Commentary: Big Tent Ideas

JOSHUA MERCER: School Choice Option Should Be Available To All Parents

Hallway in a public school. (Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)

Parents should never have to choose between their faith and their child’s education. Yet, for  many Catholic families, school choice is a privilege, not a right.  

It’s time to change that. 

It’s imperative that pro-family and pro-education lawmakers fight for a national solution like the  Education Choice for Children Act (ECCA), which would ensure that all parents, regardless of  income, can choose the best educational setting for their children. 

As a father of six, I’ve learned that education is about more than grades or diplomas – it’s about  instilling the values and beliefs that define our family. For my wife and me, that has meant  sending our children to Catholic schools –despite the financial strain. But this decision is about  more than money – it’s deeply personal. 

I didn’t always have the luxury of making this choice. My own experience in public schools led  to the loss of my Catholic faith. The cultural climate there often conflicted with the values I was  taught at home, eroding the foundation of my beliefs. This experience motivates my commitment  to ensuring my children receive an education that nurtures, rather than challenges, their faith. 

Today, as I watch my children thrive in Catholic schools, I feel profound gratitude. Their  education isn’t just academic; it’s also spiritual. Their values grow alongside their knowledge. 

Not every family has that choice. Many parents are trapped in school systems that don’t reflect  their values. Take what happened in Loudoun County, Virginia, where parents were stunned to  learn their daughters were forced to share bathrooms with boys identifying as girls. Or  Montgomery County, Maryland, when the school district blocked parents from opting their kids  out of “LGBT pride” content being injected into K-12 lessons.  

In states like Michigan, quality education is apparently a privilege, not a right. Here, private  school tuition is beyond the reach of many families who want a better future for their children. 

It’s a sobering reality: Parents nationwide are fighting an uphill battle to secure better  educational opportunities. The system is stacked against them, especially for those who want an  education that aligns with their values. Education should be about more than preparing kids for  the future academically – it should help shape their souls and character.

That’s why school choice is a fundamental right. Parents should have the freedom to choose the  best education for their children, regardless of income or zip code. Yet, too many are forced to  settle for schools that don’t meet their child’s needs simply because private or parochial options  are unaffordable. 

That’s where the Education Choice for Children Act (ECCA) comes in. Supported by CatholicVote and over 50 organizations, the bill would expand educational options for K-12  students, especially those from lower-to-middle-income families. It proposes a federal  scholarship tax credit allowing parents to choose the best education for their children – whether  through private schools, charter schools or homeschooling – without financial barriers. 

The ECCA is a game-changer. It would create a $10 billion annual fund, supported by voluntary  taxpayer donations, with a 100% non-refundable tax credit for contributions to nonprofit  scholarship organizations. These funds would support tuition scholarships, tutoring for learning  loss, special needs services and more. Importantly, the ECCA wouldn’t require new federal  funding or cuts to existing K-12 budgets, making it a cost-effective way to expand educational  options. 

The coalition supporting the bill has urged Congress to prioritize its passage, recognizing that it would help up to 2 million students access education that meets their unique needs. Over 20 years of research shows that private school choice programs improve graduation rates, increase college enrollment and even benefit surrounding public schools. 

Opponents claim that school choice would undermine public schools, but that’s a false narrative. School choice isn’t about dismantling public education; it’s about giving all students the  opportunity to find an educational setting that works for them. It encourages healthy competition, which benefits all schools. If we truly care about the future of our children, we must support  policies that give parents the freedom to choose the best education for their kids. 

We’ve reached the point where school choice is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity. Parents  shouldn’t have to sacrifice their values or their children’s future because they lack options. It’s  time for Congress to pass the ECCA, especially in places like Michigan, where the need is  greatest. 

Like many other parents, I’ve made significant sacrifices to send my children to Catholic schools  because I believe in faith-based education. But not every family can make those sacrifices.  

Every parent deserves the right to choose an education that aligns with their values and supports  their child’s growth. The ECCA would make that possible for millions of families.

It’s time to rescue families trapped in low-performing schools. It’s time to expand school choice.  It’s time for Congress to act – for the sake of our children, our communities and our future. 

Joshua Mercer is vice president and co-founder of CatholicVote. He is Editor in Chief of the  LOOP, a daily newsletter on politics and Church news read by 500,000 Catholics. He also  serves as co-host of the LOOPcast, a thrice-weekly podcast on politics and church news.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.