Hear from the 2024 candidates for MT Superintendent

The candidates running for MT Superintendent are Susie Hedalen (R) & Shannon O’Brien (D). Read on to hear their responses to the Exponent’s 2024 candidate questionnaire.

Candidates were given three weeks to respond to the questionnaire and were given word counts for each response. Not all of the candidates responded despite multiple emails and phone calls by Exponent staff, and by no means is this an exhaustive account of all of the policy positions and ideas supported by each candidate in a particular race. It is the Exponent’s hope, however, that this concise guide to candidates’ ideas in their own words can serve as a useful resource for voters to decide who they want to vote for. All photos were provided by the candidates’ respective campaigns.

Susie Hedalen (R)

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself?

Hedalen: I’m the District Superintendent in Townsend, and have worked as an educator and administrator in class C to AA schools across Montana. I’m the Vice-Chair of the Montana Board of Public Education. I have a Bachelor's in Elementary Education, Master’s in Educational Leadership and Certificate in Native American Studies from MSU!

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them? 

Hedalen:

1. Get Education Back to Basics. I will restore a commitment to providing children a strong, well-rounded foundation in reading, writing, math, and science to prepare them for a successful future. To translate those skills into livelihoods, I plan to partner with various stakeholders to enact legislation that provides more career and technical education opportunities for our students in the trades, as well as dual credit pathways.
2. Listen to Students and Parents. Parents and teachers working together for student success is paramount. I will work to ensure that curriculum decisions are based on educational merit, not political ideologies. Parents deserve to know what their children are learning, and be aware of the educational opportunities available in their community. We must listen to the concerns and aspirations of parents and ensure our education system in Montana meets the needs of all students.
3. Keep our Schools Safe. This means providing essential mental health support for students, and implementing physical safety measures that protect our kids, such as working with local law enforcement and first responders on updated local emergency plans. The OPI can and should lead in this area, and provide exceptional support and best practices to schools across the state.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you?

Hedalen: I have the breadth and depth of experience inside Montana’s K-20 education system to hit the ground running at the OPI, including through my time at MSU in the Rural Schools Leaders and Indian Leadership Education and Development (I LEAD) programs. I have built relationships with education leaders and industry partners across Montana, which will be immensely valuable when collaborating on opportunities to improve our education system. There is so much work to do, including recruiting, retaining, and improving pay for hardworking Montana teachers; making the OPI more responsive and accountable to students, parents, teachers, and school districts; and working with our Tribal Nations to use the strengths from each tribe to increase American Indian Student Achievement. I’m already tackling some of these current issues on the Board of Public Education and I look forward to accomplishing great things for Montana students as your next Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Shannon O'Brien (D)

Would you be able to provide a brief biography of yourself? 

O'Brien: My experience in public education as a teacher, administrator, working for college access programs, as Gov. Bullock’s policy advisor and the Dean of Missoula College have all prepared me to provide competent leadership at OPI.

What are your top three priorities if elected, and how do you plan to address them? 

O'Brien: The top three priorities in addressing the needs of our public schools include fixing the school funding formula by lifting the cap and increasing the state’s responsibility to local school districts. Number two, work with school districts and the schools of education to recruit new and retain public school teachers to reverse the teacher shortage crisis. Third, make sure our students are safe. Our school buildings are out of date and mental health programs are sorely underfunded. It will take a competent leader to build the necessary coalition to meet these challenges. Seeking out best practices and listening to parents, teachers, administrators and school boards is essential in meeting the ever changing needs of all Montana students.

Why should MSU students, faculty and staff vote for you? 

O'Brien: Every student and faculty member knows the importance of a quality education when it comes to becoming a productive citizen. That quality education starts with kindergarten readiness. When students receive a high quality education their chance of landing a good paying job, attending a community college or pursuing a degree at the university level all depends on that foundation.

I have the experience as a teacher, administrator, policy advisor and legislator to ensure collaborative partnership and seamless transition between our K-12 and college/university systems. Our schools of education will play a critical role in helping solve the teacher shortage crisis here in MT and I look forward to working with all of you.