HELENA, Mont. – April is the Month of the Military Child. It acknowledges the significant role 1,478 school-age military-connected public-school students, as well as the 6,126 total Active Duty, National Guard, and Army Reserve connected students play in our Montana communities.

“We must remember that military families, especially kids, serve too,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “They often put on a ‘brave face’ through the hardships and multiple moves. For this we honor them.”

Virtual Job Fair for Montana Teachers

As part of the Montana Teach initiative, OPI Arntzen hosted a virtual job fair to attract talented, new educators to Montana. This free virtual job fair allowed educators to connect with school districts all across Montana.

This is the first time the Office of Public Instruction has undertaken such a bold initiative to recruit new teachers to Montana and create more opportunities for both our educators and students for years to come.

In 2020, Montana was ranked last in starting teacher pay, but Superintendent Arntzen, alongside Governor Greg Gianforte, is leading the way in raising starting teacher pay in Montana with the TEACH ACT.

Now by hosting OPI Education Virtual Job Fair, Superintendent Arntzen is paving the way for more young teachers to come to Montana to enjoy the higher starting teacher salaries that she helped deliver.

There’s no better investment for Montana’s future than in our students and in the educators who prepare them for success for the rest of their lives. As a result of Superintendent Arntzen’s critical leadership, there’s no doubt that both the TEACH Act and the continued teacher recruitment efforts will strengthen the teacher workforce by increasing the starting pay for Montana educators and making Montana more competitive in the recruitment of the best and brightest teachers.