HELENA, MT— During National School Choice Week, Americans for Prosperity-Montana (AFP-Montana) is highlighting the importance of fostering an education system in the state that prioritizes an individualized approach to learning.
Although Montana has made legislative advances in recent years, more improvement is needed. More than two-thirds of all 8th graders don’t meet math standards, nor do they read at their grade level. Montana’s public education system is leaving many children behind and limiting their future opportunities for personal growth and achievement. AFP-Montana supports reforms like Montana’s Academic Prosperity Program for Scholars (MAPPS). The program combines tax credits and education savings accounts to give parents more control over their student’s education.
MAPPS builds on tax credit policies upheld by the United States Supreme Court in 2020 in the landmark case of Espinoza v. Montana. The first-of-its-kind MAPPS program is entirely funded through private donations or a family’s own money and has no impact on public school funding. Innovations like these are pivotal to the success of education freedom in Montana.
This week in Helena, AFP-Montana will engage in various National School Choice Week events. On Thursday, AFP will host a policy briefing for lawmakers, legislative staff and key stakeholders on how public and private choice legislation can expand educational opportunities for Montana’s students. On Friday, AFP-Montana staff and activists from around the state will be at the Capitol to join a National School Choice Rally, testify before the House Education Committee in support of MAPPS, and lobby their legislators.
AFP-Montana Deputy State Director Henry Kriegel issued the following statement on National School Choice Week:
“Montana’s students need more help – and each deserves a quality education. But this year, Montana faces a critical opportunity to pass school choice legislation to improve outcomes for students and families across the state.
“This week and every week, AFP-Montana will fight to ensure that parents have access to and can afford the education that best meets their child’s needs. We look forward to working alongside lawmakers and advocates on MAAPS and other legislation to help unleash educational freedom in Big Sky Country.”
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