Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., pushed for school choice in a column posted by the Washington Examiner.
"I believe in empowering parents to advocate the future of their children and, by extension, the future of America," he wrote.
"Education is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It is the result of a partnership between parents and educators working together in the best interest of the children. The more choices parents have, the better chance their children have to succeed.
"We are at the start of another school year, and millions of parents will be walking their children through challenges ranging from crayons to calculus. While families are facing homework, housework, and managing life, there is another challenge that looms in the background: access to school choice."
Scott acknowledged that school choice has resulted in "fierce debates" from both ends of the political spectrum.
"As I advocate school choice, I believe it is important to understand that I don't view this issue as a fight between public versus private schools or Christian versus non-Christian schools. This is not a battle against anything; rather, it is a battle for something," he wrote.
And he added: "In the wake of the pandemic, students across the board are suffering from learning loss because of public school closures, and students from low-income households were affected the most. It is estimated that students from low-income schools are 13 months behind their counterparts. That is unacceptable. Families deserve the option to leave a school that has left their children straggling behind."
Scott noted that a RealClear Opinion Research poll showed overwhelming support for school choice among White, Black Hispanic, and Asian parents.
He said parents deserve options in educating their children.
"This isn't an issue they can put on pause and come back to at a more opportune time," Scott wrote. "A lack of options now can have severe consequences for the future. We cannot afford to put educational opportunities on the back burner for our most vulnerable children. That's why I've worked on legislation to provide assistance for children dealing with learning loss, provide incentives for additional scholarship funds for K-12 students, and eliminate barriers for families seeking to find the school that best fits their children's needs."
Scott maintained that if children get into a quality high school, it increases the chance of attending a quality college or university.
"I've often said that education is the closest thing to magic," Scott wrote. "Parents have told me their firsthand experiences of that magic at work."