Sonja Whitford at sonja.whitford @mt.gov

Questions? Contact: 

Tara Boulanger, Legislative Liaison, (406) 444-2082

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, Relay Service: 711.