Putting Children First is working with Democratic legislators, including Rep. Ron Wilson in Houston, Rep. Glen Lewis in Fort Worth, Domingo Garcia in Dallas, and Henry Cuellar in Laredo, to open up choice opportunities for all schoolchildren in Texas. The group is pushing a legislative agenda that would bring school choice to the 575,000 students currently attending low-performing schools in Texas. The remaining 300 will be distributed in two lotteries to students who have never before attended a private school. Applications for the scholarships were distributed in mid-January, following a meeting with principals from 35 private schools. The early date for the first lottery was made necessary by early application deadlines for some of the schools.
Students are eligible only for one lottery.
Those changes are detailed in a February 11 Education Week article by Jeff Archer. The scholarship program had two goals, according to Tom Carroll, executive director of A Better Choice, which distributes the Gilder money. Giffen's enrollment has fallen, as one hundred students previously enrolled there took up the scholarship offer from A Better Choice. In addition, the new principal has implemented a series of initiatives designed to improve teaching methods, emphasize student discipline, and help students with homework. It's no longer a principle.