A CALLING FOR ALL WITH SCHOOL CHOICE: How Pastor Kyev Tatum Pioneered School Choice Advocacy in Texas

A CALLING FOR ALL WITH SCHOOL CHOICE: How Pastor Kyev Tatum Pioneered School Choice Advocacy in Texas.

Introduction

As Texas undergoes profound demographic shifts, the need for bold and innovative education reform has never been more urgent. In the 1990s, Dr. Steve Murdock, Texas’s first official state demographer, and Dr. Jim Scheurich, a leading scholar on systemic racism in education, warned that failing to address systemic inequities in public schools would have dire consequences for Texas’ future. Their research predicted that by 2025, Texas would be a majority-minority state, with Black and Latino students making up a significant portion of the public school population.

Despite these warnings, policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels largely ignored the need for structural change in public education. In response, Pastor Kyev Tatum emerged as a pioneering school choice advocate in the 1990’s, recognizing that without radical change, majority minority public schools would continue to suffer under a failing system.

A Call to Action: The Rise of a School Choice Advocate

Pastor Kyev Tatum’s advocacy for school choice was not just about education, it was about justice, economic mobility, and equal opportunity. Early in his career, while serving as a student assistant at Tarleton State University in 1985 in Stephenville, Texas, under the mentorship of President Dr. Barry B. Thompson, Tatum learned the value of humanity and the importance of ensuring that every individual has access to a rewarding education. This formative experience deeply influenced his later work, reinforcing his commitment to advocating for policies that empower families with alternatives to failing public schools.

Motivated by the research of Dr. Murdock and Dr. Scheurich, as well as his own firsthand observations of educational inequities, Pastor Tatum championed policies such as:

• School Vouchers: Empowering families to use state funds for private or alternative educational options.

• Charter Schools: Expanding access to innovative, high-performing schools outside the traditional district system.

• Parental Choice: Restoring the power of choice to parents, ensuring that low-income and minority families have the opportunity to select quality education for their children.

• Education Savings Accounts gives participants access to funds to cover private school expenses.

He understood that without access to high-quality education, robust literacy programs, and equitable resources, generations of Black and Latino students would continue to be left behind.

Texas as a Majority-Minority State. 

Dr. Murdock projected that by 2025, Texas would be a majority-minority state where non-Hispanic white residents make up less than half the population. This demographic shift, he argued, would have far-reaching implications for education, workforce development, and economic stability.

Similarly, Dr. Scheurich’s work on white discourse and systemic racism in education highlighted the structural barriers that disproportionately impact Black and Latino students. He emphasized an urgent need for equitable education policies to bridge the disparities in literacy, resources, and opportunities for historically marginalized communities.

The Current State of Education.

As of 2025, the large majority of Black students in Texas public schools are not reading at grade level—a crisis that validates the concerns raised in the 1990s. This statistic is more than just a number; it represents a systemic failure that undermines the future of our workforce and the economic vitality of Texas.

Key challenges include:

• Literacy Gaps: Persistent disparities in reading proficiency that put minority students at a disadvantage.

• Inequitable Funding: A stark contrast in resources between majority minority public schools and their wealthier counterparts.

• Workforce Readiness: A generation of students at risk of entering adulthood without the essential literacy skills needed for higher education or employment.

Lack of school choice options and funding.

For policymakers, educators, and community leaders, these challenges underscore the urgent need for comprehensive, systemic reform.

The Consequences of Inaction

The warnings of Dr. Murdock and Dr. Scheurich should have served as a catalyst for transformative change, yet their research was largely ignored by decision-makers. Pastor Tatum’s early advocacy for school choice in the 1990s was a direct response to this inaction, an effort to ensure that students in majority minority public schools would not be trapped in a failing system. His work remains a powerful reminder that without decisive reform, the education crisis in Texas will continue to widen the gap between opportunity and achievement.

A Movement for the Future

The lesson is clear: demographic shifts require corresponding policy shifts. If Texas fails to act, the state will face economic instability, workforce shortages, and deepening generational inequities in education.

Pastor Kyev Tatum’s leadership in the school choice movement was never just about policy, it was about justice. It was about ensuring that every child, regardless of ZIP code or socioeconomic background, has access to a quality education. His early call to action in 1991 should serve as a rallying cry for all who believe in educational freedom and equality in Texas and beyond.

For policymakers, this is an opportunity to enact bold, transformative reforms that safeguard the future of Texas.

For educators, it is a call to advocate for the resources, innovation, and policies necessary to empower every student.

For community leaders, it is a reminder that education is a shared responsibility, one that is essential for the wellbeing and prosperity of our communities.

The time for action is now.