Superintendent Arntzen is Accepting Applications for the Third Year of the Teacher Residency Project
Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen is accepting residency and district applications for the third year of the Montana Teacher Residency Program. The Residency program is a one-year paid student teaching experience during the final year of undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or master’s studies for education majors. Residents will be paired with a teacher-leader, and receive a stipend, district-provided housing, and partial tuition support.
Resident teachers will also commit to teaching in a Montana school district for a minimum of three years. Those interested in becoming a resident can apply here. Districts interested in hosting a resident can apply here.
“The Residency Program is a great opportunity for Montana-made teachers to gain valuable classroom experience,” Arntzen said. “The academic success of our children depends on access to high-quality teachers who are well prepared from day one. This reflects my Montana Hope and Montana Teach initiatives by emphasizing community engagement and strong teacher leaders to put our students first.”
To date, eight residents in eight school districts have been placed for the 2024-2025 school year, with more placements pending:
- 12 residents are awaiting lead teacher confirmations
- 15 residents are awaiting placements
- A total of 35 residents are committed to the program and approved by their educator preparation program
During the first two years of the residency program, 40 residents were placed in the following 20 Montana school districts:
- Browning Public Schools – 10 residents
- Cayuse Prairie Elementary School – 2 residents
- Frontier Elementary School – 2 residents
- Columbia Falls Public Schools – 1 resident
- Lodge Grass Public Schools – 3 residents
- Poplar Public Schools – 1 resident
- Great Falls Public Schools – 1 resident
- Pryor Public Schools – 1 resident
- Hardin School District – 5 residents
- Sunset School – 1 resident
- Harlem School District – 1 resident
- Trout Creek Elementary – 1 resident
- Victor K-12 Schools – 2 residents
- Woodman School – 1 resident
- Havre Public Schools – 1 resident
- Kalispell Public Schools – 1 resident
- Lodge Grass Public Schools – 2 residents
- Noxon Public Schools – 1 resident
- Upper West Shore Elementary School – 1 resident
- Vaughn Elementary – 2 residents
The residents receive a $14,000 stipend from the Office of Public Instruction’s (OPI) Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds that were set aside for workforce redesign. A partial tuition waiver of up to $3,000 is also available to residents who are not already receiving full tuition support. The teacher-leaders who work daily with each resident will receive a $6,000 stipend. The ESSER dollars will fund the Residency Program through June 2024. During the 2023 legislative session, HB 833 was passed and signed by Governor Gianforte. This bill will provide funding for the Residency Program beginning in July 2024.
Tags: equity, rural education, school-university partnerships, urban education
