Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide information, support, and connections to families who want to explore education options. To do this, we hold expos in different regions around the state, connect people to the resources that will help them, and support families in their efforts to educate their children.
EdOpt is a 501(c)(3) non-profit education organization. We accept tax-deductible donations to help us with our mission.
2024
Year Founded
5
Expos Hosted
800+
Providers Indexed
3+
Upcoming Expos
Our Volunteer Team
Our work is powered by a passionate team of all volunteers—parents, educators, and community members—who give their time and expertise freely. We share one goal: helping every family find the educational options that fit them best.
Jody Underwood, Ph.D
President/Chair
Jody Underwood has spent almost all of her life involved in education. Retired in 2023, she’s a learning scientist — she designed and produced software to help students learn or be assessed. For many years she worked for the Research Division of Education Testing Service (ETS), the people who bring you the SAT, NAEP, and other standardized tests.
She served on the Croydon NH School Board from 2010-2023, serving as chair much of the time.
She’s a founding board member of the non-profit School District Governance Association, whose mission is to help school board members discover their lawful powers.
She has been involved in bill review, focusing on the vast number of education bills proposed each year, for the NH Liberty Alliance and for the SDGA.
Along with a small team, began the process of starting a charter school in the Upper Valley area. We found that the law wouldn’t allow us to do the type of school we wanted. But we learned a lot about the process along the way.
Jody worked with the founders to set up Micah Studios, a learning center, in Newport NH, which started in September 2024.
She has a Ph.D. in Science and Technology Education and a B.S. and M.S. in computer science, with a focus on artificial intelligence. Jody’s dream has always been to revolutionize learning environments to engage individuals to move ahead at their own pace. She and her husband moved to NH in 2007.
Kevin Tyson
Vice Chair
Kevin P. Tyson is a retired computer scientist, polymath, and autodidact who has served in various civic roles in Claremont, including the City Council Policy Committee, CCTV Board of Directors, and Shop Lead in Claremont Makerspace, since moving to NH in 2020. He is also a past candidate for the Claremont City Council and serves as the vice-chair of the Sullivan County GOP Committee.
Stacey Hammerlind, RN, M.Ed.
Secretary
Stacey is the mother of 4 adult children and grandmother to two young grandsons. Educated as a nurse and later earning an M.Ed. in education, she has a history in and a passion for substance misuse prevention, community building, and empowering individuals. She has worked in many different service areas including geriatric and private care management, community outreach, tutoring, after-school programming, and, most recently, as a family advocate in a public school setting. She is proud to serve on various non-profit boards in Sullivan County and has been a 4H leader for the past 5 years. After working in the public school system for 7 years and realizing that children need and have a right to the educational choice that works best for them, Stacey co-founded Micah Studios in Newport, NH to support children and families. She believes families know best what education choice best meets their needs.
Jenifer Marchesi
Treasurer
Imagine a world where every child achieves their potential without relying on family resources! Jenifer grew up in a low-income housing project where many of her friends ended up in jail or dead. Education was the means to a successful career in Science. With schooling in Chemistry, Polymer Materials, and International Business, Jenifer has worked for Fortune 100 and Start-Up companies. She prefers hands-on activities but has also managed R&D groups, and currently volunteers for Education Options to help parents identify affordable learning. Teachers and mentors made all the difference in Jenifer’s life. Let them make a difference in yours.
Tom Luther
Director at Large
I read John Taylor Gatto in high school, followed Alliance for Separation of School and State after graduate school. Claremont exposed me to the self-destructive equity of Volinsky-Tobin, the Claremont/Conval lawsuit, and the 30+ year damage they inflicted on NH. Exposure to the Unschooling movement in Vermont, the NH EFA program; the willful damage by public sector unions during COVID was the last straw. In a world where the education content is virtually free, NH pays more and gets less. Education Freedom is legal and affordable. Parents define accountability, not bureaucrats. It is time to end Horace Mann’s social experiment on children.
Mike Loftus
Web Support
Special Ed evaluations for both my sons showed each possessed a high intelligence quotient, yet they could barely read. This is why we made the decision to find education options that better equipped our sons and aligned with our beliefs.
– New Hampshire Mom
You Have More Education Options Than You Think
Whether you need a different environment or a flexible program, there’s a solution that fits your child’s needs. Discover a variety of schools and support networks in your area with our interactive map.
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