Board of Public Education

PURPOSE AND VISION

COMMUNITY CHOICE SCHOOLS

Montana Community Choice Public Schools logo

Vision

The vision of the Community Choice Schools Commission is to develop the full educational potential of each student by fostering a diverse and dynamic public education landscape.

Our Promise

As duly appointed Members of the Montana Community Choice Schools Commission, we embrace our responsibility to serve as stewards of educational opportunity and the public trust. We are committed to helping realize the full promise of our Constitution for every student, in every community.

Our Guiding Principles

  1. Students First, Always: Student success is our north star. We want every student to experience the transformative power of education.
  2. Stewards of the Public Trust: We exercise our authority with transparency, discipline, and humility. Credibility is foundational and we understand that trust must be earned, not assumed. We seek to build enduring trust with families, educators, communities, tribes, and policymakers through every decision we make.
  3. Authorizing for Systems Change: We do not just authorize schools, we help foster a more responsive, innovative, and effective public education system.
  4. Excellence is the Expectation: Students deserve our best. That is why we set a high bar for schools, boards, authorizers, and ourselves.
  5. Community-Centered Innovation: We listen to and elevate local voices and context, especially in rural and tribal communities, in order to create the conditions where excellence can thrive.
  6. Clarity and Courage in Decision-Making: We lead transparently and act with integrity. We face difficult decisions with moral clarity and constitutional conviction.

Core Values & Commitments

Courage

We make bold decisions in the best interests of students, even under pressure.

Respect

We communicate. We honor the dignity of students, families, educators, communities, and tribes.

Integrity

We follow through. We are fair, honest, and grounded in our principles and purpose.

Service

We act with intention and humility. We exist to serve the people, not ourselves.

Transparency

We share our rationale, invite public understanding, and welcome accountability.

Learning

We grow through reflection, data, feedback, and the wisdom of Montana’s people.

Our Core Purpose

  1. To authorize, oversee, and hold accountable public community choice schools for fulfilling the terms of their contracts.
  2. To approve, oversee, and evaluate the effectiveness of public community choice school authorizers.

Questions

Have Questions? Contact Cathy Kincheloe