Libertarian Donald Eisenmenger, Republican Elaine Sollie Herman and Democrat Denise Juneau are seeking to be the chief advocate for public schools from kindergarten through high school in Montana. The winner will succeed Democrat Linda McCulloch, who was prevented from seeking re-election by term limits and is running instead for secretary of state.
Here is a look at the three candidates and their views on some of the key issues.
The Libertarian candidate from Helena said he's running primarily to offer a choice to voters unhappy with the operation of Montana's public education system. He believes special interests, such as people appointed by the government, have seized control of the school system for their own benefit.
“I care and would like to have things become better than they are,” Eisenmenger said. “As I am not a licensed teacher and not enmeshed in the system, I can provide a fresh perspective and evaluation. I also have a history of effective managerial experience.”
The retired psychologist and businessman said he is the only candidate not recommending dramatic increases in funding for “government-operated education in Montana.”
“The Big Sky is not falling,” Eisenmenger said.
Montana student performance on national tests is “exceptionally good” and often ranks among the top states, he said.
Some school districts and others have filed lawsuits and asked courts to order the Legislature to spend more money on K-12 schools in Montana. Eisenmenger said he believes “there is a lot of smoke and mirrors about the funding.”
Residents of this state are not wealthy, Eisenmenger said. He cited Census Bureau statistics that show Montana ranked low, 45th in the country, with a median annual income of $38,629 annually in 2006. Yet the state ranks in the middle nationally in average money spent per student, at $8,600 apiece.
“Montana taxpayers are providing a disproportionate amount of their income to fund government-run schools,” he said.
“In summary, Montana receives excellent results at average costs,” Eisenmenger added. “Is it reasonable to expect the taxpayers to provide more?”
Although Montana teachers aren't paid as much as they and administrators would like - and it isn't high enough to provide a comfortable living, he said the pay of other professionals in Montana is actually lower comparatively in their professions.
He advocates offering school choice so parents of students who attend private schools or are home-schooled can get tax credits for their expenses, such as tuition, books and materials. “Government-run schools” serve 92 percent of Montana students, he said, while 5.4 percent of students attend private schools and 2.6 percent are home-schooled.
“Those who do not choose to attend government-operated schools are being served poorly by the state of Montana,” Eisenmenger said. “Taxes are collected for the education of these students, and they receive nothing.”
Eisenmenger advocates giving local school boards the power to make decisions affecting their schools, insisting that any state funding be divorced from the current state controls and regulations.
As an example of a “one-size-fits-all” bureaucracy, he cited the federal No Child Left Behind Law and multiple state licensing and accreditation requirements.
“NCLB has not been demonstrated to be effective at achieving its intended goals,” Eisenmenger said. “It has negative unintended consequences, is incompatible with policies that do work and is at the mercy of a political system which will make it worse. It is funded on premises that are fundamentally flawed.”
Elaine Sollie Herman
Herman, a Republican from Helena, comes from a long line of educators and said she has had “a passion for education all of my life.”
Now retired, Herman said she believes her unique background makes her the most qualified candidate to head the state's education department. She has been a student, a teacher, a parent, a taxpayer and an investment adviser - so she understands both teaching and how to be a good steward of the public's money.
“My priority is to have more local involvement and control,” Herman said in an interview. “I feel like the local school boards have become a rubber stamp for the state.”
Members of the now-appointed state Board of Public Education answer to no one and come from within the school system, she said. Instead, Herman wants to see board members elected by Montanans from geographic districts around the state, like public service commissioners are chosen.
Herman is critical of the operation of the Office of Public Instruction under Democratic superintendents the past 16 years. Their only solution has been to demand more money from the Legislature for schools.
“If 16 years of increased annual funding didn't fix the problems, why do they continue to use the same solution - more money,” Herman said on her Web site. “There is something wrong with this picture. The teachers didn't receive competitive pay raises. The overall school report cards didn't improve. It is a deplorable C-minus, according to Education Magazine.”
Her main focus will be the children, Herman said. She doesn't believe public schools in Montana are focusing enough on basic education. Public schools are diluting this basic education by inserting ideology and social issues into the classroom to the detriment of students, she said.
As for the federal No Child Left Behind law, Herman said teachers tell her they don't like it because it forces them to teach to the tests, because that's how their classrooms are measured. The law also is ensnarled in red tape.
“I think we have to take what's good from NCLB,” Herman said. “Certainly, we all believe in accountability and we all want our children to succeed. Let's see what part of the program works and get rid of the negative parts.”
Herman wants the state to offer more charter public schools, which offer specific programs such as fine arts, music, dance, math and science, “so parents can choose a direction for their children.”
Although teachers are happy in Montana, which pleases her, Herman said their pay is not competitive. She vowed to find more money for higher teacher pay without seeking greater school funding. She said she would cut the OPI budget if necessary.
The superintendent is one of five elected officials who sit on the Land Board to manage state school trust lands, with the earnings going to the school trust fund.
“My philosophy is to be as aggressive as possible without putting our environment at risk,” Herman said.
Denise Juneau
A Democrat from Helena, Juneau said she is the best qualified candidate for state superintendent because of her experience as a teacher and administrator. She heads OPI's Indian Education Division.
“I have the commitment to the public education system,” Juneau said. “I've been a classroom teacher. I've seen public schools throughout the state through my job at the OPI. I talk with public school teachers daily. I know the system. I know what the office does. I know the people that work there and the work they do.”
One top priority is to push for flexibility in the federal No Child Left Behind law, passed to impose accountability on schools through testing, but which critics say doesn't work in rural states.
Juneau, wants to work with educators, parents and others to devise “a Montana version of accountability.” Testing isn't going away, Juneau said, but the problem with NCLB is that it focuses solely on tests.
“We must understand that one test score does not paint the entire picture,” she said on her Web site. “We must find additional ways to determine quality and to promote the good things that are happening in our schools every day.”
Montana must push for flexibility for rural states, she said.
Another priority is to advocate for increased funding for schools, Juneau said.
She pledged to undertake “the demanding advocacy work” with the governor and Legislature “to ensure that every school in our state receives adequate funding for a quality education.”
Juneau wants to look at teacher salaries and work to reduce pay disparities across the state. A starting teacher makes $17,000 a year in Lavina, compared with $32,000 in Helena, she said.
She also is concerned about the physical condition of many older schools in the state.
Another priority is to reach out as the state's top school leader, Juneau said.
“I look at education as a small piece of the pie,” she said, citing economic and work force training as some of the other pieces. “Education should feed a community and help a community become vibrant. It's a partnership of all parties. We need to find a way to carry out that vision.”
Juneau called public education “the great equalizer.”
“What brought me into running for this office is my belief in the power of public education and what it can do for individuals, communities and our state because I know what education did for me. It provided me with opportunities I would have never had.”
Serving on the state Land Board, which manages school trust lands, will be an important part of the job, Juneau said.
“Lots of people want to drill (oil and gas) and cut (timber) on the state lands,” she said. “Certainly a lot of that needs to happen. We need to do responsible development.”
The board must find a way to balance its duty to maximize revenue from state lands, while also maintaining Montana's tradition of conservation, Juneau said.
Donald J. Eisenmenger
Office sought: Superintendent of Public Instruction
Office salary: $99,274 annually
Political party: Libertarian
Age: 58
Birthdate and place: 1950 in a small farming community in western Minnesota. He declined to list his birthdate or where he was born because of concerns with identity theft.
Home: Helena
Occupation: Retired
Family: Wife, Donna
Education: Graduated from C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls,
1968; bachelor's degree from Illinois Institute
of Technology in Chicago, 1971; master's degree
from Roosevelt
University in Chicago, 1976.
Past employment: Clinical associate, Chicago Institute for Rational Living; staff psychologist and acting director of psychology, Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital; plant manager, National Cycle; purchasing manager Tripp-Lite; retired 2005.
Military: None
Political experience: None
Key endorsements: None
Campaign Web site: He plans to have one, but it's not up yet.
Elaine Sollie Herman
Office sought: Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Office salary: $99,274 annually.
Political party: Republican.
Age: 62.
Birthdate and place: March 27, 1946
Home: Helena
Occupation: Retired in 2006. Former teacher and investment adviser.
Family: Divorced. Daughter, Lisa Herman.
Education: Graduated from Billings West High School, 1964. Received bachelor's degree in elementary education from Montana State University in Bozeman, 1968. Studied for a master's degree at the University of Guam in 1971-72, and the University of Richmond, 1983. Also studied at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Montana.
Past employment: Taught elementary school in Sumner, Wash., 1968-70, Point Loma, Calif., 1970-71, and Agana, Guam, 1971-72. Taught Home Start under Head Start in Helena, 1974-75, before the program was discontinued. Sales representative for a children's clothing manufacturer, 1986; sales representative for women's clothing manufacturer, 1989-94; sole caregiver for her father, who had Alzheimer's disease, 1985-95; became a licensed financial adviser, holding a “series seven certificate;” became a partner in an investment company, Wealth Management, Helena, 1998.
Military: Her former husband was in the Navy
Political experience: Lost general election race for superintendent of Public Instruction, 2000.
Key endorsements: Right to Work, National Rifle Association, Montana Shooting Sports Association.
Campaign Web site: electelainesollieherman.com.
Denise Juneau
Office sought: Superintendent of Public Instruction
Office salary: $99,274 annually
Political party: Democrat
Age: 41
Birthdate and place: Born in Oakland, Calif., April 5, 1967. Moved to Montana in 1969
Home: Originally from Browning. Now resides in Helena
Occupation: Division administrator at the Office of Public Instruction.
Family: Parents, Stan and Carol Juneau. One brother, Ron, and his wife, Evelyn. Two nieces, Sara and Kylee. One nephew, Lakota. One great-nephew, Alexander.
Education: Graduated from Browning High School, 1985. Bachelor's degree in English from Montana State University, 1993. Master's degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, 1994. Coursework toward doctorate at the University of New Mexico, 1997-98. Law degree from the University of Montana, 2004.
Past employment: Educational support staff, Browning Schools, 1986-88. High school teacher in New Town, N.D., 1994-95, and Browning, 1995-97. Instructional specialist at the Office of Public Instruction under Superintendent Nancy Keenan, 1998-2001. Law clerk at the Montana Supreme Court for Justices Jim Regnier and Brian Morris, 2004-05. Associate attorney for Monteau and Peebles, 2005-06. Division administrator at the Office of Public Instruction under Superintendent Linda McCulloch, 2006 to present.
Military: None
Political experience: Won four-candidate Democratic primary for superintendent of public instruction, June 2008.
Key endorsements: MEA-MFT, AFL-CIO, Montana Public Employees Association and Montana Conservation Voters.
Campaign Web site: www.juneauforkids.com
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