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October 2023

This newsletter contains news and information of interest about
Montana Rural Teacher Project. Thanks for staying informed.

MRTP Graduate Highlight

The Montana Rural Teacher Project now has 47 graduates from three cohorts and 42 are currently teaching in Montana schools. We are excited to hear from and highlight how our graduates are doing in their classrooms. This month we highlight Kimberly Weaver.


Kimberly is from the first MRTP cohort and is currently in her third year of teaching. She is teaching 1st grade the The Skola in Whitefish, Montana. This is Kimberly's second year teaching at The Skola. She also assists with the literacy program which includes working with new teachers and aids on knowledge of the literacy program as well as progress monitoring for K-3.


Kimberly shares one of her favorite activities with her students is their weekly trip to a local sheep farm. One of the weeks the nature director set up a natural scavenger hunt and the students explored several acres of land searching for all the items. She said, "it was so magical to tie all of our different elements of curriculum and bring them to life through nature for their kids."

MFPE Educator Conference

MFPE is teaming up with 16 Montana curriculum groups to bring you the best in a teacher-led professional learning hybrid conference in 2023. Workshops, keynotes, and institutes are being offered in this year's hybrid conference. There will be something for everyone and you can earn renewal units!


Keynote speakers include Montana Teacher of the Year - Catherine Matthews, Jadd Davis with MSCA (School Counselors), Dan Meyer with MCTM (Mathematics), Virginia Reeves with MATELA (English Language Arts), and more.


Check our the full list of offerings here.


Registration is open. Register by October 16th to lock in pre-registration prices.

MSU's MAT Program is Enrolling Now!

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree (MAT) is for individuals with a bachelor's degree who are interested in becoming a licensed teacher in Montana.


We have recently modified coursework delivery to support classroom teachers on Class 5 provisional licenses. We also accept applications year-round so educators can begin course work in Fall, Spring, or Summer.


Endorsements for licensure are:

Elementary Education

Secondary Education

  • Math
  • General Science
  • Social Studies
  • English/Language Arts
  • Modern Languages: Spanish, French, German
  • Family and Consumer Sciences


We also offer an ADDED ENDORSEMENT track for Elementary Education, either with or without a master's degree option.


The MSU Graduate School offers the Refer-a-Bobcat fellowship which waives 3 credits of graduate tuition for any Montana educator pursuing an education-related graduate program.


If you or someone you know if on a Class 5 license and needs to begin their educator preparation program, please invite them to learn more here.

If you know a prospective applicant, please invite them to contact Jamie O'Callaghan.