Developing a constitutional lesson plan – CRMW hosts series of events on Montana’s education provisions

Last November the state Supreme Court gave the Legislature one monster of a homework assignment: to define—and then fund—the free, quality public education guaranteed to Montanans by the state Constitution in the wake of the court’s decision that the current system isn’t adequate.

An interim legislative committee has been working overtime to meet the court’s order, and a seminar in Missoula on Friday, Aug. 12, will discuss the progress being made, as well as the larger context of the Montana Constitution and its educational provisions. The one-day event, organized by the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana http://crmw.org/ , will bring together current legislators who are helping develop the new education funding formula, the attorney who successfully argued the current system isn’t working, and delegates to the 1972 constitutional convention who had a hand in developing Montana’s education provisions.

The Aug. 12 seminar is the first in a series of five titled, “Montana Constitution: Progressive Spirit of the Rocky Mountain West.” The first three—Aug. 12, Oct. 14 and Jan. 19—will revolve around education. The October session will address the Indian education requirement, and the January meeting will look at the Legislature’s solution after the special session. The last two, scheduled for June 9 and July 14, will take up with the Constitution’s environmental provisions.

Full Story: http://www.missoulanews.com/News/News.asp?no=5098