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Hispanic CREO's work in the Lone Star state represents our most comprehensive work ever. As the birthplace of Hispanic CREO, we began as a "parent organizing" group focused on recipients of a privately funded voucher - particular the CEO Foundation's Horizon Program as our core group.
Since those early days, our parents have grown to something far beyond even Hispanic CREO's dream. They are the best example in the country of how school choice can serve to motivate and mobilize a community of people by giving them the training and the opportunity to participate in the political process in a way that empower them to make a difference.
2002: Hispanic CREO hosted the first ever Parent Summer Leadership Institute which was a summer-long course for parents parent leaders from five major Texas cities that were subject of a school choice bill. We had 101 parent graduates.
2003: Sponsored and coordinated by CREO as a pre-legislative session mobilization exercise, parents wrote over 1,200 personal letters to Governor Rick Perry in three weeks chastising him for not doing anything about the minority dropout rate. Two weeks after the letter writing campaign the governor held a press conference stating that the issue was going to be a major focus of his administration and he created the position of Dropout Czar to work on the problem. This was a huge energizing victory for parents.
Later, over 2,500 parents traveled to Austin during the legislative session to be part of a rally that was the largest gathering ever of Latino parents for the cause of school choice and education reform. Our special guest speaker at the rally was the president of United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce from Washington, D.C. Parents also attended the House Education Committee hearing the same day, occupying every single available seat in the hearing room and forcing the opposition to wait in the hallway.
Despite having the votes in both the House and Senate, the school choice bill never received a floor vote as the Democratic Party legislators left the state - and remained out of the state - in order to block re-districting bills. In doing so, they succeeded in killing all pending bills including school choice initiative.
2005: Hispanic CREO filed an Amicus Brief with the Texas Supreme Court in the matter of long-standing Texas school finance case. The brief urged the justices to recognize school choice as one method by which educational access can be equalized.
Following this, over 600 parents traveled to Austin on three day's notice for a rally with Governor Perry, Lieutenant Governor Dewshurst, Speaker Craddick and numerous legislators in a show of support for school choice. In a repeat performance of their 2003 appearance, CREO's parents once again managed to commander the hearing room for the House Education Committee's consideration and debate of a school choice bill.
2006: In post primary election analysis, Hispanic voting increased as compared to the 2002 election cycle of 44.9 percent. In the end, Hispanic voters wanted school choice representation and voted out an anti-school choice incumbent by 54 votes. Her replacement is a strong advocate for school choice. Let there be no doubt that this incident has reverberated throughout the entire state. Our parents are becoming the voice of tomorrow and more of them are becoming civically engaged.
In October, Hispanic CREO along with the Texas chapter of National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders (CONLAMIC) testified at the Senate Education Committee hearing presenting a statewide resolution to Senators, the Governor and Lt. Governor. Pastors firmly declared that school choice is the only remedy that seeks to improve public education by providing parents with the opportunity to choose the school that is best suited for their children.
2007: Hispanic CREO looks forward to passing the largest school choice program in the nation that will benefit 520,000 children who are economically disadvantaged, at-risk, English language learners, victims of violence, etc.
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