THE GOOD NEWS OF SCHOOL CHOICE: The Uncompromising Journey of Pastor Kyev Tatum — Texas’ School Choice Pioneer and Champion for Justice.

THE GOOD NEWS OF SCHOOL CHOICE: The Uncompromising Journey of Pastor Kyev Tatum — Texas’ School Choice Pioneer and Champion for Justice. https://youtu.be/KcLmf6Mz9dA?si=z2GfUXPdKGFP7WLx

For more than three decades, Pastor Kyev Tatum has stood as one of Texas’ most unshakable truth-tellers and most visionary champions for educational freedom. Long before school choice became a political flashpoint, Pastor Tatum was already in the trenches—building programs, founding schools, empowering families, and challenging systems that failed the children who needed the most support. He has walked boldly into rooms where others remained silent. He has spoken truth where others backed away. And he has done it all with one mission in mind: to empower parents—the first teachers, the frontline protectors, and the essential partners in building stronger children and stronger communities.

A Pioneer Before the Movement Had a Name

Part 1: https://youtu.be/psaFzCK5aXE?si=AbCW2jlokkziYxao

Part 2: https://youtu.be/pyRBaGpZgvA?si=j09lcLtxF9igqMul

In 1992, as a young university coordinator and community activist, Kyev Tatum joined forces with university students, civil rights organizers, and local churches to create ROOTS—Rearing Our Own To Succeed. ROOTS was more than an after-school program; it was a revival of purpose. Within one year, it grew so rapidly that it could no longer fit inside the church that housed it.

On November 17, 1993, Tatum walked into what most people saw as an abandoned military barracks once attached to the old San Marcos Colored School. But he saw something different:

A place where elders and children could learn together.

A place where history could be redeemed.

A place where dignity could rise.

Two years later, on September 15, 1995, the Willie Mae Mitchell Community Opportunity Center opened its doors. It quickly became a pillar of the Dunbar community—innovative, award-winning, rooted in culture, faith, and academic empowerment.

Founder of the First Charter School in San Marcos, Texas

In June 2000, Pastor Tatum led a team to establish Texas Preparatory School, the first charter school in San Marcos. Opening its doors in 2001, Texas Prep became the embodiment of school choice before most Texans had ever heard the phrase. His leadership was so widely respected that in 2003, he was appointed by Governor Rick Perry as the youngest and first charter school representative to serve on the Education Service Center Region XIII Executive Board in Austin—a groundbreaking milestone in Texas education.

 

A Truth-Teller Who Will Not Bow to Pressure

Throughout his 30+ years of service, Pastor Tatum has spoken truth to power—never with resentment, but always with clarity and conviction. His advocacy has brought political controversy, particularly from local leaders who resisted change. At times, he was targeted, labeled, attacked, and even sued for daring to demand better outcomes for Black children in Fort Worth.

Yet he never retreated.

He never changed his message.

He never stopped fighting for families.

Even when those attacks limited his ability to financially support his family, Pastor Tatum refused to abandon the children trapped in underperforming schools.

And now—after decades of advocacy—the Texas Education Agency has intervened and taken over Fort Worth ISD, validating what Pastor Tatum had warned for twenty years:

the system was failing, and reform was overdue.

The Birth of the “Give Mama The Money” Crusade

In 2025, Texas passed the largest school choice bill in the nation—a billion-dollar Education Freedom Accounts (ESA) program. For Pastor Tatum, this was not political victory; it was a moral breakthrough.

Now he is leading a statewide movement to ensure Black, Brown, rural, urban, and working-class families understand how to access these funds. His rallying cry is simple, righteous, and unforgettable:

“Give Mama the Money.”

Because parents—not systems—are best positioned to choose the safest, strongest, and most suitable schools for their children.

A New Frontier: Faith-Based Microscools and Community Innovation

Today, Pastor Tatum is working alongside school choice pioneers to establish faith-based microschools in Black churches and underserved neighborhoods. His goal is bold but attainable:

to build a new educational ecosystem rooted in culture, faith, literacy, opportunity, and hope.

ENDORSEMENTS FROM RESPECTED LEADERS

Alice Patterson

Justice at the Gate — San Antonio, Texas

“There is no other leader in Texas who understands the needs of inner-city kids and has the relationships with Black pastors and churches across the state than Pastor Kyev Tatum.”

“He is, without a doubt, the most passionate and articulate voice in the State for inner-city Mamas and their children who need funds to choose safe and excellent schools.”

“I first met him when he founded the first charter school in San Marcos. I’ve watched him respected at the Capitol, and I’ve seen him mobilize Black pastors to make their voices heard.”

“It is my honor to endorse Rev. Kyev Tatum in his School Choice Crusade across Texas. It’s time to Give Mama the Money.”

Allan E. Parker

Attorney & President

The Justice Foundation

“It has been my great honor to work with Pastor Kyev Tatum since the 1990s. He understands the legal, moral, and social power of school choice—and he practices it.”

“He founded a charter school, fought to reform public education, and stands as one of the strongest advocates against racial discrimination in Texas schools.”

“He is respected across the Black community, trusted across political lines, and influential among churches, community leaders, and legislators.”

“I highly recommend Pastor Kyev Tatum for any role advancing the cause of school choice.”

A Leader for This Moment

Pastor Kyev Tatum is not new to this work. He is not a latecomer to the movement. He is not a talker who avoided the trenches.

He is a pioneer.

A builder.

A truth-teller.

A servant leader.

A champion for parents and children.

And today, as Texas opens a new chapter in educational freedom, Pastor Tatum stands ready—equipped with history, credibility, courage, and conviction—to help every parent understand the opportunity before them.

Because he knows: When you give Mama the money, you give the child a future.

To book a Give Mama The Money Crusade, please contact 817-966-7624, kptatum1@gmail.com for assistance.