- [Narrator] Montana PBS Equal Time, offering unedited time to candidates for superintendent of public instruction.

As superintendent of public instruction, what would be your approach to local control in public education?

Are there suitable occasions for this office to step into local matters?

- In Montana, we respect local control in education.

I have worked as a teacher and administrator in our state's rural schools to our largest districts.

I know that our schools and families look different in every community and will respect the rights of our families and locally elected school boards to decide how best to educate their students.

However, as state superintendent, it will be my responsibility to ensure that all Montana students have access to a high quality education that prepares them academically to succeed when they graduate, whether headed to college, the military, or the workforce, our students must have the tools they need to achieve.

We know that fewer than half of our students are proficient in reading, writing, math, and science.

This is unacceptable.

As a state superintendent, my priority will be on getting education back to basics.

By focusing on achievement in these core subjects, I will also respect family values.

Schools should be a place of learning, not indoctrination.

- The number one job of Montana's state superintendent of public instruction is to advocate for and support our public schools throughout the state.

Our local schools are governed by a board of trustees, or school boards, elected by voters in that community.

They set policy, approve curricular materials, and hire a superintendent.

I have great respect and gratitude for those locally elected school board members who volunteer their time to provide the best education for their kids.

The job of superintendent of public instruction is to offer assistance to local schools, whether it be for training and professional development, finances, special education, or grant programs.

The key is working together to ensure that there is quality and effective teaching in every classroom, and a safe learning environment so every child can reach their potential.

- [Narrator] Montana PBS Equal Time was made possible by the Greater Montana Foundation.

All Equal Time segments are available online at MontanaPBS.org/equaltime.