Julio Fuentes and Tammy Olivas on school choice and Hispanic outreach

Julio Fuentes and Tammy Olivas join Panorama to talk with Gil and Luis about the critical issue of K-12 education. Julio and Tammy cover what school choice looks like in Florida and Wisconsin respectively, how they respond to common arguments around school choice, how they reach out to the Hispanic community, and also offer their insights as to why the Hispanic dropout rate is so high. Afterwards, Gil and Luis share their reactions and discuss similarities between country music and Latin genres.

About the guests:
Julio A. Fuentes is President and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FSHCC). Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the Step Up for Students’ Governance Board, the Board of Directors for Florida Kidcare, Chairman of Latin CEO, appointed by Former Gov. Charlie Crist as the Commissioner for A Blueprint for Juvenile Justice Reform, served on Gov. Rick Scott’s Education Transition Team, and appointed by former Presidential Candidate Gov. Mitt Romney’s Education Policy Committee. In addition, Florida Trend Magazine ranked Mr. Fuentes as one of Florida’s 100 Most Influential Leaders.  Mr. Fuentes resides in Wellington, Florida with his wife and two kids, Nicholas and Gabriella. 

Tammy Olivas is the outreach director of Hispanics for School Choice, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based advocacy organization that serves Hispanic families by informing them of their educational options and advocating for parents’ right to choose the school that best fits their needs. Under her leadership, Hispanics for School Choice has expanded its grassroots efforts throughout Wisconsin. In addition to her work in education, Olivas serves as consultant for the Institute of the Mexicans Abroad and is a Board Member of the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation.