Screenshot of a North Dakota Educational Opportunities Task Force virtual listening session hosted by members of the Hunt Institute on Sept. 12, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
(North Dakota Monitor) -Stakeholders who participated in a listening session on school choice advocated last week for public education funds to follow students regardless of educational institution or model.
The listening session held Thursday evening was the first of two days of meetings facilitated by the Hunt Institute to gather comments on different aspects of school choice and how it could look, if implemented in North Dakota.
The discussion was related to a school choice task force, also known as an educational opportunities task force, which came under fire in recent weeks for not publicizing its meetings. All of the listening sessions and the final meeting of the group on Sept. 26 have been advertised through the Secretary of State’s website.
The next online listening session is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, to be conducted via Zoom. An evening listening session will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Both sessions require attendees to register their names and emails through the Zoom link prior to the session start times.
Jaalil Hart, interim director of K-12 for the Hunt Institute, led Thursday’s online discussion, which consisted of six questions on defining school choice, the perceived benefits and drawbacks, and the role of public funding in a school choice education model.
“This session today, it’s really to get some input from everyone on the call to get your thoughts and feedback around what you think about school choice,” Hart said during the listening session. “What might be the implications for yourself, your family, your community?”
Participants were invited by various North Dakota education associations, said Michelle Fockler, managing director of the Hunt Institute.
When asked to define school choice, some attendees wrote in the meeting group chat that it means “flexibility,” “having a say in your own education,” “allowing funding to follow the student,” and “options for a personal experience for our students.”
When asked what the role public funding would play to support public charter schools, private tuition, material support and services, some attendees reiterated that support funding should follow the students.
One attendee said parents should be able to use public education funding to purchase educational services from multiple providers to find the best education for their child.
When asked how school choice can benefit North Dakota students and families, Ashley Baldwin of Williams County said having more educational options in rural communities would be helpful.
“My children have long travel times to school and having an option of homeschooling or charter school would be huge for us,” Baldwin said during the meeting.
Others wrote comments that included: “Children with unique needs can choose schools that meet the child’s needs best.”
When asked about the challenges or barriers families face when considering educational options for their kids, multiple respondents cited cost as being a barrier for families. Others cited lack of flexibility, transportation, and families not knowing how to find comparable educational options for their children as the biggest barriers.
The Legislature’s interim Education Committee is charged with studying school choice models that have been implemented nationally for K-12 schools, including charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, voucher systems and home schools. The committee next meets on Sept. 24.
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