Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) signs a major school choice bill into law in Austin, Texas.
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00:00How are you doing?
00:30Thank you, everybody, for being here on this historic day.
00:44To be clear, today would not be possible without the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Patrick
00:50and Speaker Burroughs.
00:58Without the tireless work of Chairman Creighton and Chairman Buckley, and without the fearless
01:09commitment of members of the House and Senate who put families first this session.
01:22I am about to sign into law the largest day one school choice program in the United States
01:30of America.
01:35Today is the culmination of a movement that has swept across our state and across our
01:43country.
01:44A movement driven by parents like Shenera.
01:46Shenera, where did you go?
01:47Right here.
01:48Shenera, where did you go?
01:58Right here.
01:59A movement driven by parents like Shenera, who wanted a better education option for her son,
02:04who was struggling in a low-performing school.
02:07A movement even by educators like Inge.
02:11Right here, Inge.
02:15A movement driven by educators like Inge, who left a teaching position in a public school
02:23because he saw that the unique needs of every student simply was not being met.
02:28So, he started his own private school in Tyler, Texas to better address those needs.
02:41A movement driven by activists and policy advocates across the state.
02:52fueled by a vision for an education system that levels the playing field for parents and expands
02:58opportunity for our great children.
03:01A movement driven by families who shared my vision and that it is time that we put our
03:10children on a pathway to having the number one ranked education system in the United States
03:15of America.
03:23Knowing that school choice is part of the formula of achieving that mission.
03:28Listen, I've traveled this state talking about school choice for more than a half a decade.
03:34And during the course of that, I've met with thousands of families who have longed for
03:38education and freedom.
03:40Families like the Alley family who was frustrated watching their child fall behind because she
03:44was being forced to learn from home during times of COVID.
03:51Families like that of Eric Richardson, who was astonished that his child's teacher would
03:55not work with him to address the unique challenges of his child.
04:00Parents like Hillary Hickland.
04:11She was angry that a woke agenda was being forced on her daughter in a public school and that
04:16drove Hillary Hickland to run for and win a seat in the Texas legislature.
04:22And the family of Jeremy Kimmel, a student with autism from Bell County who was not getting
04:34the attention that he needed from the attention that he needed from a public school.
04:38These families and thousands more have been yearning to choose a school that best fits their
04:44child.
04:45Now they have that option.
04:55When I ran for reelection, when I ran for reelection in 2022, I promised school choice for the families
05:03of Texas.
05:04Today we deliver on that promise.
05:14Gone are the days that families are limited to only the school assigned by government.
05:18The day has arrived that empowers parents to choose the school that's best for their child.
05:30Today school choice becomes law in the great state of Texas.
05:39Today school choice becomes law in the way that the New York state should have been represented.
06:00School choice is now the law of the great state of Texas.
06:30The law of the great state of Texas, the law of the great state of Texas, the law of the
07:00great state of Texas, the law of the great state of Texas.
07:07Two more quick pieces of business by me, and then I'm going to turn it over to the Lieutenant
07:16Governor.
07:17First, I also want to thank the members of my staff who've labored on this for more than
07:24a half a decade, day and night, hoping to see this day come to fruition.
07:30Give it up for the staff of the Governor's office.
07:37Last is that all of these signing pins are going to be given out to the Lieutenant Governor,
07:48the Speaker, the two chairmen, and their staff, except for one.
07:55There is a basket over here.
07:57We call it the magic basket.
08:00It is filled with pins.
08:02Let me see.
08:04Give me one.
08:05One.
08:06Can you pick up the basket?
08:07It's too heavy.
08:08There is the basket.
08:10It's filled with pins like this.
08:13There's one difference.
08:15None of those pins were used to sign the bill.
08:19This pin was used to sign the law, school choice.
08:24This pin is going into that basket.
08:27As kids leave today, they will be able to grab one of those pins.
08:32One of them is going to get the real pin used to sign this law.
08:36And now, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
09:01Thank you, Governor.
09:03This is a day the Lord has made.
09:07This is a day that has been coming for a long time.
09:11As chair of education in 2013, when I was in the Senate,
09:15we passed the first school choice bill.
09:19And along the way to the river, many people joined in.
09:24Jim Leininger in the back and his wife Cecilia.
09:28Stacy Hock, Alex Cranberg.
09:31So many people in this crowd.
09:34The President of the United States even joined in.
09:37The Governor.
09:41Senator Creighton.
09:44Chairman Buckley.
09:46And finally, a speaker who said, I will pass school choice.
09:51Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
09:56So it took a long time to get to the river.
09:59But we have crossed the river today.
10:01Because of all of you in persistence of not giving up on the American dream for your child and other children.
10:10Because we know you cannot live the American dream if you don't have a quality education.
10:16And today is the day that not only do we give, as the Governor said, the largest launch of any program ever,
10:21100,000 students of the opportunity, but we are going to make through school choice public schools even more competitive and better.
10:29It's not about us against them or them against us.
10:33All together, we want the best public school system, the highest paid teachers, and the best school choice program in the world.
10:44And Governor, let's make it two pens in there in the basket, all right?
10:50That he signed the bill with.
10:52I want to give you a hint.
10:54Maybe that's starting a trend here.
10:55I just want to give you a little bit of a hint.
10:57So thank you all for being in this fight, everyone behind us.
11:01This is just a great day.
11:03And for all of the kiddos here, you really don't know what this is about, but one day you will look back and you say,
11:09I stood there when history was made for Texas and for the United States.
11:15Thank you all and God bless you.
11:19Great.
11:20Oh, no.
11:21Let's finish.
11:22School choice is now the law in the state of Texas.
11:34But it could not have been done without our governor, who has been steadfast to make sure this would be here.
11:44And also to Lieutenant Governor Creighton and the Senate, who have continued to push this year after year.
11:57You brought it here.
11:59But I want to recognize and particularly thank the members of the Texas House and Chairman Buckley, who did not give up.
12:13Who, despite all of the noise, all of the attacks, they knew school choice was the moral thing to do.
12:26They knew it was the right thing to give children opportunities to go to the place that fits them the best.
12:34They knew it was the principle thing to do, that competition makes all things better.
12:41That is what America astounded upon.
12:47And they stood in there and they held their own.
12:52And today, it is an honor that we have made this a reality.
12:56But I do believe the work is not done.
13:01We have to make sure this is not only the biggest school choice one day in the history, but the best.
13:11And a commitment from everybody in this audience and everybody on this stage to work to make sure it is the best and we are doing the best for the children and the future of the state of Texas.
13:27So with that, thank you.
13:29God bless.
13:30And I will continue the trend and we will add one more pen into the signing basket.
13:35We've got these pens going into this basket left and right.
13:51I've got to follow that trend.
13:53What an incredible day we're blessed with today, right?
13:58School choice is passed in Texas and parents are in charge.
14:03I want to thank the governor, the lieutenant governor and the speaker, President Trump, all of our senators, our staff.
14:12And one of these wonderful families behind me just handed me a cap that says power to the parents.
14:18And that's what we're here about today is power to the parents to make decisions for their kids,
14:31the best paths for their students and education in the great state of Texas.
14:36God bless each and every one of you that have worked 30, almost 40 years.
14:41Many of you in this crowd, your entire professional lives on this.
14:45This credit goes to you and the good Lord above.
14:48Brad Buckley, who was an incredible partner in the house.
14:54I mentioned our staff, the lieutenant governor staff, Marion and Chris, certainly Court Manske and Tara and Aaron on my team.
15:03And I just can't thank you enough.
15:06At the end of the day, we know that we want our kids education to match their ambition and their potential is too great to be limited by one size fits all system.
15:19And today, from here forward, they will have unlimited potential and unlimited options in education to pursue for the rest of their path in education and what their families deem best.
15:33And that in and of itself was worth the journey.
15:37Are you with me?
15:42I'm so thankful for the senators that I work with and that made this day happen as well for our house colleagues that did the same.
15:51And for each and every one of you that are here, but also that weren't able to travel and that are listening right now.
15:58This happened because of you.
16:00God bless you.
16:01God bless the great state of Texas.
16:03And this cap power to the parents.
16:17Well, thank you all.
16:20What an honor it is to be here.
16:22There were some times in November of 2023.
16:25I didn't know if we'd get here.
16:26But today is a day of hope.
16:29It's a day of opportunity.
16:31And it's going to be a day of changing lives for thousands, hundreds of thousands of Texas students.
16:38And I am so proud to celebrate with you.
16:44As we struggled in the Texas house to get this done over the years, there are times, I'll tell you, you begin to wonder if it's ever going to happen.
16:56But what always happened to me is my mind would go back to a little school on Tremere Road in Killeen, Texas.
17:05Oak Creek Academy.
17:08We have Oak Creek students here.
17:09And I want to say a special shout out to a lifelong friend, someone who's my mother was her first grade teacher, Dr. Tracy Hanson.
17:19When we sat down at a table, we sat down at Oak Creek in 2019.
17:28I was freshly elected and I didn't know anything.
17:32But I promised Tracy that we would bring school choice and opportunity for kids whose needs are being met in unbelievable ways at Oak Creek Academy.
17:44And Tracy, I've known you all my life.
17:47And I just want to thank you so much for coming down to testify, the text in the morning to say, hey, stay in there, it's okay.
17:54It meant the world to us.
17:56Your prayers for my staff were incredible.
17:59Brenda Howard, who's here from Bell County somewhere, unbelievable advocate.
18:06She was one who, when you were a little down, she'd just kind of kick you in the shorts a little bit.
18:12But that's what it took and all the other advocates here, but also my colleagues in the Texas House that stood with me on a long night when we knew we were on the brink of history.
18:26And they stayed right there the whole time.
18:29So, ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much.
18:32Y'all are absolutely the reason we're here today.
18:36Governor Abbott has been such a staunch supporter, such a leader on this issue, and really taught me, when you know you're doing the right thing, you just keep doing it.
18:52And you'll get there in the end.
18:54Lieutenant Governor has walked this walk and talked this talk forever.
18:59And we're so proud and thankful for you, sir, and your service.
19:03My colleague in the Senate, Brandon Creighton, who I didn't know very well.
19:10We've become great friends out of a mutual respect, but I would say more so on a mutual desire to empower every parent in Texas.
19:22Brandon, thank you for your friendship.
19:24We're working with you all.
19:25We have some other things to do between now and June 2nd, and continue to do that.
19:30But we are here today because of my good friend who was elected Speaker in January, who told me that we would get this done.
19:45And Speaker Dustin Burroughs made a commitment, and he made a promise.
19:50And then he helped the Texas House deliver on that promise.
19:54So, Speaker, I appreciate you very much.
19:56Thank you very much, sir.
20:00To my wife Susan, who's here, to my two grandsons Leo and Cole, to my daughter Emily, who stands here today.
20:11You know, those are the eyes I look through when I think about education in Texas.
20:15Great public schools.
20:17Great charter schools.
20:19Parents empowered to find that path for every tool in the toolbox, because these are our children.
20:25They deserve our very best.
20:27I am kind of honored and overwhelmed to be, I didn't think I'd ever quite be here, sir.
20:32I am honored and overwhelmed to be here today with you.
20:34Thank you all so much.
20:36God bless each and every one of you.
20:38And God bless the six million children of Texas.
20:50First of all, I give all praise and glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
20:58I'm so grateful to be here today.
21:00And thank you again, Governor, and all of our legislators who fought tenaciously, and you've withstood the onslaught of opposition, and you've fought for children in Texas.
21:10So let's give these men and women another hand.
21:12Amen?
21:13These brave leaders.
21:15These statesmen.
21:17As the Governor said, I taught in public education for 16 years.
21:23In North Tyler area, which is a low-income, minority area.
21:29Not only have I taught there, but I live there, even now.
21:32I'm part of the community.
21:34But as I taught in public school, I watched these low-income, minority students who struggled.
21:42Not all.
21:43But there were many who struggled in education.
21:47Struggled in my fifth grade classroom.
21:49Struggled at Bolton Middle School.
21:52And soon dropped out.
21:54And it broke my heart.
21:57And I started seeing the need for educational options.
22:02Because the traditional program did not fit these types of students.
22:07Amen?
22:08And I realized there's something we've got to do.
22:11But there was no hope.
22:12And I didn't have a voice.
22:14And I felt hopeless.
22:17Until.
22:18Until.
22:19Cindy Nick.
22:21My friend and fellow co-worker, when we taught in public school.
22:26She began to work with Americans for Prosperity.
22:28And she reached out to me and said, you have a voice.
22:31Just take one small step.
22:34And through Americans for Prosperity and Christy Antonick.
22:38And I'm so grateful for the organization that supported and gave me a voice.
22:43Allowed me to stand up and fight for children.
22:46When I never had a voice.
22:49And through that, I was able to connect with Denisha Allen, with the American Federation for Children.
22:58Okay.
22:59Who also gave me a further voice.
23:01And led me to get an article published in the Dallas Morning News about school choice that the governor saw.
23:07So these organizations like the Americans for Prosperity.
23:10And American Federation for Children.
23:12And these other organizations that have been fighting for children.
23:15I say thank you.
23:16Amen.
23:17Give them a hand.
23:21Amen.
23:22Amen.
23:23And as I get ready to take my seat, I want to say thank you.
23:25And I declare, I thank you for the parents for fighting.
23:28And for fighting for your children.
23:30And not giving up.
23:31And you're the ones that are the winners today.
23:33Because you have been in it.
23:34And you have fought.
23:35And you have fought.
23:36And so I say give yourselves a hand.
23:38Amen.
23:39Parents.
23:40Yes.
23:44And as I finish, I want to declare.
23:46I want to declare.
23:47I want to declare that now our children in the state of Texas.
23:50All children, not just minority children, but all children now have educational opportunities that will compel them to success in the state of Texas.
23:59Amen.
24:00I declare.
24:01I declare that children who have been beaten down by the struggles in the academic system that did not fit the system will now be empowered as they begin to find the right school setting that's going to support them and to allow them to grow in confidence in who God created them to be.
24:21Amen.
24:22I declare.
24:23I declare.
24:24I declare that parents, you as parents, now are empowered.
24:27You are no longer shackled by the chains of indifference.
24:30You now have authority.
24:31You now have control of the educational options of your children.
24:36I declare.
24:41I declare that the state of Texas is no longer the tail but will be the head in educational learning in our country.
24:48We will be the head, we will be the leaders in education in the United States of America.
24:54I declare.
25:00Amen.
25:01I declare that it is a new day in the state of Texas.
25:07And we have educational freedom.
25:09Freedom to the parents.
25:11Amen.
25:12It's freedom to the parents.
25:13Come on, parent.
25:14Come on up here.
25:15Amen.
25:16Amen.
25:17Amen.
25:19Well, thank you.
25:22It's been a long ride, y'all.
25:24But we made it.
25:26And I'm not a public speaker, so I got some little points here.
25:31My name is Shanera Morrison.
25:33I'm a mother of my 11-year-old son.
25:36Well, he was up there.
25:37And we're from southeast Texas.
25:39is Texas. We've had, we've experienced many educational obstacles in the past three years
25:47dealing with bullying from teachers, from students, dealing with curriculum issues that just don't
25:54meet my standard as a parent because I know what my kid likes. I know how he learns. I know the
25:59environment and how he learns. Louder. My bad. I'm sorry. Can you hear me now? Good. If you want to.
26:09Well, we switched from public schools, charter schools. We even tried private schools, but
26:16unfortunately a single mother like me, I can't afford those things. With ESA, it's going to
26:23empower families like me, regardless of income, where you from, your zip code you live in, to
26:31choose educational opportunities that fits best for their children. I want to say thank
26:36you to the lawmakers for fighting, for standing up, for voting, for the parents who showed
26:44up countless amount of times, who sat till 12 a.m. during hearings, who were bashed. Oh,
26:52I'm about to cry, y'all. We went through a lot. We've been through a lot. And so I say thank
26:59you to everybody who showed up today. And thank you, Governor, for pushing this. Thank y'all.
27:07That's it.
27:17Good job.
27:21Well, thank everybody here. God has blessed this day, no doubt.
27:26God bless you all. God bless Texas. It is now time to celebrate.
27:31Thank you, sir.
27:43Thank you, sir.