Committee hears bill to create Montana BEST mentoring program for early‑career teachers

Representative Melissa Romano, sponsor of House Bill 340, told the House Education Committee the bill would establish the Montana BEST mentoring program to support teachers in their first three years and reduce turnover by pairing early‑career teachers with experienced mentors and providing stipends and training.

Romano described the program as distinct from induction: mentoring, she said, is “centered around relationships to improve student outcomes, school climate, and teacher retention,” and the bill would fund mentor stipends and a matched contribution model.

Proponents from across the state testified in support. Rob Watson and representatives of the Coalition of Advocates for Montana’s Public Schools, the Montana Federation of Public Employees and the ACE Curriculum Consortium urged lawmakers to back the bill. Teacher and mentor witnesses highlighted the program details cited by the sponsor: a mentored teacher would receive a $600 stipend (with a $300 matching contribution from the employing district), and a mentored teacher participating in the program would be eligible for a $2,500 mentor stipend, with the program described as voluntary and district participation left to local boards.

Why it matters: Witnesses emphasized high turnover among early career teachers and the particular pressures in rural and reservation communities. Dr. Allison Mike, director of the Montana Statewide Mentoring Program, described consolidated models that use retired teachers as mentors and said the approach has demonstrable benefits for new teachers in remote districts. Proponents argued the program would complement recruitment legislation the Legislature has considered this session.

Implementation and oversight: Katie Bloodgood, legislative liaison at the Office of Public Instruction, said OPI would collaborate with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, educator preparation programs and districts to develop program guidelines and noted that the bill requires OPI to report annually to the Education Interim Committee under 5‑11‑210 on the program’s status and impacts. The bill lists an effective date of July 2025.

Questions and next steps: Lawmakers asked about overlaps with existing grants and mentoring programs, qualifications for mentor teachers, how the program would serve rural districts, and whether administrative funding is adequate; the sponsor said some administration figures were adjusted from previous iterations and that specifics on mentor qualifications and program design would be developed by OPI if the bill passes.