Támez: Hispanic students deserve a fighting chance; school choice makes that possible

School choice has gained massive momentum in Texas – with just this week, Governor Greg Abbott declaring school choice an emergency item in his State of the State address. Millions of Texans, and especially minority Texans, are supportive of measures that allow parents to choose the education that’s best for their child. And in my experience, that could be a game-changer for Hispanic families. 

When I was a sophomore in high school, I had walked into my 10th grade English class – but instead of the usual sit down, take notes, and listen to the lecture agenda, we were told to read the statistics our teacher posted on the wall. They read, “Only 7% of Rio Grande Valley students are considered college ready based on their SAT score”, and, “A third of your region’s working-age residents never finished high school.” 

The sobering reminder didn’t end there. Each wall had a different statistic deeming my success much harder to achieve compared to other students in America, and they were all based on one factor: where I was born. To the rest of the country, it was my ZIP code that determined my destiny.

The teacher explained to us that their intent was to motivate us to break a stigma – to crack the glass ceiling of generational defeat. When the bell released us to go home, my mother asked what I learned in class. I told her I learned that I had a much larger chance at educational failure than the rest of the country thanks to the school district I resided in. 

So, we researched the local private schools that could get me out of my public high school – however, it cost. And with two toddlers in the home, gasoline and groceries were the priority. Like in numerous South Texas households, my K-12 education didn’t make the budget.

This is the reality of most families in the Rio Grande Valley – with more than 90% of the population being Hispanic, and many students becoming first-generation graduates like myself. Valley parents yearn for their children to have educational prosperity so that their sacrifices aren’t in vain. 

School choice programs can help fill that gap. Current proposals in the Texas Senate would give the average family $10,000 to choose the school that best meets their child’s needs. They could also use that money to pay for tutoring, special needs therapies, transportation, or other educational expenses.

Critics claim school choice only benefits the wealthy, but my perspective indicates the opposite. In the RGV, there are approximately 65 failing school districts. Without school choice, if the disadvantaged, lower-income student wanted to attend the non-failing school in their county, they would have very limited options. School choice would give them new hope. 

The current state of education isn’t the American Dream our parents and abuelos wanted for us. No student should have to jump over hurdles in order to receive an education that is necessary for a successful life. That is why I support school choice, to allow minority students a fighting chance at success – and to create a future where a ZIP code no longer determines a student’s destiny.

Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Angelina Támez, a resident of South Texas, a first-generation American, and Republican activist. Támez can be reached by email via: yohana@upperhandstrategies.com

The post Támez: Hispanic students deserve a fighting chance; school choice makes that possible appeared first on Rio Grande Guardian.