Should the state or parents have control over educating children?

One of the main things learned from the last two years of education turmoil in Oregon is that parents matter. They have become painfully aware of the true priorities of Oregon’s education department.  

As a result of distance/hybrid learning, the statewide mask mandate and divisive curriculums, many parents feel like they have no voice in their children’s education. These issues and the lack of parental rights caused many families to pull their kids out of the public school system in favor of alternative options like private and religious schools, pods and homeschools better suited for their children’s needs. According to the Oregon Department of Education’s annual report card, enrollment at public schools was down by more than 20,000 students in 2020-2021, so we can only assume that enrollment numbers for the 2021-2022 school year will be even lower. 

The state government’s treatment of Oregon’s children shows that it is time for parents to take back their right to choose in their children’s education. Parents should be the ones making the decisions about whether their child learns in a traditional school setting or an alternative learning environment, whether they learn about sensitive or divisive topics, whether they are taught at home or in a public institution.  

At no other time in recent memory have parents been more aware of where the power centers are, the influence of the government teachers unions and the need for choice in their child's education. Educational choice means that all parents, regardless of means, have the ability to send their children to any school they deem suitable for their child’s learning and needs. The money paid into the education system by the taxpayers would follow the child, whether that be to a public school, charter school, private school, micro-school or learning pod or a school at their kitchen table. This is what student-first education looks like. 

We send our children to International Baccalaureate Charter School. This school is part of the Oregon Trail School District, but as a charter school is overseen by a governing board of parents and community members. This school may not be for everyone, but the point is that it was our choice to send our children to this school. Many parents don’t have the option to send their children anywhere other than the designated public school in their neighborhood due to lack of means, transportation or options. A child’s ZIP code should not dictate their ability to achieve academic success, whatever that looks like for them individually and their family. 

Parents pay taxes into the education system and deserve to be the decision makers in how that money is spent for each child. At the end of the day, whether you’re a proponent for certain programs, or if you’re for or against certain curriculums, like critical race theory and comprehensive sex education, we as parents should all be able to make the personalized choices for what’s right for our family’s values and our children’s education.  

Parents matter and all kids in Oregon deserve the best possible education for their individual needs. 

MacKensey Pulliam founded the Oregon Moms Union to help get kids back into the classroom full time and provide statewide leadership for parents and a student-first education.