Education
Free Market Friday: For pre-K choices
October 21, 2016
Jonathan Small
Next week in downtown Oklahoma City, several organizations are hosting a statewide conference on early-childhood issues.
Though our friends on the left have a heart for children, in my view they can tend to place too much emphasis on government solutions. And though government involvement can make sense when dealing with the most vulnerable, at-risk children among us, policymakers must resist the misguided (and expensive) urge to impose universal, one-size-fits-all solutions for all Oklahoma families.
Consider, for example, early childhood education. Any discussion of the issue must start with this: Parents, not government officials, have the moral right to determine a child’s path.
Many parents choose to put their 3- or 4-year-olds in a preschool program in a traditional public school. Others prefer a public charter school. Still others prefer a private preschool.
The parents wanting to choose a private preschool shouldn’t be penalized financially (by having to pay taxes and tuition). Oklahoma policymakers should level the playing field.