Denise Juneau
Encyclopedia
Denise Juneau is an American politician from the U.S. state
of Montana
elected as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction heads the Montana Office of Public Instruction
. A member of the Democratic Party
, Juneau is the first American Indian woman to be elected to statewide executive office in Montana. She is a member of the Mandan and Hidatsa
tribes.
Juneau also serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The organization is an accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education Accreditation.
. She attended Montana’s public education system from elementary school through higher education and worked in Montana public schools through most of her professional career. Juneau attended Head Start and first grade in Billings, Montana
while her parents completed their undergraduate degrees–both in education. The family then moved to Juneau's father’s hometown of Browning, Montana
, where her parents were teachers, and she graduated from Browning High School. At Montana State University – Bozeman, Juneau received a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She went on to the Harvard Graduate School of Education
, where she completed her Master of Education Degree. Juneau then attended the University of Montana Law School, completing her J.D. in 2004.
on the Fort Berthold Reservation. Juneau's mother, Montana state Senator Carol Juneau
, grew up in that area, and Juneau is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes
. Juneau's first teaching job included teaching English to every 9th and 10th grader in the school, as well as coaching the speech and debate team.
Prior to running for public office, Juneau worked at the Montana Office of Public Instruction
as the Director of Indian Education where she oversaw the implementation of Montana's constitutionally-mandated Indian Education For All program to deliver education in the public schools on Montana's American Indian heritage. Following law school, she was a law clerk for Montana Supreme Court
Justices Jim Regnier and Brian Morris, then went on to work as an attorney for a national law firm that specialized in Federal Indian law.
In 2009, Montana's leadership in Indian Education was recognized when Juneau was named educator of the year by the National Indian Education Association.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
elected as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction heads the Montana Office of Public Instruction
Montana Office of Public Instruction
The Montana Office of Public Instruction is the state education agency of Montana. Denise Juneau is the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The agency is headquartered in Helena....
. A member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Juneau is the first American Indian woman to be elected to statewide executive office in Montana. She is a member of the Mandan and Hidatsa
Hidatsa
The Hidatsa are a Siouan people, a part of the Three Affiliated Tribes. The Hidatsa's autonym is Hiraacá. According to the tribal tradition, the word hiraacá derives from the word "willow"; however, the etymology is not transparent and the similarity to mirahací ‘willows’ inconclusive...
tribes.
Juneau also serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The organization is an accrediting body for schools, colleges, and departments of education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education Accreditation.
Early life and education
Juneau was born in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. She attended Montana’s public education system from elementary school through higher education and worked in Montana public schools through most of her professional career. Juneau attended Head Start and first grade in Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
while her parents completed their undergraduate degrees–both in education. The family then moved to Juneau's father’s hometown of Browning, Montana
Browning, Montana
Browning is a town in Glacier County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,016 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Browning is located at ....
, where her parents were teachers, and she graduated from Browning High School. At Montana State University – Bozeman, Juneau received a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She went on to the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
The Harvard Graduate School of Education is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University, and is one of the top schools of education in the United States. It was founded in 1920, the same year it invented the Ed.D...
, where she completed her Master of Education Degree. Juneau then attended the University of Montana Law School, completing her J.D. in 2004.
Early career
Denise Juneau's teaching career began in New Town, North DakotaNew Town, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,367 people, 488 households, and 318 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,031.6 people per square mile . There were 512 housing units at an average density of 760.9 per square mile...
on the Fort Berthold Reservation. Juneau's mother, Montana state Senator Carol Juneau
Carol Juneau
Carol C. Juneau is a Democratic Party member of the Montana Senate, representing District 8 since 2007. Earlier she was a member of the Montana House of Representatives from 1998 through 2007.-External links:* official MT State Legislature website...
, grew up in that area, and Juneau is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes, are a Native American group comprising a union of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara peoples, whose native lands ranged across the Missouri River basin in the Dakotas...
. Juneau's first teaching job included teaching English to every 9th and 10th grader in the school, as well as coaching the speech and debate team.
Prior to running for public office, Juneau worked at the Montana Office of Public Instruction
Montana Office of Public Instruction
The Montana Office of Public Instruction is the state education agency of Montana. Denise Juneau is the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The agency is headquartered in Helena....
as the Director of Indian Education where she oversaw the implementation of Montana's constitutionally-mandated Indian Education For All program to deliver education in the public schools on Montana's American Indian heritage. Following law school, she was a law clerk for Montana Supreme Court
Montana Supreme Court
The Montana Supreme Court is the highest court of the Montana state court system in the U.S. state of Montana. It is established and its powers defined by Article VII of the 1972 Montana Constitution...
Justices Jim Regnier and Brian Morris, then went on to work as an attorney for a national law firm that specialized in Federal Indian law.
Political career
In 2008, Juneau ran for Superintendent of Public Instruction. She first won a four-way Democratic primary in June. In the November general election, the final vote tally was 234,483 for Juneau (51%), 201,091 (43.7%) for her GOP opponent, Elaine Sollie Herman, and 24,236 (5.3%) for Libertarian candidate Donald Eisenmenger. At her swearing-in, she acknowledged the value of her Native American heritage.Accomplishments
Since Juneau took office, she has promoted projects to lower the rate of tobacco use among Montana teens, and to increase student test scores. Statistics from her first year in office indicate that these efforts are correlated to a drop in tobacco use amongst teens and preliminary data shows a rise in test scores. Montana students currently test above the national average in math, and reading scores have improved. She has also promoted funding to allow schools to provide more fresh fruits and vegetables to students, in conjunction with promoting local agriculture, and advancing agriculture education in Montana.In 2009, Montana's leadership in Indian Education was recognized when Juneau was named educator of the year by the National Indian Education Association.
External links
- Denise Juneau, Montana Office of Public Instruction Official Website Official Montana Office of Public Instruction website
- Denise Juneau for Superintendent of Public Instruction Campaign Juneau for Kids official campaign website