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

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