October 19, 2016 5:09 PM

Many Texas Tea Party leaders not on board with Patrick about school choice

Some staunch conservatives call school choice legislation a threat to freedom and “the mother of all public/private partnerships that will be the demise of education in America”

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick may be carrying the most serious firepower yet in his crusade to advance “school choice,” but he may not be joined by some of his staunchest conservative allies.

This week’s Texas House Public Education Committee hearing underscored the fact that school choice advocates are committed to the long game this coming session, putting resources and staff in play well ahead of January. The biggest addition may be Randan Steinhauser of Texans for Education Opportunity.

Steinhauser, who specializes in “non-profit and corporate marketing, branding, and strategic communications,” told lawmakers that she spoke for thousands of mothers who could not make it to the Capitol to advocate for their children. Texas has 120,000 on a waiting list for charter schools, and up to 100,000 seats available in Texas private schools, the PR expert said.

“The demand is there. The supply is there,” Steinhauser told the Public Education panel. “The only thing standing in the way of parents having access to these options is government. I would argue when we empower parents with school choice, they are the ones best able to make decisions for their child.”

Meantime, Patrick faces opposition from some of the same conservatives who were among his biggest allies during previous education fights.

By Kimberly Reeves