Life is full of little battles and big battles and we need to know who we want alongside us and leading in these efforts.
Later this week the Board of Public Education (BPE) will be holding hearings on a proposal to add fees to the current teachers’ license cost. But why would anyone even propose the possibility of increasing fees, which will almost double this expense for teachers. Granted, it’s not an enormous expense, but our teachers are already underpaid and many already pay for some teaching materials out of their own pockets. The Office of Public Instruction and the BPE should be removing costs for teachers, not increasing them. Increasing their salaries, not reducing them. Making the career more attractive, not less attractive.
If you feel it’s important to support our teachers, reach out by Wednesday Nov 14th to [email protected] and let them know how you feel about beating up on teachers!
Elsie Arntzen, our illustrious Superintendent of Public Instruction, who should be more appropriately titled Superintendent of Promoting Private Education and Facilitating Public Education Destruction, has proposed this increase, along with other punitive measures over the course of her tenure.
When election time rolls around, Montanans will have an alternative to the incumbent’s nefarious management of the Office of Public Instruction. I recommend you cast your vote for Shannon O’Brien, who actually cares about our public education system and our teachers and, most of all, our students, who, after all, are our future. The OPI is there to preserve and enhance our public school system and Shannon O’Brien is the best choice to get the job done the way it should be done. Learn about her and then vote for her.
Ron Gerson
Kalispell