Seventy-four million reasons

America has 74 million reasons to be concerned about education. That is the approximate number of school-age children in the United States. There are almost 117,000 school-age children in North Dakota. Of those, about 8,000 are enrolled in private schools and around 5,000 are home-educated. Many more parents want out-of-the-box school options, but North Dakota regulations stand in the way of “edupreneurs” who could deliver these educational opportunities.

Over 100,000 children are in North Dakota public schools that are failing the majority of their students. Reading and math scores on national assessments are abysmal. Only 40 percent of fourth graders and 28 percent of eighth graders are meeting proficiency levels in mathematics. In reading, 31 percent of fourth graders are proficient and only 27 percent of eighth graders. Mastery levels are even lower. Scores in other subject areas are not any more encouraging. According to the government’s own data, roughly two-thirds of public school students across the nation are not proficient in any subject. That is almost 43 million children who are practically illiterate.

When a business fails two-thirds of its customers, that business does not deserve to be propped up or given a near monopoly by the government. North Dakotans are not getting value for the money they pour into public schools. The average spending per student in North Dakota during the 2022-2023 school year was $14,041. Average teacher pay last year was $55,769. Like any industry, teaching has its share of lemons: teachers who fail to teach. However, even the great teachers cannot deliver excellent instruction because they are hampered by the system’s regimen. Red tape, regulations, and reporting requirements reduce time for academic basics and restrict teachers from teaching in ways that work. The solution is not to pour more money into public education or to try to reform it. The solution is to reduce regulations on education so the free-market can work!

According to a 2022 survey by Populace, Americans want more school options — not just better schools, but different schools. In addition to a high priority on academic basics, they want students to learn practical skills, problem solving, and character. They also want more flexibility in the curriculum so students can choose courses tailored to their interests, learn at their own pace, and demonstrate mastery in ways other than standardized tests. Parent-directed education should not be limited to homeschool or unaffordable or unavailable private education options. Parents are seeking out-of-the-box, non-standardized educational options. North Dakota’s private school laws need to adapt to allow parents and “edupreneurs” this freedom. There are 117,000 reasons to do so!

___________________

Christy Oliver is the founder and director of Step Out Summit and Areté Press. She earned M.S. and Ph.D degrees in Animal and Range Science from North Dakota State University in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Subsequently, she was awarded a Congressional Science Fellowship. Christy was home-educated K-12 by parents who were pioneers in the homeschool movement of the early 1980s, and she started a microschool in Virginia where she taught for 11 years.

She is a guest author for American Experiment North Dakota.