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Draft: Outreach to Lieutenant Governor Patrick's Office

Subject Line Options​

  • "Christian Microschool Support Infrastructure for TEFA Year One"
  • "Offering Support for TEFA's Success in Christian Communities"
  • "Following Up from Rome AI Conference - TEFA Support Offer"

Draft Message​

Dear Lieutenant Governor Patrick,

I'm reaching out because we share a goal: making TEFA Year One a success.

I had the privilege of meeting you briefly at the Faith x AI conference in Rome this past November, at the education track. That encounter wasn't a coincidence. It confirmed something I'd been sensing: the current Texas leadership genuinely wants to see Christian education flourish, and the passage of TEFA represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

We understand the stakes. Year One determines whether TEFA expands or contracts. The 2027 legislative session will ask: Did it work? Did families benefit? Did new schools launch? We know opponents are waiting for ammunition. We don't want to give them any.

We want to help.

I'm working with Ida Villavicencio, a licensed professional counselor and certified educator with 30 years of experience across Texas public schools, charter schools, and juvenile justice settings. Her family is a dynasty of Texas educators - her father has mentored state superintendents for 40 years.

Together, we've been developing support infrastructure for Christian microschools launching under TEFA. We've already created a comprehensive Texas Christian Microschools Guide because we believe microschools - especially church-based ones - will be critical to Year One's success story.

The gap we see: Families will apply for TEFA. Churches will launch microschools. But who do they call when they have questions? When a parent shows up speaking IEP language the pastoral team doesn't understand? When they need substitute teacher networks, special ed translation, or just reassurance that they're doing this right?

There's a $1,500 special ed grant with a vendor directory of 1,000+ supports. But there's no equivalent support ecosystem specifically for the microschools that TEFA will create.

What we're offering:

  • Training for pastoral teams on education language and parent expectations
  • Special ed and mental health support infrastructure
  • Helping church-based microschools not lose families back to public school because they "don't seem to know what they're doing"
  • Speaking life into this movement and helping it succeed

We're not asking for funding or contracts. We're offering to be a parallel support system - moving at the same speed as the microschool movement, filling gaps as they emerge.

Our ask: A brief call with you or your team to understand how we can be most helpful. We want to make you and Governor Abbott look good. We want TEFA to expand, not contract. We want the Democrats and anti-school choice advocates to have nothing to run with.

If there's a working group, advisory capacity, or simply someone we should be coordinating with, we're ready.

With gratitude for your decades of work making this possible,

Gary Sheng [Contact Information]

P.S. The TEFA application window opens February 4th. Churches that want to announce to their congregations need to decide in the next 2-3 weeks. Time is of the essence.

Key Points to Emphasize​

  1. Met at Rome conference - establishes connection, not cold outreach
  2. We understand Year One stakes - shows we get the political reality
  3. We created resources already - demonstrates commitment, not just talk
  4. Gap identification - there's no microschool-specific support directory like the special ed grant has
  5. Not asking for money - offering to help, asking only for coordination
  6. Ida's credentials - 30 years, LPC, certified educator, family of educators
  7. Urgency - Feb 4 application window means churches need to decide NOW

Attachments to Include​

  • Link to Texas Christian Microschools Guide
  • Ida Villavicencio's background summary
  • One-pager on the support infrastructure vision

Notes for Refinement​

Questions for Ida:

  • Does this accurately represent what we're offering?
  • Should we mention specific services (substitute networks, help desk, etc.)?
  • Is the tone right - helpful but not pushy?

Open questions:

  • Who specifically should this go to? Patrick directly or education policy staff?
  • Should we copy anyone else (TPPF contacts, etc.)?
  • Should we reference specific churches we're already working with (Whitestone)?