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The Board of Public Education has re-elected Sharon Carroll to serve as the Chair of the Board of Public Education. Carroll, appointed to the Board of Public Education in 2007 and again in 2012 is in her 22nd year of teaching math at Carter County High School. She has enjoyed a long-time affiliation with the school's science department. This past year’s collaboration also included the Carter County Museum and the Museum of the Rockies and resulted in a mobile math/science lab that is available for use throughout Montana. This will be Ms. Carroll’s fifth term serving as Chairperson of the Montana Board of Public Education.

Dr. Schottle has been involved in education for forty years. Dr. Schottle has served as a teacher, principal and central office administrator in various positions including eleven years as the Superintendent of Schools in Kalispell, and recently served as Vice President of Flathead Valley Community College. She is now an educational consultant and enjoys working with new administrators across the state through School Administrators of Montana.  Dr. Schottle’s appointment to the Board of Public Education was made in 2015. Dr. Schottle has been elected to her second term as Vice-Chair of the Board of Public Education.

The Board of Public Education was created by the Montana Constitution of 1972 to exercise general supervision over the elementary and secondary schools of the state. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate to staggered seven-year terms. In addition to the constitutional mandate to exercise general supervision of the schools, the Board is assigned specific responsibilities by the Montana Legislature, including adoption of standards of accreditation for Montana schools, certification of teachers and administrators, accreditation of the State′s teacher and administrator training programs, adoption of policies for the special education of handicapped and gifted and talented students, and administration and distribution of state funding for K-12 public education. In addition to Sharon Carroll and Darlene Schottle, the other members of the Montana Board of Public Education are: Tammy Lacey, Great Falls; Mary Jo Bremner, Browning; Jesse Barnhart, Broadus; Anne Keith, Bozeman; Scott Stearns, Missoula; and Molly DeMarco, Student Representative, Great Falls.

For more information please contact the Board of Public Education office at 406-444-6576.