Republicans Believe Parents Know What is Best for Their Children

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

During the COVID-19 era, many politicians, especially Democrats, promoted the idea that our society should be led by "experts." These individuals exhibited little faith in the average American citizen, suggesting that we are incapable of making our own decisions. Despite our apprehensions about taking an untested and unproven vaccine, we were told to comply and follow our leaders.

Over time, we have seen the "experts" proven wrong. Once again, the average citizen, armed with a healthy dose of skepticism, demonstrated better judgment than politicians and experts.

This elitist attitude has also infiltrated our educational system. Parents are urged to defer to the so-called "experts" when it comes to educating their children. However, history and results favor the average parent. Parents inherently know what is best for their children and make better decisions regarding their education.

This is why the Republican Party has adopted a platform supporting "School Choice." The 2024 Republican Party Platform includes a clear endorsement of universal school choice:

"Republicans believe families should be empowered to choose the best education for their children. We support Universal School Choice in every State in America."

The Mississippi Republican Party's Platform states:

"Parental involvement in education should extend to allowing parents to choose the school that best meets the educational needs of their children."

Parents, not government experts, are better equipped to make decisions for their children.

Giving parents a choice in their child's education has led to increased graduation rates, improved future financial well-being, crime reduction, and higher parent satisfaction across the United States.

School choice allows parents to take a more active role in their child’s education, choosing a school that best fits their child’s needs. Since the pandemic, parents have become more motivated to push for education reform and for the expansion of opportunities for their children.

Mississippi has struggled to advance the rights of parents to choose the best education for their children, largely due to the power of public school lobbying groups within our state. These organizations have convinced legislators to prioritize the interests of the public school establishment over the wishes of parents and the needs of children. As a legislator, I have personally heard leaders of these organizations express indifference to some children being left behind, as long as they remained in "public" schools.

However, Donald Trump is leading a renewed dedication to our Republican Platform and ideology within our party, striving to return power to parents.

Mississippi Republicans have an opportunity to improve our educational system by putting parents in control. Experts are not the answer—parents are the key to better education for all children.