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Concerned Parents to Deliver Over 1,000 Letters to Office of Public Instruction
Montanans in over 100 communities call on Superintendent Artnzen to stop advocating for the privatization of public education
(HELENA, MT) - Montanans love and support their public schools. That’s why they are so concerned when Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Artnzen uses state resources to celebrate “School Choice Week” and attends pro-school privatization forums.
"School choice" is the term that came out of focus groups funded by wealthy special interests that want to dismantle public education across America and in Montana. What "school choice" really means is "using public dollars to fund for-profit private schools." These private schools mean big checks to CEOs, but millions of dollars in wasted tax money.
“School Choice Week” was started by the far-right Gleason Family Foundation, which also funds the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Uncommon Charter Schools, and the radical Cato Institute.
According to the National School Choice Week website, "National School Choice Week is nonpartisan and nonpolitical, and is not related to any legislative advocacy effort." That's beyond disingenuous. The "planning partner" listed for the events here in Montana is the Montana Family Foundation.
In addition to pushing a deeply homophobic agenda, the Montana Family Foundation literally lists "legislative advocacy" as part of its mission. That advocacy includes pushing for school privatization.
Today, concerned parents will deliver over 1,000 letters from Montanans across the state to Superintendent Artnzen’s office in Helena. The letters were signed by people in at least 106 Montana communities, which demonstrates the broad and diverse opposition to the privatization of education in Montana. A list of those communities can be found below. The body of the letter reads:
Dear Superintendent of Public Instruction Arntzen:
As the head of Montana's public education system, we strongly urge you to support public education and oppose the privatization of our schools, including "school choice."
Public education is the cornerstone of every Montana community and every child is entitled to a thriving public school. Diverting public money to private for-profit institutions starves public schools of vital resources. That's why I, like most Montanans, firmly believe public funds belong in public schools, which are open to all children and accountable to the community.
Nearly 400 Montanans added additional comments to their letters.
Montana communities voicing their opposition to “school choice” (i.e. “school privatization”)
Absarokee
Alberton
Anaconda
Belgrade
Bellmead
Belt
Biddle
Big Sandy
Big Sky
Big Timber
Bigfork
Billings
Black Eagle
Bonner
Boulder
Bozeman
Broadus
Browning
Butte
Cardwell
Charlo
Clancy
Clinton
Colstrip
Columbia Falls
Columbus
Condon
Corvallis
Culbertson
Cut Bank
Darby
Dassel
Deer Lodge
Dickinson
Dillon
Dutton
East Helena
Ekalaka
Emigrant
Ennis
Eureka
Fishtail
Florence
Fort Benton
Fort Peck
Fort Smith
Fortine
Gallatin Gateway
Glasgow
Glasgow
Glendive
Great Falls
Hamilton
Hardin
Harlem
Harlem
Havre
Helena
Huntley
Joliet
Livingston
Lolo
Los Angeles
Mackinaw City
Malta
Manhattan
Miles City
Minot
Missoula
Moiese
Nye
Ovando
Philipsburg
Plains
Plentywood
Polson
Poplar
Pray
Pray
Red Lodge
Ronan
Ronan
Saint Ignatius
Shelby
Sidney
St Marie
Stevensville
Sun River
Sunburst
Superior
Terry
Three Forks
Toston
Townsend
Trego
Twin Bridges
Ulm
Victor
Walkerville
West Yellowstone
Whitefish
Whitehall
Wibaux
Wisdom
Wyola
Yellowtail
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