Recent claims have caused confusion about EdOpt’s work and mission, and especially its terms of use. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families explore education alternatives in New Hampshire, we want to clarify the facts. EdOpt follows terms of use. EdOpt uses a variety of tools, including AI-supported web searches, to gather publicly available … Read more
What’s going on in Claremont is a crisis. The administration did not do their jobs for years, including not giving enough information to the school board. Now the board is making some hard decisions. What makes it harder is that the people who spoke at the public hearings were not happy. These people want it … Read more
I was surprised to learn that a lot of people don’t know what charter schools are. All charter schools in New Hampshire are public schools that operate independently of traditional school districts. They are tuition-free and open to all students, and managed by an independent board (not elected). These schools often have specialized curricula or … Read more
In 2012, U.S. Army Master Sergeant Cedric King woke up from a coma in Afghanistan to discover that his legs had been amputated. Today, 8 years later, Cedric says if given the chance, he’d do it all over again. You’ll hear his story of finding tremendous growth in tragedy by relinquishing control and expectations. In … Read more
You’ve probably seen the news that more than 10,000 New Hampshire students are enrolled in Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) this year, hitting the cap. According to the way the law was written, that means next year the cap will go up to 12,500, a 25% increase. There are about 300 students on a waiting list. … Read more
This week, the New Hampshire Department of Education announced that schools are doing better academically! That’s fantastic. Or is it? They reported that in 2023, 35 percent of 8th-graders tested proficient in math and 39 percent of 7th-graders tested proficient in math. This is in contrast to 45 percent proficiency in eighth-grade math and … Read more
I came across this article and want to share it with you. I wish I would have written it, but why duplicate work? It covers so many important points. The approach is made up of five steps. Step 1: Investigate the school’s pedagogy. Through stories and clear explanations, they walk you through these types … Read more
Someone asked me to explain the recent ConVal decision. The Decision The Contoocook Valley School District (ConVal), along with 19 other school districts, sued the state. They argued that the base amount ($4,100) that the state pays in adequacy grants to local school districts is unconstitutional because it’s far below what’s needed to provide an adequate education. … Read more
Do Education Freedom Accounts save money? I’ve recently had questions from quite a few people about how Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) work. During the conversations, they often mention that “the money follows the child” and “EFAs are saving money”. EFAs are one of many solutions for families for whom the default district school isn’t working. … Read more
Brentwood Expo is postponed EdOpt has decided to postpone the Brentwood expo. It was originally scheduled for July 7. We apologize for the short notice, but a family situation came up. Stay tuned for the new date! Want an expo in your area? Reply to this email or contact us if you want to organize … Read more
Listen to Jody on Freedom to Learn podcast Jody Underwood talked about EdOpt on the Freedom to Learn podcast on June 12. New Hampshire is now the 17th state to offer education freedom accounts (EFA) to all K-12 students, regardless of their family income. Jody discusses how her organization helps New Hampshire families navigate their … Read more
Wolfeboro expo was a success! Over 40 families came to the successful Wolfeboro expo, with over 100 people (including many children)! It was busy the entire time. There was a protest outside, with about 25 people holding signs to protect Governor Wentworth School District. If they intended to intimidate people from coming to the expo, … Read more
Videos to Introduce Education Providers You can now see videos that introduce education providers on our website! There are only a few so far, and they’re mostly in the Upper Valley area, which we used to advertise our expo which is happening this Weds 6/11 (see below for more details about the expo). We invite … Read more
Our first expo protestors A protest of our Wolfeboro expo popped up on Facebook. See below. In fact, a representative from the Governor Wentworth Regional School District will have a table at the Wolfeboro expo. I guess Bobbi didn’t know that. If you’re in the area, come support school choice by visiting our expo. It’ll … Read more
Learn about EdOpt from podcasts Let’s try this again. The links I put in the last email didn’t come through! EdOpt’s president, Jody Underwood, was a guest on two podcasts last week. She talked about Education Options and things related to education. Check them out. LiberatED Podcast with Kerry McDonald The second was Hal Shurtleff … Read more
Last Week’s Expos Before we learn more about EdOpt from podcasts, here’s a brief summary of our 2 expos last week. A varied set of education providers were present at each, representing preschool, homeschool, activities and camps, private schools, religious schools, EFAs, and more. Attendees were engaged. Lots of networking happened. These are the providers … Read more
