Signed the "hold harmless" letter sent to TEA to encourage them to extend the hold harmless for the entire 2020-2021 school year due to COVID. Wrote letter to Governor/TEA asking for STAAR to be postponed for the 2020-2021 school year. Sponsored: SB1776 (Relating to the inclusion of an elective course on the founding principles of the United States in the curriculum for public high school students and the posting
of the founding documents of the United States in public school buildings). Authored: HB159 (Training for all educators on how to better serve disabled students). Authored: HB1776 (creates an elective course on founding documents and requires schools to post the founding documents in their buildings). Authored: HB2554 (related to the operation by a school district of a vocational education program to provide eligible
high school students with vocational and educational training under a graduation plan and the application of certain student-based allotments under the public school finance system). Co-Authored: HB2557 (School security volunteer program in certain counties). Co-Authored: HB3979 ("Banning critical race theory" bill). Co-Authored: HB4042 (Relating to requiring public school students to participate in interscholastic athletic
activities based on biological sex). Co-authored: HB764 (Reducing STAAR testing for public school students). Voted yes - HB1080 (participation in UIL for students who receive mental health services). Voted no - HB1133 (Relating to an election to revoke a county equalization tax imposed in certain counties). Voted yes - HB1147 (Relating to military readiness for purposes of the indicators of achievement under the public
school accountability system and the college, career, or military readiness outcomes bonus under the Foundation School Program). Voted no - HB1252 (Related to the limitation period for filing a complaint and requesting a special education impartial due process hearing). Voted yes - HB1468 (Public school remote learning programs). Voted yes - HB1525 (HB3 cleanup bill). Voted yes - HB159 (Training for all educators
on how to better serve disabled students). Voted yes - HB1603 (Ends sunset dates for IGCs). Absent for vote - HB189 (Relates to severance payments to a superintendent or administrator in an open-enrollment charter school). Voted yes - HB2256 (Creates a bilingual sped program for students with disabilities). Voted no - HB2287 (Relating to data collection and receipt of certain reports by and consultation with the
Collaborative Task Force on Public School Mental Health Services). Voted yes - HB2519 (Composition of SBEC, issuance of sanctions by the board, requiring a school district to notify a teacher regarding the submission of complaints to SBEC). Voted yes - HB2681 (Elective courses on the study of the Bible offered to public school students). Absent for vote - HB2721 (Prohibiting a student from participating in future
extracurricular activities for certain conduct involving the assault of an extracurricular activity official). Voted yes - HB2802 (Administration of certain public school assessments and the temporary suspension of accountability during a school year in which public school operations are disrupted as a result of a declared disaster and the requirement to use those instruments for promotion or graduation). Absent for vote-
HB3261 (Electronic administration of tests, measures to support internet connectivity for purposes of the test, the adoption and administration of optional interim tests, the review and use of the instructional materials and technology allotment, and requests for production of instructional materials). Voted yes - HB3456 (Inclusion of funds received by certain educational institutions or programs in foundation school program
funds for purposes of certain budget reductions). Voted yes - HB3489 (Development of guidelines for the use of digital devices in public schools and a school district or open enrollment charter school policy for the effective integration of those devices). Absent for vote - HB3597 (Relating to policies, procedures, and measures for school safety in public schools). Voted no - HB3643 (Creates a Texas Commission on Virtual
Education). Voted no - HB3731 (Relating to public school accountability ratings, including interventions and sanctions administered to a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or district or school campus assigned an unacceptable performance rating. (HISD takeover bill)). Voted yes - HB 3932 (Relating to the establishment of the State Advisory Council on Educational Opportunity for Military Children). Voted yes -
HB3979 (critical race theory bill #1). Voted no - HB41 (Relating to class size limits for prekindergarten classes provided by or on behalf of public schools). Voted yes - HB41 (Relating to class size limits for prekindergarten classes provided by or on behalf of public schools). Voted yes - HB4124 (Relating to student enrollment in certain special-purpose districts and the allotment under the public school finance system for
those districts). Voted yes - HB4509 (Relating to instruction on informed American patriotism in public schools and study of the Founding documents of Texas and the United States). Voted yes - HB4545 (Relating to the assessment of public school students, the establishment of a strong Foundations grant program, and providing accelerated instruction for students who fail to achieve satisfactory performance on certain
assessment instruments. (Bill used to include increasing commissioner powers, now just is about tutoring). Voted yes - HB547 (Would allow homeschooled students to participate in UIL activities on public school campuses). Voted yes - HB572 (Relating to the inclusion of students enrolled in a dropout recovery school as students at risk of dropping out of school for purposes of compensatory, intensive, and accelerated
instruction and to a study by the Texas Education Agency on competency-based educational programs). Voted yes - HB690 (Relating to training requirements for a member of the board of trustees of an independent school district). Voted yes - HB699 (Relating to public school attendance requirements for students diagnosed with or undergoing related treatment for severe or life-threatening illnesses). Voted yes - HB725
(Relating to the eligibility of certain children who are or were in foster care for free prekindergarten programs in public schools). Voted yes - HB750 (Relating to requiring a school district to post the district's employment policy on the district's Internet website). Absent for vote - HB764 (Reducing STAAR testing for public school students). Voted yes - HB773 (Includes CTE students as a student achievement subpop for
accountability). Voted yes - HB785 (Relating to behavior improvement plans and behavioral intervention plans for certain public school students and notification and documentation requirements regarding certain behavior management techniques). Voted yes - HB999 (Exempts kids from testing requirements for 2021, allows IGCs for all 5 tests rather than 3). Voted yes - SB1063 (Relating to courses in personal financial
literacy & economics for high school students in public schools). Voted yes - SB1095 (Relating to notice regarding the availability to public school students of college credit and work-based education programs and subsidies for fees paid to take certain advanced placement tests. (Let students know these programs exist)). Voted yes - SB1109 (Relating to requiring public schools to provide instruction and materials and
adopt policies relating to the prevention of child abuse, family violence, and dating violence). Voted yes - SB123 (Relating to instruction in positive character traits and personal skills in public schools). Voted no - SB1267 (Relating to continuing education and training requirements for educators and other school district personnel). Voted yes - SB1351 (Relating to the donation of food by public school campuses). Voted
yes - SB1356 (Relating to the participation by members of nonprofit teacher organizations in a tutoring program for public school students and related retirement benefits for certain tutors participating in the program). Did not vote - SB1365 (Relating to public school organization, accountability, and fiscal management. (HISD takeover bill)). Voted yes - SB1590 (Relating to rules by the State Board for Educator Certification
regarding virtual observation options for field-based experiences and internships required for educator certification). Voted yes - SB168 (Relating to emergency school drills and exercises conducted by public schools). Voted yes - SB1696 (Relating to establishing a system for the sharing of information regarding cyber attacks or other cybersecurity incidents occurring in schools in this state). Voted yes - SB1696 (Relating
to establishing a system for the sharing of information regarding cyber attacks or other cybersecurity incidents occurring in schools in this state). Voted yes - SB1697 (Relating to allowing parents and guardians to elect for a student to repeat or retake a course or grade). Did not vote - SB1716 (Relating to a supplemental special education services and instructional materials program for certain public school students
receiving special education services). Voted no - SB179 (Relating to the use of public school counselors' work time). Voted yes - SB1831 (Relating to the punishment for trafficking of persons, online solicitation of a minor, and prostitution and to the dissemination of certain information, including the required printing of certain signs, regarding human trafficking; increasing criminal penalties; providing a civil penalty). Voted
yes - SB1955 (Relating to exempting learning pods from certain local government regulations). Voted no - SB2050 (Relating to bullying and cyberbullying in public schools). Voted yes - SB2066 (Relating to emergent bilingual students in public schools). Voted no - SB2081 (Relating to class size limits for prekindergarten classes provided by or on behalf of public schools). Voted yes - SB226 (Relating to instruction in
educator training programs regarding digital learning, virtual learning, and virtual instruction). Voted yes - SB279 (Relating to the inclusion of suicide prevention information on certain student ID cards issued by a public school or public institution of higher education). Voted yes - SB289 (Relating to excused absences from public school for certain students to obtain a driver's license or learner license). Voted no - SB338
(Relating to the adoption of uniform general conditions for building construction projects entered into by school districts and the composition of the committee that reviews uniform general conditions). Voted yes - SB348 (Related to parent access to public school virtual instruction and instructional materials for virtual and remote learning). Voted yes - SB369 (Requiring students to submit a FAFSA application as a condition
for graduation). Voted yes - SB462 (Relating to funding under the transportation allotment for transporting meals and instructional materials to students during a declared disaster). Voted yes - SB481 (Relating to the transfer of certain public school students to a school district offering in person instruction). Voted no - SB560 (Relating to developing a strategic plan for the improvement and expansion of high-quality
bilingual education.). Voted yes - SB746 (Relating to requiring the parent of a student enrolled in a school district to provide and update a parent's contact information). Voted yes - SB776 (Relating to the creation of an inclusive sports program by the University Interscholastic League to provide students with intellectual disabilities access to team sports). Did not vote - SB797 (Relating to the display of the national motto
in public schools and institutes of higher education). Voted yes - SB801 (Relating to the development of an agriculture education program for public elementary schools). Voted yes - SB1776 (Relating to the inclusion of an elective course on the founding principles of the United States in the curriculum for public high school students and the posting of the founding documents of the United States in public school buildings).
SPECIAL SESSION 2: Voted yes - SB3 (Relating to civics training programs for certain public school social studies teachers and principals, parental access to certain learning management systems, and certain curriculum in public schools, including certain instructional requirements and prohibitions). Voted yes - SJR2 (Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the
amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead). SPECIAL SESSION 3:
Voted yes - SB1 (Relating to an increase in the amount of the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district and the protection of school districts against the resulting loss in local revenue). Voted yes - SJR2 (Proposing a constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes). Voted yes - HB160
(Relating to making supplemental appropriations for education initiatives, institutions, and related agencies and giving direction regarding appropriations). Voted yes - HB25 (Relating to requiring public school students to compete in interscholastic athletic competitions based on biological sex). SURVEY RESPONSES 2022: WHAT IS BROKEN? I do believe that when parents are thrown out of school board meetings for
voicing concerns and the federal government is sending the message that parents expressing concern are domestic terrorists, something is horribly wrong. However, these are isolated cases and are not remotely similar to the way parents are treated in any of the 30 ISD?s in my House district. Separately, I believe the system has been broken by a model that forces teachers to teach to a test and puts all of the academic
performance measures in a very flawed STAAR test. We need to move away from that and get back to the basics of education. TOP 3 PRIORITIES: End teaching to a test. End A-F. (EDITOR'S NOTE - this references school ratings, not individual grades). Continue funding in HB3 (86R) that gives schools the resources they need. SCHOOL FUNDING: In a perfect world where we can look into a crystal ball and know
the future revenues that the state will bring in, I?d love to see an increase in education funding. But, since that isn?t the case, I think an achievable goal in the near future is to continue the increases that were put into place through HB3 in the 86th Session. SCHOOL CHOICE: I think we already have school choice through the systems we have in place currently. I do not support vouchers. EVALUATING SCHOOLS: I think
TEA can assess the academic achievement of schools without relying entirely on one test by combining local assessments with simple benchmark testing. IGCs: I think it is a move in the right direction in that it returns some control back to the local level. A-F CAMPUS EVALUATION: Ineffective, for one, because a school who is on-target gets a C. Any parent who is evaluating which ISD to move into who sees that a
school has a C will think that it is under-performing when it actually isn?t. ATTRACTING/RETAINING TEACHERS: All of the ISD?s in HD8 are small to mid-sized and they all have an extremely difficult time recruiting good teachers because they cannot compete with suburban school pay. I am a proponent of providing incentives for teachers who choose small to midsize or underperforming schools at the state level.
COLAS: At least every 5 years. TRS CARE: Overturn the ACA at the federal level and bring competition back to the market. Remove state boundaries for insurance carriers so more carriers can participate. TRS RETIREMENT: Defined benefit because the State made a promise to teachers and we should do everything we can to keep that promise. REPRESENTING ALL CONSTITUENTS: I?ve lived nearly all of my life in
my district. I?m raising my family here. When I vote, I do so with the best interest of the district top of mind. RESOURCES FOR GAINING INFO ABOUT PUBLIC ED: Relationships that I have with local teachers, parents, school board members and administrators. OTHER COMMENTS: Undoubtedly, we have much work to do to ensure Texas provides the very best education possible to its children. We won?t always agree
on how that is best accomplished, but an open dialogue and willingness to acknowledge and address problem areas on both sides is crucial. When it comes to education policy, I will continue to rely on those at the local level who are closest to the students to help guide me in making decisions. Those people are the parents and the educators in my district.
Information: supports more funding for schools. Improving public education and supporting teachers and retired teachers is a top priority. We need to look at every avenue, including school finance reform and tax restructuring to ensure we increase funding and the bulk
of those funds are going to teachers and the classroom. Priorities are fully funding schools, taking care of retired teachers by maintaining the TRS system, and focusing on more vocational training. Does not support a voucher program. Believes we should have a cap in
class size so as not to overburden teachers. We need a better testing and accountability system with teacher input. The current system is unfair and punitive and forces teachers to teach to the test. We need to focus on meeting individual needs of students. Does not
support tying teacher evaluations to test scores. Wants local control for failing schools. TRS should be actuarially sound and we need to ensure we have high quality benefits for retired teachers. Supports keeping the defined benefit for TRS. Co-authored legislation:
HB3 - Relating to public school finance and public education. Co-sponsored legislation: SB12 (State contribution to TRS); SB29 (taxpayer funded lobbying). Voted yes - HB3. Voted yes - HB 18 (student mental health services). Voted no - HB102 (mentor teachers). Voted
yes - HB953 (TRS contributions). Voted yes - SB12 (TRS contributions). Voted yes - SB29 (taxpayer funded lobbying). Grade from Project Educo: C. From website: "As a product of our schools and the father of three local school boys, Cody knows that education is critical
for our rural community. We know how best to educate our kids, not bureaucrats in Austin. That?s why he supports increased local control and proper funding for our classrooms - so our students and teachers have the resources they need to excel. He opposes a
statewide private school voucher program that could weaken our local schools and send our tax dollars to private Islamic schools in the big cities."
PROTECT RURAL SCHOOLS As a product of our schools and the father of three local school boys, Cody knows that education is critical for our rural community. We know how best to educate our kids, not bureaucrats in Austin. That?s why he supports increased local control and proper funding for our classrooms - so our students and teachers have the resources they need to excel. Cody serves on the important House Public Education Committee that oversees public schools in the state of Texas. He opposes a statewide private school voucher program that could weaken our local schools and send our tax dollars to private Islamic schools in the big cities.
2025
Voted FOR Vouchers (SB 2)
Voted against the amendment to remove vouchers from HB 1 (pro-voucher vote, special session 4 - 2023)
Voted For SB 763 - Allows schools to employ Chaplains without any degree or certifications
Voted FOR HB 3708 - $1500 Allotment per UIL Activity for each non enrolled student to allow them to participate in UIL activities
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