There Are Over 1,000 Open Teaching Positions, As School Start Back

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 23, 2022

CONTACT
press@montanademocrats.org

Is Leadership at the OPI the Problem?

Helena, MT –   As of last week, there were still over 1,000 open teaching positions in schools across the state. The obvious question is what is causing the shortage? Is there simply a shortage of qualified educators and teachers in the state? Or is Montana leadership letting our teachers down? 

According to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry’s report on workforce supply and demand, it is not a problem of supply. In fact, “If employers find it difficult to fill oversupplied occupations, then the issue is likely one of distribution and retention, not capacity.”

It’s no mystery. Montana’s average teacher pay is dead last – 50th out of 50 states. Elsie Arntzen’s leadership at the Office of Public Instruction has been fraught with issues— including an unprecedented level of staffing vacancies. Earlier this year, the superintendents of the state’s eight biggest school districts wrote a letter of No Confidence to Arntzen, asking for much needed support from her office. A recent audit report found that Arntzen’s OPI is at risk of mishandling federal money in four different programs due to a lack of internal expertise and adequate monitoring within the agency.

“As school starts again, Montanans are reminded of how critically important our public school teachers are,” says Sheila Hogan, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Our teachers deserve to be paid well and supported by Elsie Arntzen’s OPI. Her failure of leadership will continue to hurt Montana families, students, and teachers.”

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