On February 18, 2010 the Office of Public Instruction wrapped up its Indian Education for All Best Practices conference with keynote speaker Denise Juneau.  Juneau told the group many voices have been heard since Indian Education for All was included in the state constitution in 1972, and now those attending the conference will add their voices to this important educational initiative.   

Juneau is pictured here with the leaders of her Indian Education for All division at the Office of Public Instruction. To view news coverage of the event click on the links below: 

Juneau Addresses Indian Education For All Conference In Helena 

On February 10, 2010, Denise Juneau kicked off the ServeMontana Symposium, a two-day community building conference that highlights national service and volunteerism in Montana put on by the Governor's Office of Community Service.

Juneau praised the volunteers and community group members in attendance and thanked them for their hard work.   She said that the current generation of students is more interested in finding ways to make a difference than any generation before them and highlighted several student-led projects that are making a difference in Montana. She encouraged the volunteers to embrace their differences and to learn all they can from others. 

"People around the world, the country, and our state fundamentally share many of the same values," said Juneau. "We all love our family and friends. We want to be safe. We want to be educated, and we want to be healthy."  

On February 1, 2010, Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau encouraged a group of 250 middle school students to start preparing for college now.  

Juneau spoke to the middle school students at the 2010 Know How to Go Conference at Carroll College in Helena, Montana.  

The conference helps prepare middle school students for college and teaches them about the application and preparation process. 

Juneau encouraged the students to "take the hard classes" and to get involved with their communities.

On January 29, 2010, Denise Juneau delivered the keynote address to the annual Women’s Policy Leadership Institute in Helena, Montana, at the Great Northern Hotel. About 150 women and men attended the event.  The Women’s Policy Leadership Institute is a training and mentorship network to facilitate the transfer of practical policy skills and experience from current women leaders to future women leaders.

The Institute is for women interested in learning more about how to participate in and shape the policy making process and is open to all ages and levels of experience– from those who have gotten their feet wet to those getting ready to take first steps including legislators, lobbyists, advocates, organizers, and more.

On February 1, 2010, Denise Juneau offered her support for a Billings elementary school that now offers free breakfast to all students. Children who eat a good breakfast are more ready to learn.

“My grandmother was a school cook for 28 years,” Juneau said.  “She understood that serving nutritious choices at school breakfast provides the brainpower students need for academic success while teaching them an important lifelong skill — learning to eat healthy.” Read more in the Billings Gazette.

A new report by the Education Trust is further evidence that Montana is making strides in narrowing gaps in achievement on standardized tests while increasing the progress of individual student groups.

Superintendent of Public instruction Denise Juneau says the new report looks at reading and math test scores for fourth and eighth graders under the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) — the only standardized test that allows for direct comparison across states. Montana was recognized for increasing student achievement in reading and math for both American Indian and White students over the past six years. Montana was also one of six states recognized for achieving significant progress for low–income students. The state can point to gaps between low–income students and higher–income students that are among the smallest in the nation.

"The Education Trust's latest report confirms that Montana students are making gains in reading and math," says Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau. "This analysis shows that Montana is making progress in closing the achievement gap among students, but our job is not done until all children are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to compete in the 21st century." 

On January 26, 2010 the work of Superintendent Denise Juneau was featured in the New York Times: 

Today, about one-third of Montana schools have adopted "recess before lunch," and state officials say more schools are being encouraged. "The pilot projects that are going on have been demonstrating that students are wasting less food, they have a more relaxed eating environment and improved behavior because they’re not rushing to get outside," said Denise Juneau, superintendent of the Office of Public Instruction. "It’s something our office will promote to schools across the state as a best practice. Read more in the New York Times.