Legislation also offers incentives for student achievement, housing help for costly districts
By Keila SzpallerDAILY MONTANAN
Molly Blakely has taught teachers in Montana, the “best and brightest,” and they’ve asked her what they can earn in the Treasure State.
Blakely, who has been an adjunct instructor at the University of Montana for 18 years, said when she offers an honest answer to their questions in an interview prep class, the future teachers ask one question: “How do I get certified (to teach) in another state?”
State institutions are doing great work training teachers, Blakely said, but Montana is losing them, and a bill to increase starting teacher pay would help.
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Blakely and other educators testified Wednesday before the House Education committee in favor of House Bill 252, the Student and Teacher Advancement for Results and Success, or STARS Act, intended to boost teacher pay.
“Those teachers are leaving for one reason, and one reason only, and it’s for finances,” said Blakely, also superintendent of Hellgate Elementary School District in Missoula.
In Lolo, Superintendent Dale Olinger said recruiting and retaining teachers is harder than it has ever been. Olinger said staff share housing to make ends meet, and many teachers work second jobs.
“I have many staff with a side hustle,” Olinger said. “It used to be a joke. Now, it’s not.”
In Montana, 26% of teachers work second jobs and earn an extra $4,700 on average, according to a Department of Labor and Industry Report from December 2024. The report said average earnings increase their pay by roughly 8%.
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Olinger said the STARS Act could mean another $185,000 for the moderately sized district, and it would also help special education cooperatives, which support multiple districts, and district clerks.
Montana has struggled to offer starting teachers competitive pay. Legislation from 2023 tried to help, but just half of the school districts in Montana were able to tap into it last school year after the Office of Public Instruction bungled the data collection.
(From Department of Labor and Industry report from December 2024.)
According to the DLI report, Montana’s full-time entry-level teachers earned an average salary of $38,800 in the 2022-2023 school year. It’s less than the national average of $44,530 and ranks Montana 46th among states.
Montana is also the lowest for starting teachers compared to surrounding states, the report said; Idaho is closest at $41,179, and Wyoming is highest, at $48,622.
At the meeting, STARS Act sponsor and Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, outlined the bill’s provisions to help teachers and students.
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The comprehensive legislation aims to not only boost new teacher pay, but close an inflation gap in public education, help districts in high-cost housing areas, and provide incentives to help students advance, among other provisions.
The Coalition of Advocates for Montana Public Schools described the bill as a “pivotal advancement” in school funding, increasing base salaries for teachers, offering incentives to recruit and retain educators, and expanding learning opportunities for students.
Teachers, parents, trustees, and other members of the public spilled into the hall in a room at the Capitol and testified remotely to support the bill. No one opposed it, although some said it could do more for veteran teachers and worried that a mechanism that ties funding to salary benchmarks could be a barrier for districts.
Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad. (Provided by the Montana Legislature)
Melissa Smith, representing the Kalispell Education Association, said her district has seen school levies fail, it faces a reduction in force, and recent contract negotiations hinge on approval of the bill.
“We fought for months to raise teacher salaries, particularly for new educators,” said Smith, a teacher with Glacier High School.
However, Smith said the district still faces a reduction in force, and she worries that if struggling districts can’t push up salaries the way the bill requires, they’ll miss out on funding.
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A voluntary incentive in the bill offers districts more money if they incrementally bump up starting teacher pay from 62% to 70% of their average pay, a tool designed to decrease the wide salary spread between newer and experienced teachers in Montana.
According to Lance Melton, the executive director of the Montana School Boards Association, other states that rank similarly in both starting teacher salaries and average teacher salaries typically compensate beginning teachers at approximately 70% of the average salary for teachers overall. Melton testified on behalf of the Coalition of Advocates for Montana’s Public Schools.
Although Smith raised a concern about the bill, she said the association supports the legislation.
“The Kalispell Education Association believes House Bill 252 has the potential to uplift Montana schools and provide increased opportunity for our students and their learning,” Smith said.
The Montana Federation of Public Employees also spoke for it.
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Supporters came from schools and government agencies, a nonprofit group that supports public education, and one focused on limited government. They included newly sworn Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen, Commissioner of Labor Sarah Swanson, and the Governor’s Office.
Dylan Klapmeier, education and workforce policy advisor for Gov. Greg Gianforte, said the Governor’s Office committed $100 million to increase teacher pay and raise student outcomes as reflected in the bill. In particular, Klapmeier praised the focus on helping students get a jump start on college and careers.
A fiscal analysis of the bill has been requested but is not yet available.
The bill also aims to decrease disparities between educators in urban and rural areas. It offers tools such as stipends to help teachers with housing in costly districts; creates a school funding data dashboard for transparency; and offers incentives for districts to share resources, along with other proposals.
Jacob Warner, a math teacher at Capital High School in Helena and recipient of a presidential award for excellence in teaching from the White House, said the STARS Act is a good first step to improving education.
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Warner said teachers have not had it easy lately. He said class sizes have gone up, teachers are being asked to teach extra, and inflation is eating at the budget.
“Every spring, phenomenal teachers in my building get pink slips, causing uncertainty, stress for them, their families and their students,” Warner said.
Although Warner said recruiting teachers is important, he said retaining veterans is critical too, and salaries for all teachers should be increased — but the money is not there.
Warner said districts need dollars for other essentials, and his children’s school had to hold a fundraiser to fix a boiler.
“A boiler is not a want. A boiler is a need,” Warner said.
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In response to questions from Rep. Melissa Romano, D-Helena, Jane Shawn, a union president in Helena, estimated one-third or so of teachers hold second jobs. She said it’s not just the younger ones, but teachers with as many as 35 years of experience who have “side hustles.”
The DLI report said the rate of teachers who work other jobs is consistent across district size, and teachers who leave the profession earn higher wages in other industries. It also said teachers are more likely than other workers to hold more than one job.
In Eureka, Superintendent Joel Graves said the district interviewed a teacher for construction in CTE, career and technical education, one who would have been a great fit for the community, but they couldn’t agree on a salary or find the candidate a place to live.
The district started building tiny houses for teachers, but school districts can’t afford to stay in that business, and he said the bill will help.
Steve Thennis, with MOFE, Montanans Organized for Education, praised the support for educational costs such as advanced placement exams and incentives for housing.
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“In my time as an administrator, I lost countless candidates for open positions due to their inability to find affordable housing,” said Thennis, who worked in Helena.
Keaton Sunchild, with Western Native Voice, said the bill will help rural schools and many on reservations. He said it supports language immersion and Montana Indian Education for All, “programs that in the past have been neglected or left behind.”
Charlie Snellman, a student and member of the Helena Public Schools Board of Trustees, said he will attend Johns Hopkins University next year for a double major in violin and cello performance and molecular biology, with a goal to attend medical school.
Snellman said his opportunities have been “phenomenal.” However, he also said struggling teachers hurt student morale and have a detrimental effect on their educational experience, and high turnover makes it difficult to develop relationships with them.
“I’ve had the pleasure of maintaining great relationships with my teachers throughout my high school career, and have been given excellent opportunities, and I only hope that students after me will be given the same opportunities,” Snellman said.
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In Havre, Tim Scheele said he’s a trustee and parent, and he said if teachers have to get second jobs just to afford to feed themselves, they will be less focused on students. Scheele also said turnover means teachers don’t get to know a community.
“The more turnover you have, the less dynamic your teaching staff can be,” Scheele said.
The Frontier Institute’s Kendall Cotton said his organization is conservative but supports the bill because it puts money where it should go, to teachers, and not just to things like facilities. Cotton said he hopes student achievement increases as a result.
In response to questions about the lack of funds for more experienced teachers in the bill, Jones said resources are scarce, and the bill is targeted, designed to improve a persistent problem in Montana of low pay for starting teachers.
Jones said school boards have local control, and they are free to increase pay for teachers at the higher end as they wish. However, he said those who want money from the legislation will bring the bottom up.
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“We’ve been cannibalizing young teachers for a long time. It’s time we stop,” Jones said.
The committee didn’t take immediate action on the bill.
San Francisco 49ers all-time great Joe Montana became the latest former 49ers player to share his thoughts on the upcoming Brock Purdy contract. Montana, revered as the team’s four-time Super Bowl champion and the leader of their dynasty in the 1980s, believes the 49ers should extend Purdy.
“You gotta pay him,” Montana said on the Rich Eisen Show. “I can show you four or five guys in the league making tons of money that haven’t produced anywhere near what he’s been able to do.”
Though Purdy and the 49ers are coming off a down year after two outstanding seasons to begin his career, Montana attributed this to a variety of factors that caused the team as a whole to struggle in 2024.
“They just had one of those years where guys get hurt offensively, defensively,” Montana said. “Craziness in the beginning of the year with the trade talks with [Brandon Aiyuk], and then he gets hurt. They just had one of those years you can’t wait to get behind you.”
The 49ers certainly dealt with a lot of adversity throughout the season with multiple All-Pros either missing games or playing through injuries. They could not consistently hold onto leads, the defense did not play as stoutly as in previous years, and the Kyle Shanahan offense did not withstand injuries and subpar offensive line play well enough.
Nearly every current or former 49ers player that has spoken publicly does not fault Purdy for the 49ers’ down year, and believes he should get re-signed this offseason.
Montana’s former top receiver, Jerry Rice, is among those that believes the 49ers need to re-sign Purdy. Like Montana, Rice noted the distraction that the ongoing contract negotiations with Brandon Aiyuk caused last offseason. Rice called for the 49ers to extend Purdy as soon as they can.
MISSOULA, Mont. — A Montana musher won the 100-mile race of the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge for a third time on Wednesday.
Nicole Lombardi from Lincoln took first place again, after previously winning in 2023 and 2022.
According to a press release, this year Lombardi ran two teams, with her second team mushed by Madeline Rubida and earning third place. Dallin Donaldson from Coalville, Utah, captured second.
Alexandra Ness of Trego took sixth place. Redman Glisson of Power took eighth place.
Hannah Montana fans are sharing their shock over actor Jason Earles’ real age when he starred on the hit series alongside teen Miley Cyrus.
The popular Disney Channel show saw the duo playing teenage siblings, while Miley’s actual father Billy Ray Cyrus starred as their dad.
However, while Jason’s character Jackson Stewart was meant to be sixteen years of age, the actor was actually 30 years old at the time.
After one fan pointed out the often-forgotten detail in a video on Instagram, fans soon began to share their shock at the fact Jason was closer in age to Billy Ray than Miley.
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Instagram user Josh Denney posted a video which read: ‘Jason Earles playing a 16-year-old at age 30 was a lot weirder than we think.’
He noted that Jason’s character was only meant to be ‘a few years older’ than Miley but in real life he was 15 years her senior.
Fans then shared their reactions in the comment section as one wrote: ‘I’m sorry. He was 30????’
Another replied: ‘That’s weird as hell.’
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Hannah Montana fans are sharing their shock over actor Jason Earles’ real age when he starred on the hit series alongside teen Miley Cyrus
Instagram user Josh Denney posted a video in December which read: ‘Jason Earles playing a 16 year old at age 30 was a lot weirder than we think’
‘He was 30!?!?’ a third stated, while a fourth added: ‘I NEVER thought he looked 16. He always looked like a grown up.’
One person commented: ‘Zero self awareness. Dude went into an audition for a 16-year-old knowing he’s 32.’
Another wrote: ‘It was pretty funny seeing what is clearly a fully grown man running up to Billy Ray Cyrus and jumping into his lap.’
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However most people in the comments found no issue with the age difference due to the fact the pair starred as siblings.
‘I have no problem with the age difference because they were playing siblings not lovers,’ one person wrote.
Another commented: ‘Nobody talks about it because he looked the age he was playing so it doesn’t matter. They were siblings on the show. It’s not weird at all.’
One Instagram user stated: ‘You should check out this profession called “acting.” It’s like a whole group of people who pretend to be something they’re not. It’s pretty neat.’
Hannah Montana on The Disney Channel in 2006, following Miley Stewart, a young girl who moved from Tennessee to Malibu, California, as she adapts to a whole new lifestyle.
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The popular Disney Channel show saw the Jason and Miley playing teenage siblings, while Miley’s actual father Billy Ray Cyrus starred as their dad
But Miley hides a secret that only a few know: that she leads a double life as pop star Hannah Montana.
Those that know her secret included her father/manager Robbie Ray (Billy Ray Cyrus), brother Jackson (Jason Earles) and friends Lilly Truscott (Emily Osment) and Oliver Oken (Mitchell Musso), with Lilly leading a double life herself as Hannah’s friend Lola.
The show ran from 2006 to 2011, with Hannah Montana: The Movie debuting in the midst of the run in 2009.
Jason, a California native, said his age allowed him to obtain an education prior to starting on the show.
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He got a degree in theatre arts from Rocky Mountain College in Montana.
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After being reminded of the often-forgotten detail in a video on Instagram, fans shared their shock in the comments
Hannah Montana on The Disney Channel in 2006, following Miley Stewart, a young girl who moved from Tennessee to Malibu, California, as she adapts to a whole new lifestyle
By the season premiere of Hannah Montana, Jason had a number of big names on his portfolio with minor roles in Malcolm in the Middle, MADtv and American Pie – but his career really took off as the annoying older brother of protagonist Miley.
His Hannah Montana fame helped him appear in other Disney productions – namely Kickin’ It, Dadnapped alongside his co-star Osment, and most recently High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
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He has been twice-married, first wedding Jennifer Earles, a partnership which lasted from 2002 to 2013, coinciding with the filming of Hannah Montana.
The actor celebrated his nuptials once again in August 2017 after tying the knot with social media personality Katie Drysen.