Wrote letter to Governor/TEA asking for STAAR to be postponed for the 2020-2021 school year. Co-sponsored: SB797 (Relating to the display of the national motto in public schools and institutes of higher education). Statement on passage in the House of HB764, which would have scaled back STAAR testing to only the federally mandated tests: "House Bill 764 ensures Texas students are tested only as required by federal law, instead of the state of Texas imposing additional standardized tests on our students, parents and teachers. The bill eliminates any statewide test that is not federally required and eliminates end-of-course exams for high school students." Co-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). Authored: HB3430 (Establishment of a grant program for school districts or open-enrollment charter school campuses that are designated as full-service community schools). Co-Authored: HB3979 ("Banning critical race theory" bill). Authored: HB764 (Reducing STAAR testing for public school students). Voted yes - HB1080 (participation in UIL for students who receive mental health services). Voted yes - 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 yes - 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 no - HB159 (Training for all educators on how to better serve disabled students). Voted yes - HB1603 (Ends sunset dates for IGCs). Voted yes - HB189 (Relates to severance payments to a superintendent or administrator in an open-enrollment charter school). Voted no - 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). Voted yes - 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). Voted yes - 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). Voted yes - HB3597 (Relating to policies, procedures, and measures for school safety in public schools). Voted no - HB3643 (Creates a Texas Commission on Virtual Education). Voted yes - 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 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 no- 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 no - 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). Voted yes - 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 yes - 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). Voted yes - 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 - SB1697 (Relating to allowing parents and guardians to elect for a student to repeat or retake a course or grade). Voted yes - 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 yes - 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). Voted yes - 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). Sponsored: HB189 (End EOC STAAR tests). 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). From website: "Public schools are a vital part of our infrastructure in Texas. As state representative, I have worked diligently to make schools places where teachers want to teach and students want to learn. I voted uphold the state's promise to retired teachers. In the next session I will work to eliminate big-government style standardized testing and I will refile a bill to repeal the inequitable Robin Hood funding scheme that is harmful to West Texas." From FB, 1/29: "I?ve long opposed the use of STAAR as an overly expensive and inaccurate way to measure accountability. And in a school year like this, a high-stakes standardized test makes even less sense because our schools are confronted with teacher shortages and COVID-19 absenteeism. I?ve taken the concerns I?ve heard from West Texas teachers, students and parents and am elevating their voices in calling for STAAR to be suspended. And I?ll continue my fight to permanently eliminate high-stakes standardized testing as the end-all, be-all measure of accountability!" On 1/28, sent letter to TEA asking them to cancel STAAR for 2021-2022. SURVEY RESPONSES: WHAT IS BROKEN? I?m not one to blast public schools for being broken. I am the product of a public education, and I am thankful for the teachers and administrators who invested so much in me as a student. I wouldn?t be the person I am today without my public school education. However, I am not a fan of our current method of high stakes standardized testing. To fix this, I have and will continue to support legislation similar to HB 764 from the 2021 legislative session. HB 764 would have eliminated all STAAR tests that are not federally required in elementary and middle schools and removed all end-of-course exams for high school students, replacing them with post-secondary education entrance exams instead. This bill passed out of the House but did not make it out of the Senate. PRIORITIES: 1. Provide tools and resources to ensure our public schools are as safe as possible. 2. Provide education funding equity across the state at a level that ensures Texas students receive the best education in the country regardless of where they live in the state. 3. Reduce (if not eliminate) high-stakes testing. FUNDING: I feel that the legislature has taken steps in the right direction as it pertains to school finance reform, but much more work needs to be done. School funding needs to increase. FINDING THE MONEY: To increase funding for public education, I would find the additional money by reprioritizing how the state allocates existing sources of tax revenue. Texas doesn?t have a revenue problem, it has a spending priority problem. VOUCHERS/CHARTERS: On an extremely limited basis, only for students with special education needs who do not live in a school district where there is a school that can meet their educational needs. EVALUATING PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Graduation rates and reading scores are metrics I look at often. But each school and school district faces unique challenges that make apples to apples comparisons difficult, if not impossible. I prefer to take things on a case by case basis, asking: is this school utilizing all available resources to provide the highest quality education possible for its students or not? IGCs: Individual Graduation Committees are an excellent tool to evaluate student performance in a way that standardized test results cannot. I would support ending the sunset date. A-F CAMPUS EVALUATION: Evaluating schools on an A-F scale is effective because it can help identify where additional resources and support are needed in some parts of the state. It is ineffective because it demoralizes some schools that are doing miraculous things for their students despite significant challenges not faced in other parts of the state. Just because a school receives an ?F? rating does not mean they are failing their students. ATTRACTING/RETAINING TEACHERS: In 2019, I co-authored HB 3, which created the Teacher Incentive Allotment and provided $2 billion for dynamic pay raises for Texas teachers. I?ve watched Ector County ISD utilize the TIA to attract teachers from across the nation and reduce the massive teacher shortage facing the district. In 2019 and 2021, I supported legislation to provide a ?13th check? for retired Texas teachers. I?ll continue to support efforts that incentivize and reward quality teachers. COLAs: Retired teachers should have an annual COLA. TRS CARE: An annual cost of living increase would help address the rising costs in healthcare. TRS RETIREMENT: In the long-run, it's more difficult for the legislature to ensure promises made are promises kept when it comes to defined benefit plans. It makes sense for new teachers to be on a 401(k) style plan. REPRESENTING ALL CONSTITUENTS: I conduct town hall meetings in each community I represent, inviting anyone to attend, regardless of party affiliation. At least once a year, I mail out a newsletter and solicit feedback from constituents, without limiting who receives the newsletter based on anything other than who lives in my district. I take time to listen to anyone who wants to talk, regardless of how or if they are going to vote. My job is to represent the people who live and work in House District 81 in the Texas House of Representatives. When I fight for infrastructure funding or resources for local law enforcement, I am fighting for everyone, not just those who agree with my political leanings. RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION ON PUBLIC EDUCATION: Teachers, principals, school administrators, school board members, parents, and students are the most important resources for information about Texas public education. OTHER COMMENTS: Providing quality public education has always been a top priority for me as a state representative. I?m a graduate of Texas public schools, and I?m proud to say my daughter will be as well. I will always fight for Texas teachers and students because I know how important and life-changing a quality public education experience can be, and the difference it can make for the next generation of Texans. Information: first elected to the House in 2014. TPE questionnaire: Increase funding by reducing mandates and testing. Allow local districts to target which programs get additional funding. Will not rule out vouchers. Not in favor of classroom caps. Tests should be a part of teacher evaluation. Against pay floors. Non-answer about privatization of struggling schools. Does not favor higher state contribution for insurance, says should negotiate better instead. Wants promises kept to teachers in TRS, but should look at other options for future teachers. No information about issues on website. Voting Record: For reduced testing. For 149. For suicide prevention training. For increase PK funding. Against PK caps. Against home rule districts. A2017 Update: voted for HB 1776 (remove US history and promotion requirements from STAAR); voted for HB 21 (Huberty School Finance)Sponsored HB 191 (creates a commission to recommend improvements to the public school finance system, end-arounds public education committee)Sponsor HB 20 (rainy-day fund for retiree insurance). 2019 session: HB708 - relating to the payment by a school district for the purchase of attendance credits under the public school finance system. HB736 - relating to eliminating the requirement to use public school assessment instruments as a criterion for promotion or graduation or to make certain accountability determinations. HB711 - relating to certain adjustments to the taxable value of property of certain school districts and the reduction of Foundation School Program funds received by certain school districts. HB712 - relating to the repeal of provisions requiring school districts to reduce their wealth per student to the equalized wealth level. Co-authored legislation: HB3 - Relating to public school finance and public education. Co-sponsored legislation: SB12 (state contribution to TRS). Voted yes - HB3. Voted yes - HB18 (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: D.
Education: Public schools are a vital part of our infrastructure in Texas. As state representative, I have worked diligently to make schools places where teachers want to teach and students want to learn. I voted uphold the state's promise to retired teachers. In the next session I will work to eliminate big-government style standardized testing and I will refile a bill to repeal the inequitable Robin Hood funding scheme that is harmful to West Texas.
2025
Voted FOR Vouchers (SB 2)
Voted against the amendment to remove vouchers from HB 1 (pro-voucher vote, special session 4 - 2023)
Sponsored HB 1541 - up to $10,000 fine per violation for not telling a parent about mental, emotional or physical health issues and no discussions allowed about gender identity or orientation
Voted For SB 763 - Allows schools to employ Chaplains without any degree or certifications
Voted FOR the Herrero amendment to prohibit money from HB1 to be used to fund vouchers/ESAs (regular session 2023)
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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