The decision by the Board of Public Education to triple license fees for Montana teachers has a complex and political backstory, one involving new state software, a new state law and a months-long stalemate between top education leaders.
Author Archives: Alex Sakariassen
Alex Sakariassen is a 2008 graduate of the University of Montana's School of Journalism, where he worked for four years at the Montana Kaimin student newspaper and cut his journalistic teeth as a paid news intern for the Choteau Acantha for two summers. After obtaining his bachelor's degree in journalism and history, Sakariassen spent nearly 10 years covering environmental issues and state and federal politics for the alternative newsweekly Missoula Independent. He transitioned into freelance journalism following the Indy's abrupt shuttering in September 2018, writing in-depth features, breaking news stories and columns for a variety of publications including the Pacific Northwest Inlander, Mountain Outlaw Magazine, Kaiser Health News and Montana Free Press. Sakariassen took a full-time position as Montana Free Press' education reporter in January 2021, covering K-12 and higher education as well as state policy developments impacting voting rights and health care.
