School Choice and the Texas Hispanic Community

"Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life."
Proverbs 4:13

The Texas Public Policy Foundation, along with the Libre Initiative, held an event this afternoon: School Choice and the Hispanic Community.  Ironically, the event was held on the same day that the Texas House is going to take up an anti-School Choice budget amendment.  The event below.

Michael Barba (TPPF):



Highlights:

• Gaps between Hispanic and White students haven't changed in 20 years.

• Hispanics drop out at three times the rate of White Students.

• I can side against parents having options because I had options.

• School Choice is a means, not an end.

• Fantastic hearing last Thursday.

Rep. Dwayne Bohac:

Highlights:

• Takes a shot at the failures of the Ways and Means committee.

• Traditional public, homeschool, Charter schools, Virtual schools, and private are the five models.

• Parents and Students are customers.

• Your ability to take your business elsewhere "drives innovation."

• We should give public schools a premium.
• Author's Note: We don't particularly agree, but we're willing to make the concession if it'll move a bill.

• Parents know best.

• "It's not the government's decision."

• We don't discriminate based on demographics, we discriminate via Zip Code.

• School choice will not happen until the Latino community leads.

Lance Izumi (Pacific Research Foundation):

Highlights:

• It's an issue of school quality, not poverty.

• Middle class kids aren't doing great.\

• Texas has very low proficiency standards.

• Less than 1/3rd of students at one high income school in Coppell.

• All parents should be concerned about school quality.

Eric Garcia (The Libre Initiative):

Highlights:

• His charter school district has a 1500+ waiting list.

• Florida is expanding school choice; Texas has barely started.

• School choice rally last Friday in Brownsville.

• Events in San Antonio and Dallas coming up.

• Libre in Seven states.

• School choice is a Hispanic issue.

• Other Hispanic orgs aren't doing the legwork.

Q &A:

Highlights:

• Within public schools, you have to have parental involvement.

• Intense positive character education.

• Life is not meant to to be complicated.

• A lot of rural legislators are afraid of educrats.

• We've never made the case to Republican voters about how school choice benefits them personally; we always present it as an altruistic thing to help someone else.