Montana Education Excellence

NASA has given Helena’s museum of science and culture an almost $500,000 grant. That’s to build space-related exhibits, bring astronauts to town to speak, and develop a curriculum for schools across the state.

The program, known as "Grow Eastern Montana," will be offered on a two-year trial basis.

"They’ve established a really world class neuroscience research program here in this state" said Mathew Ames, the Director of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. "And it’s pretty hard to do anywhere these days let alone here."

A freeze would have provided an acknowledgement by university officials that we are all in this together. Instead, while an economy has forced sacrifices across the board in the public and private sectors, the university system, whether deserved, appears utterly disconnected by raising prices during the worst recession in a half century.

“Quick Start will provide quick relief and long-term benefits for Montana’s schools,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “Quick Start is designed to assists schools with conducting energy audits and completing energy efficiency projects that provide long-term, cost-effective benefits to K-12 school facilities.”

The city of Whitefish is at a crossroads. Do we save our high school, or do we become a bedroom community of Kalispell?

Montana is currently working on draft standards for English-language arts and mathematics. To view and provide comment please go to: http://www.opi.mt.gov/Math/index.html and http://www.opi.mt.gov/Accred/CArts.html

“The Helena community has so much to be proud of,” Cobb said. “This is done because of the foresight of administration — they understand that importance. The jewel of the whole Pacific Northwest is at CHS.”

Led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, the states, including Maryland and Virginia, are aiming to define a framework of content and skills that meet an overarching goal. When students get their high school diplomas, the coalition says, they should be ready to tackle college or a job. The benchmarks would be "internationally competitive."

Montana’s economy requires people who can learn and work in different businesses and environments and who can create their own companies and jobs. Educational excellence is the foundation to a strong economy and Montana businesses rely on this foundation for success.