Our friend Jeanne Allen of the Center for Education Reform called to our attention that this is the 100th anniversary of a landmark Supreme Court decision in Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925).

In It, the high court overturned an Oregon law forbidding parents to send their children to private and religious schools and mandating they attend public schools.

In the majority opinion, Justice James C. McReynolds wrote:

“The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.”

The Court thereby affirmed that parents–not the state or the teacher unions or the school boards–have the primary role in the rearing and education of children. (To put it another way: it doesn’t take a village.)

Jeanne notes that this ruling is often cited in cases defending parental authority and religious freedom.

Now, 100 years later, we need to enshrine that civil right by ensuring that every child parent in every state and locality has the right to choose the best school for their children.