State of Montana Newsroom
Superintendent Arntzen to Host Eighth Community Discussion on Accountability for Indian Education Funds
HELENA – Superintendent Arntzen will host the eighth monthly virtual community discussion focusing on HB 338, sponsored by Representative Jonathan Windy Boy, which holds schools accountable for Indian education dollars. This discussion will be held on January 24, 2024, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM via Zoom and will be moderated by the Office of Public Instruction’s Chief Legal Counsel, Rob Stutz. These are open opportunities for parents, families, teachers, school leaders, and legislators to participate. The theme is Local Accountability: How Recent Legislation Affects Families, Students, and Communities.
“These community discussions focus on family and community engagement in our public education system,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “This legislation strengthens our Montana Constitutional promise to provide Indian education to all our students and demands accountability of taxpayer dollars. I look forward to continuing this series of conversations as the new year begins.”
The January discussion focuses on HB 338, Revise laws related to Indian Education for All (IEFA), which includes:
- The addition of language instruction for American Indian studies
- Requiring IEFA in state content standards and accreditation
- Additional reporting requirements for IEFA
The meeting agenda can be found here and a summary of the legislation can be found here.
The recordings of past discussions and dates for future discussions are available on OPI’s Parent Resources page. Please join the discussion with your microphone muted as instructions will be given on how and when you will be able to chime in, to keep the meeting running smoothly.
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