"Policy should improve the lives of citizens by increasing and upholding the individual’s freedom and dignity. The system should not be superior to the individual."
"Simply following the rules should not absolve the system of its accountability for properly and fully educating students, and currently that is what we have: an upside-down reality of compliance to rules rather than performance outcomes for students."
"With the introduction of education freedom laws, the legislature has fulfilled this mandate by expanding the system to encompass tangible options for parents that would otherwise be unattainable."
"As the fate of Montana’s Community Choice Schools Act remains in limbo in the courts, Montanans should know that the education establishment’s smear campaign against Choice Schools is built on a lie intended to polarize the debate with fear and disinformation."
"While some of the false claims are based in truth from other states’ laws, they do not hold true in Montana. Choice Schools empower communities to create student-centered, public schools that are free and open to all."
"With the focus on funding individual educational choices of students rather than on the geographical location of schools, Montana families will finally be the drivers of their children’s education."
"With the focus on funding individual educational choices of students rather than on the geographical location of schools, Montana families will finally be the drivers of their children’s education."
"In order for new education options to be created in Montana, a number of factors must first occur to create an ecosystem which will support and encourage permissionless innovation in education."
Key Points Classroom teachers hold the most important positions in Montana public schools because they are the ones educating students every day. Montana teachers experience persistent low pay and even layoffs despite public school funding steadily increasing the past 6+ years. Since 2017, administration costs for Montana public schools have increased by 4.7% while money...