From the Deputy's Desk: Jule Walker is the OPI's Deputy Superintendent for Operations
April 15, 2019
Hello Montana Students, Teachers, Families, and Communities,
On April 4th, the second annual 'Tagged to Teach' Ag Signing Day occurred during the Montana State FFA Convention. During this year’s Signing Day, Dr. Carl Igo, Dr. Dustin Perry and Dr. Shannon Arnold of Montana State University's Agricultural Education Division along with State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen and the OPI's Agricultural Education Specialist Shannon Boswell, welcomed 14 Montana high school seniors, their Ag Teachers, and their parents on stage to sign letters of intent to enroll at MSU in the fall and pursue agriculture teaching careers. At a time when Montana faces challenges in recruiting and retaining educators in our rural communities, the OPI is very supportive of these students. Additionally, six current student teachers of Agricultural Education were recognized. They will be concluding their student teaching in the coming weeks and will then be certified to teach in our one of Montana's 96 Agricultural Programs across the state.
As part of the OPI's 'Montana Ready' initiative, we are promoting programs like 'Tagged to Teach' which recognize that students are graduating high school with the skills that they need to succeed in Montana careers. Earlier this month, the OPI along with career and technical student organizations and business partners hosted a 'Montana Ready' Day at the Capitol in Helena to showcase for lawmakers the workforce skills that Montana industries need and how our schools are preparing students for high-demand careers in our state.
As Montana's Deputy Superintendent for Operations, I am proud to oversee this work.
