Committee: Education Interim Committee
Author: Pad McCracken
Posted on March 8, 2018
The Education Interim Committee will be meeting Thursday-Friday, March 22-23, 2018, in Helena at the State Capitol, Room 137. Meeting materials are being posted to the committee website and an agenda will be available on Monday, March 12.
During the morning of Thursday, March 22, the committee will hear from the Montana Arts Council and receive K-12 updates from the Office of Public Instruction. Early childhood education policy experts from the National Conference of State Legislatures will visit with the committee about state policy considerations regarding preschool.
After lunch, the committee members will take a look at the basics of K-12 funding generally and then continue the House Joint Resolution No. 1 study of funding for educational programs serving students with special needs. The committee will explore possible changes to existing state funding mechanisms. The afternoon will conclude with a panel presentation/discussion on innovations in K-12 career and technical education that emphasize work-based learning. Representatives from the Office of Public Instruction, the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, and the Department of Labor and Industry will be joined by school leaders from Billings, Three Forks, and Helena.
On Friday, March 23, committee members will begin the day with a visit to Shodair Children’s Hospital from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. This visit is limited to committee members and confirmed guests -- space is limited. Guests must be confirmed by March 16. If you wish to participate in the visit, please contact Pad McCracken (406-444-3595 or padmccracken@mt.gov .
The committee will reconvene following the visit to Shodair at 10 a.m. in Room 137 of the State Capitol to continue its collaborative discussions regarding the Montana University System. At this meeting the focus will be on reviewing state financial aid programs, as the committee previously identified the priority of ensuring unified, coherent, and funded state financial aid programs. The committee will conclude the meeting with a working lunch/work session examining its work plan for the remainder of the interim and holding preliminary discussions on any findings and recommendations, committee reports, and bill drafts related to the committee’s work generally as well as to the HJ 1 study.
Senate members appointed to the committee are Tom Facey, D-Missoula; Edie McClafferty, D-Butte; Dan Salomon, R-Ronan; and Russ Tempel, R-Chester. House members are Fred Anderson, R-Great Falls; Jacob Bachmeier, D-Havre; Moffie Funk, D-Helena; and Don Jones, R-Billings. The committee is chaired by Sen. McClafferty with Rep. Anderson serving as vice chair.
The meeting will be live streamed at http://leg.mt.gov and will be broadcast on Television Montana (TVMT.) Please check your local channel listings to find TVMT in your area. For more information about the meeting, visit the committee’s website or contact Pad McCracken, committee staff.
Committee Website: http://leg.mt.gov/css/Committees/interim/2017-2018/Education/default.asp
Committee Staff: padmccracken@mt.gov or (406) 444-3595
