North Dakota United is a proud coalition member of North Dakotans for Public Schools (ND4PS), a new organization whose mission is to strengthen, protect and celebrate public education in North Dakota. United Voices sat down to talk with Erin Oban from ND4PS recently. Our conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: Can you tell us about how ND4PS came to be? Who are the coalition members, and why did they come together?
A: North Dakotans for Public Schools was created pretty organically during the 2025 legislative session, mostly in response to a wave of bills that would have created voucher programs, also known as “education savings accounts.” There was a clear gap identified by state-level education organizations; they were looking for a way to inform and engage parents, community members and the general public about issues affecting public education. Especially people who support public education but don’t belong to an association that helps them to do that.
I had just left USDA Rural Development and, with my legislative background from eight years in the state Senate, I wanted to help. So, I organized a coalition of those people who otherwise maybe had been left out of the process a little bit. In a short time, we informed and engaged thousands of people in the legislative process who maybe wouldn’t otherwise have done so.
The following organizations, which have acted like a steering committee so far, essentially pooled their resources and helped us get off the ground with their respective established infrastructures: North Dakota United, North Dakota School Boards Association, North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders and North Dakota Small Organized Schools.
Since then, we’ve started soliciting donations from individuals and other organizations.
Q: So, would it be fair to say ND4PS is more of a grassroots coalition of people, supported by organizations that helped get it started?
A: That’s very accurate. The organizations pooled resources, but the coalition is really made up of parents, families and community members: people who recognize that public schools are central to economic development, community life and local business.
My role is essentially as a mom who has a kid in public school, who also happens to have legislative experience that is helpful to this process, and someone who believes really strongly that the best way to improve decision-making is to include more members of the public. At its heart, ND4PS is random, regular North Dakotans lending their voices to a cause they know is right.
Q: Can you talk about the coalition’s goals and how you aim to strengthen public education?
A: After the session, we defined our mission: to strengthen, protect and celebrate public education in North Dakota.
That means advocating for vital resources and personnel for our schools, so our public schools can continue to support ALL children, countering misinformation and encouraging community engagement, and facilitating greater engagement between all the stakeholders in public education. We plan to continue opposing harmful policies like vouchers.
Finally, we want to celebrate successes in our schools, which is something educators and families don’t always take the time to do. For some reason, it is not in our nature to brag about good things that happen. In part, I believe it’s probably because many educators believe good outcomes are the result of simply doing their jobs. But we want to talk about the good things. We want to be a place where good news about public schools is shared and celebrated, especially at a time when bad news seems to catch on a lot faster.
Quote byErin Oban , North Dakotans for Public Schools
Q: Why is public education so important to society, and especially to North Dakota?
A: For starters, it’s right there in our state constitution. We must provide high-quality public education to every family in North Dakota. It’s also a cornerstone of democracy, and a public school is probably one of the most important partners to families in shaping the future of our state.
If you care about kids, if you care about the constitution, if you care about the strength of our communities, you should care about public education. That’s why thousands of North Dakotans love their public schools and want to be members of this coalition. And when you love something, you invest in it. That’s what we’re committed to doing.
Q: What about ND4PS’s policy agenda? Beyond defeating vouchers, do you have other specific priorities?
A: Right now, there isn’t a detailed policy agenda. We began in response to one specific issue that North Dakotans felt really strongly about, but we think this is about a much broader goal, and that is the importance of having high-quality public education in as many communities as possible, for all the kids and families that it serves. For us, it’s supporting anything that strengthens, protects and celebrates public education.
Q: Looking ahead, what would success look like five years down the line?
A: Success would mean empowering members of the coalition to be champions in their own communities. Whether it’s in response to a comment they overhear in a coffee shop, in testimony they provide at a school board meeting, or in a conversation with a legislator, to name just a few possible examples, we want people to feel prepared to stand up for public schools. ND4PS will be successful if hundreds of people across North Dakota become more prepared and feel more empowered because of the work this organization is doing.
Q: You’ve also launched some public visibility efforts. Can you talk about those?
A: Sometimes celebrating is as simple as physically showing support for something that matters. Yard signs and videos spread a positive message and let people know they’re not alone in valuing public schools.
The yard signs, in particular, have caught on quickly – we can’t keep up with demand. Communities across the state have embraced them. You’ll see them in Ray, which is my hometown. Go, Ray Jays! Also, Stanley, Minot, New Town, Dickinson, Beulah, Richardton, Taylor, Glen Ullin, Solen, Mandan, Jamestown, Edgeley, Fort Ransom, Lisbon, Oakes, Fargo, Wahpeton, Devils Lake, Lakota, Drayton, Grand Forks and many more. People are hosting pick-up spots, delivering signs and sharing them with friends. It’s really created something of a movement.
Q: Is there anything else you want to add?
A: Yes. I want to be clear: ND4PS doesn’t believe public schools are perfect. They’re run by humans, and humans make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean we give up on them. If you love something, you invest in it and work to make it better.
So, while we recognize the flaws of our public schools, we still believe public schools are worth protecting, strengthening and celebrating.
