Tester Hopes to Attract and Retain Quality Teachers to Montana

Senator Jon Tester recently announced that he will introduce new legislation to attract and retain teachers in rural Montana schools.

Tester’s bill, the Rural Educator Support and Training Act, will provide scholarships to college students who commit to teach for at least three years in a rural school.  Additionally, Tester’s bill provides student loan forgiveness to teachers who work in rural schools for a minimum of five years.

“As a former elementary school teacher and school board member in a small Montana town, I understand the challenges rural schools face when trying to recruit and retain quality teachers,” Tester said.  “In many rural areas the school is the foundation of the town. Building a strong pipeline of motivated teachers from our universities to our rural schools will provide students with a good education and strengthen the entire community.”

In Montana, 328 of the state’s 413 school districts are defined as rural.