Denise Juneau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Denise Juneau
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Juneau in 2010
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| Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools | |
| In office July 1, 2018 – May 1, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Larry Nyland |
| Succeeded by | Brent Jones (acting) |
| 16th Superintendent of Public Instruction of Montana | |
| In office January 5, 2009 – January 2, 2017 |
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| Governor | Brian Schweitzer Steve Bullock |
| Preceded by | Linda McCulloch |
| Succeeded by | Elsie Arntzen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 5, 1967 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Parents | Stan and Carol Juneau |
| Education | Montana State University (BA) Harvard University (MEd) University of Montana (JD) |
Denise Juneau (born April 5, 1967) is an American lawyer and educator. She is from the state of Montana. From 2009 to 2017, she served as Montana's Superintendent of Public Instruction. This role means she was in charge of all public schools in the state.
Juneau is a member of the Democratic Party. She made history as the first Native American woman elected to a statewide office in the United States. Her mother is from the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. Her father was from the Blackfoot people.
In 2015, Juneau ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. She was not elected. In 2018, she became the superintendent of Seattle Public Schools. She left this job in 2021.
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Denise Juneau's Early Life and School
Denise Juneau was born on April 5, 1967, in Oakland, California. Her parents are Stan and Carol Juneau. Her family moved to Montana in 1969.
She finished high school in 1985. She went to Browning High School in Browning, Montana. This school is on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
Juneau earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1993. She studied at Montana State University. In 1994, she got her Master of Education Degree. This was from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Later, she decided to study law. She earned her law degree (J.D.) in 2004. This was from the University of Montana Law School.
Denise Juneau's Career in Education
Starting Her Career in Schools
Denise Juneau started working in schools in 1986. She helped with education support in Browning, Montana. From 1994 to 1997, she was a high school teacher. She taught in New Town, North Dakota, and then back in Browning, Montana.
From 1998 to 2001, Juneau worked for the Montana Office of Public Instruction. She was an instructional specialist. She also led the Indian Education program. This program made sure that Montana schools taught about American Indian heritage. This was a requirement in Montana's constitution.
Working in Law and Public Service
After law school, Juneau worked as a law clerk. She helped judges at the Montana Supreme Court from 2004 to 2005. She then worked as a lawyer for a law firm. From 2006 to 2008, she managed a division at the Office of Public Instruction. In 2009, she was named Educator of the Year. This award came from the National Indian Education Association.
Running for Public Office
In 2008, Juneau decided to run for Superintendent of Public Instruction. She won the election in November. She received 51% of the votes. This made her the first American Indian woman to win a statewide office.
She ran for re-election in 2012. She won again by a small number of votes. Because of term limits, she could not run for this office again in 2016.
In 2015, Juneau announced she would run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She ran for Montana's only seat in the House. She was not elected in the general election.
Leading Montana's Schools
As Montana's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Juneau worked to improve schools. She reported that the graduation rate in Montana went up by 4.7 percent. The number of students dropping out went down by 1.3 percent.
She also helped create the "Schools of Promise Initiative." This program used federal money. It helped teachers and school leaders. They worked to support students in schools that needed more help.
In 2012, Juneau gave a speech. This was at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. She spoke about education policies. In 2015, she received two awards for her work in education. One was from Harvard Graduate School of Education. The other was the Leo Reano Memorial Award.
Leading Seattle Public Schools
In April 2018, Denise Juneau was chosen to lead Seattle Public Schools. She started her new job on July 1, 2018.
In March 2020, schools closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Juneau decided that Seattle Public Schools would not switch to online learning right away. She made this choice for fairness reasons. She wanted to make sure all students had equal access to learning. She left her role in Seattle in May 2021.
Denise Juneau's Personal Life
Juneau is a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. She is connected to this nation through her mother, Carol Juneau. Her father, Stan Juneau, was part of the Blackfeet Nation. He passed away in 2020. She also has family ties to the Tlingit and Haida peoples.
