Parental rights advocates come to Arntzen’s defense

A pair of public school board trustees from Missoula and Kalispell emailed a letter to state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen Tuesday refuting recent criticisms of her leadership of the Office of Public Instruction and praising her “steadfast support” for local school boards, parents and teachers.

The letter, penned by Missoula County Public Schools Trustee Michael Gehl and Smith Valley District 89 Trustee Jim Riley, commended Arntzen, a Republican, for aiding parents in “resisting superintendent agendas of forced masking and equity policies” and for bringing parental concerns about critical race theory to the attention of Attorney General Austin Knudsen. The letter, first publicized by the website Missoula County Tyranny, was signed by 21 Republican state lawmakers, five local school board trustees and more than 500 citizens from across Montana. Two in-state parental rights groups — Stand Up Montana and Montana Parents’ Rights in Education — were also listed as signatories.

“You have been stalwart in promoting the rights of parents over the superintendents and their radical agenda,” the letter read. “You are a true pioneer and champion of parental rights and parental choice.”

Gehl and Riley went on to thank Arntzen for “eradicating waste, fraud and abuse from the tired and entrenched OPI bureaucracy,” noting that reform has “indeed caused [staff] turnover” that was “not only long overdue but absolutely necessary.” The letter also criticized a group of superintendents who wrote to Arntzen last week expressing “no confidence” in her performance at OPI, characterizing them as “unelected bureaucrats” who had “gone rogue.” 

“Ultimately, the superintendents targeted you because of the idea that got you elected,” Gehl and Riley wrote Tuesday. “The superintendents hate the idea that parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of their children. Shame on them.”

Last week’s letter, signed by the superintendents of Montana’s eight largest public school districts, listed several “serious deficiencies” at OPI stemming from Arntzen’s leadership including a backlog of teacher license applications and inadequate staffing in the agency’s accreditation department. The superintendents also criticized Arntzen for attending events they said “vilified public educators.” The letter was followed later in the week by a second condemnation of Arntzen — addressed to “the citizens of Montana” from county school superintendents in Missoula, Butte-Silver Bow, Wheatland and Sweet Grass counties — expressing similar critiques of Arntzen’s leadership and appearances at parental rights rallies. 

Speaking with Montana Free Press Tuesday, Gehl said he was motivated to articulate his support for Arntzen as a direct response to last week’s criticism, which he described as a “blindsided attack” and “completely unprofessional.” One of the signatories to the first letter was Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Rob Watson, who heads the district Gehl represents. Gehl said he felt Watson’s decision to sign the letter was “totally inappropriate.”

“He is an employee of the school board, of the district, and he’s kind of overstepped his bounds,” Gehl said. 

In separate interviews with MTFP, Gehl and Riley both said they removed their children from public schools this year over concerns about lack of parental involvement in district decisions. They also noted that Arntzen introduced them to one another. Riley further stated that he’s reached out to Arntzen personally “over a dozen times” since he was elected to the board this year, and that the lack of OPI responsiveness claimed by superintendents last week runs counter to his experience.

“She’s been there for me every time,” Riley said. “She’s offered assistance with her staff, she’s offered me tools and resources, and she’s also offered to make introductions … to meet with other school board members around the state.”

Riley and Gehl each reiterated that Arntzen has been a staunch defender of parents and students in Montana, especially regarding school masking policies and educational curricula. Gehl said Arntzen has consolidated her staff and made OPI “more lean and more responsible to the taxpayers.” More important, he added, “Elsie is fighting for the rights of the child, she’s fighting for the rights of the parent to stay involved in their schools and stay involved with their children.”

Alex Sakariassen covers the education beat and the state Legislature for Montana Free Press.