Young Americans for Liberty at Ole Miss advocates for one core principle above all others: individualism.
While many think of civil liberties in terms of speech, privacy or economic autonomy, one of the most overlooked liberties is the freedom of parents to direct their children’s education.
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) extend this freedom by allowing families to choose the environment that best fits their child’s learning needs. ESAs provide access to tutoring, online instruction, hybrid models, private schooling, special-needs services and other approved educational tools — all using state funds already allocated for that child’s education.
This is not a partisan issue. It is a question of personal liberty, educational opportunity and fairness.
In Mississippi, zip codes too often determine academic opportunity. Families with financial means can choose alternatives when the local public school doesn’t meet their child’s needs. Some families are frequently left with no options at all. ESAs help correct that imbalance.
Critics argue that ESAs “take money from public schools,” but this misunderstands how funding works.
Education dollars are intended for the child’s education, not for maintaining a particular institution. A system that prioritizes the institution over the student runs counter to the principles of liberty and fairness. Moreover, decades of data show that public schools in states with robust choice programs often improve due to healthy competition.
Choice does not harm public schools; it helps all schools focus on student success.
ESAs affirm that parents and not bureaucrats are best positioned to decide how their children learn. Families understand their children’s strengths, weaknesses and needs far better than centralized authorities. Empowering families aligns with the foundational American values of limited government and individual autonomy.
The moral argument is equally strong. No child should be trapped in a learning environment that does not meet their needs. Whether due to bullying, learning differences, safety concerns, or academic mismatch, many students require alternatives. ESAs give families access to those alternatives, especially in rural or underserved areas.
As college students, we’ve experienced firsthand how different learning environments shape educational outcomes. Some people thrive in large lectures; others require small seminars. Some excel through hands-on labs; others through self-paced study.
We take for granted the flexibility our universities provide. K-12 students deserve the same.
The education-freedom movement does not seek to leave behind public schools. Public schools remain an essential part of Mississippi’s education system. ESAs recognize that public education is not a place but a purpose: providing opportunity for every child.
If Mississippi wants to safeguard civil liberties, strengthen families and promote equal opportunity, expanding educational freedom is a critical step. ESAs empower parents, honor students’ individuality and reflect the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed in the environment where they learn best.
Educational freedom is not radical. It is responsible. It is moral. It is necessary.
Lawson Campbell of Summit is a political science major at the University of Mississippi, where he is president of the Young Americans for Liberty chapter and an elected member of The Associated Student Body. He is the son of Jimmy and Stephanie Campbell. He co-authored this column with William Traylor of Ripley, a broadcast journalism major at Ole Miss.
