Education Issues Briefing Book

Education Issues Briefing Book

The 2023 LWV Montana state convention voted to authorize a review and update of the state League's position on education.  Here is the Briefing "Book" that the Working Group researched and wrote, including four White Papers on school funding and special programs that affect that funding. 

Introduction

 

The education of all of today's youth is vital to the health and well-being of our nation, state, communities and to each one of us as an individual.

“A quality public education is essential for a strong, viable, and sustainable democratic society and is a civil right.”  (LWVUS Impact on Issues, 2020-22, p. 124)

And, as noted in the Montana Constitution, Article X, Section 1 (1):

"It is the goal of the people to establish a system of education which will develop the full educational potential of each person.  Equality of educational opportunity is guaranteed to each person of the state."

The post-election transition to the new administration at the federal level has added urgency to the need to understand issues affecting public education. The agenda of Project 2025 is moving into the mainstream, promising to dismantle the federal Department of Education and thereby reduce funding and remove federal oversight of public schools for compliance with federal regulations on equity and inclusion.  

Dismantling the federal Department of Education could very well affect a number of existing programs, including: programs of inclusion for special education students (many of whom languished in institutions prior to federal intervention);  English language instruction for non-speakers; the hot lunch program; girls’ athletics; the 60s-era poverty programs that work to ensure equal educational opportunity for all students including those struggling in math or reading; and more recent regulations that address disproportionate discipline and support for homeless students living in cars or couch-surfing with classmates. 

Moving into the future, state legislatures, which have always been major players in determining educational standards and programs for the states, will likely have wider latitude and greater fiscal and statutory responsibility to determine the course of public education.

Our schools are already struggling with student engagement, lower test scores,  funding and teacher shortages.  The Covid pandemic school closures led to more parents looking for alternatives to public schools, and to more students being homeschooled.  Parents are seeking the best education for their children, but when that seeking turns to widespread private schooling, our democracy is at risk.  Public schools provide the opportunity for students of varied backgrounds, cultures and economic strata to learn together.  Public schools ensure that all children have the opportunity for a good education, measured not just in test scores but also in exposure to and appreciation of diversity.

This set of briefing documents seeks to identify, describe, analyze and critique various educational terms, programs, delivery systems, and policies, so that we have some common baseline understanding from which to discuss the education of all of Montana's youth. The intention is to facilitate needed discussion of and understanding of the critical nature of funding issues and the complexity of early education and K-12 schooling issues in today's society.

Public policies shape the footprints we leave as a society. While there are many approaches which might have been pursued for this project, we have tried to do a comprehensive study of selected issues impacting educational outcomes for youth today.  In this collection of briefing papers, you will find a variety of materials.  There are three issue papers that use an eight -part format to include (1) a basic description/definition in order that we all have a common understanding, (2) the program/policy rationale, (3) identification of the ultimate regulatory body, (4) sources of the information, (5)  an exploration of consequences, both intended and unintended; (6) a listing of known outcomes, (7) the relevant LWV US and LWV MT positions, and (8) suggested discussion questions.  Other materials include short summaries of articles and links to studies and articles you can read in their entirety.  The consequences, both intended and unintended or stated, have been drawn from a wide analysis of research reports and data. In the case of new policies, we have endeavored to identify possible negative outcomes.

Our intention with these briefing documents is to provide factual information, policy consequences, and relevant League positions, thereby stimulating discussion of various issues and approaches regarding the education of all of our young people. It will be up to you, as an individual, as you study and discuss funding and the programmatic approaches, to determine whether you will take action.  Discussion questions for each topic are included. 

The League of Women Voters of Montana Education Working Group

LWV Education Working Group - November, 2024

Contact:  montanalwv [at] gmail.com

Briefing Materials on Issues in Public Education PreK-12 in Montana

1.  The Connection Between Democracy and Public Education

  • Brookings Institute article on School Vouchers and the History of Education in the U.S.: Link to Article

2.  General School Funding
Montana is facing a shortage of public pre-school-K-12 funding to provide a high-quality education and provide enough pay to retain teachers.  Below are links to a summary of how Montana’s school funding works and to Montana Free Press articles on teacher shortages and what the Legislature’s Interim Committee on Education is proposing.

3.  Teacher Shortages and Certification Standards
To help schools address the lack of enough certified teachers, a variety of steps have been taken to allow positions to be filled by people who have not met the requirements to be fully certified teachers.  Lower standards for teachers in turn affects the quality of education and forces tradeoffs to ensure there are adults in classrooms.

4.  School Vouchers for Private Schools
There is a national movement to create an education voucher system that would divert funds from public schools to pay for students in private schools.  Montana has a small program currently in place for students with disabilities that allows for education savings accounts, ESA’s, that function in the same way a voucher does.  In other states, limited programs like Montana’s were expanded over time to include much wider eligibility, with severe impact to public school funding.  See the summary of what happened in Arizona, Item B below.  

  • White Paper on Montana’s Existing Education Savings Account Program for Disabled Students: Link to White Paper
  • Summary of the evolution of the special needs savings account program in Arizona: Arizona ESA Vouchers and the Process for Universal Eligibility:PDF icon Link to Summary

5.  Tax Credits for Education
Another Form of diverting public school funding  is tax credit programs. Montana has two tax credit programs in place that have grown from a modest $2 million to reach over $10 million in 2024, and could reach $20 million by 2028.  New legislation could alter the eligibility criteria for these programs, which in turn could divert even more revenue from the general fund.  See the article below on what happened in Indiana, where the program expanded from $15.5 million in 2011 to a forecast $600 million this year.

6.  Protection of  Human Rights
Montana saw many bills in the 2023 Legislature that attempted to control freedoms of diverse students to be themselves.   There will likely be more bills limiting freedom of expression in the next session.  While the Working Group did not look at these aspects of education policy in Montana, this website offers essential information on what student rights are now. 

  • Americans United on Separation of Church and State on existing religious and personal freedom in schools: Link to website.

 

END OF EDUCATION ISSUES BRIEFING MATERIALS