Elsie Arntzen eased into leadership of the Office of Public Instruction in 2016, marking a fundamental shift at the top of Montana’s education hierarchy. For nearly 30 years prior, the post had been held by the political left. Arntzen will close out her second and final term on Dec. 31, handing the reins of Montana’s K-12 school system to a successor to be determined Nov. 5. Before voters choose a new state superintendent, there’s a question to answer: How has OPI — and, by extension, public education in Montana — changed over the past eight years?
