Survey Responses: WHAT IS BROKEN? Insinuating that our school system is broken as an insult to all public school teachers. Our schools are not broken but they are underfunded, and the solution is to substantially increase funding and resources, and ensure that our teachers are properly compensated. PRIORITIES: My most immediate concern is teacher retention. We must compensate teachers appropriately, and provide them with a high standard of living that honors the public service they commit themselves to. Additionally, I would push for additional funding from the state into the public education system, and alleviate the burden experienced by property tax payers. All students deserve a quality education, regardless of the zip code they may live in. Finally, I will push against any and all voucher schemes that take public funds out of public schools. We need to hold charter schools to the same accountability standards of public schools. I will strive to be a vocal and effective advocate for public education, teachers, and students during my time as a state representative. FUNDING: Public education funding should substantially increase to meet the changing needs of our time. Our school districts are woefully underfunded, and we are falling behind nationally and globally. FINDING THE MONEY: For starters, we need to put the vast majority of the Texas lottery?s revenue into education, as it was intended. When 3/4s of the revenue isn?t going to improve our schools, then something is drastically wrong. The state should pay a higher percentage of the public education budget, and the onus shouldn?t be on property tax payers. Texas has a nearly $20 billion budget surplus in this cycle. We should use some of those funds to adequately fund public education rather than wasting them on politicians? pet projects like the border wall. VOUCHERS/CHARTERS: Public funds must remain in public schools, and any type of voucher scheme would only act as a disservice to our public school teachers, and underserved school districts. If public funds will go to public charter schools, we must hold charters to the same level of accountability and transparency as public schools. EVALUATING PUBLIC SCHOOLS: We should integrate elements of the TSTA-backed community schools model that takes the context of a school district?s performance into account. Not all communities are the same or need the same things. We need to help our students and teachers improve, not rely exclusively on standardized test scores in evaluating schools. IGCs: Standardized testing should not be the be-all, end-all of K-12 education, and we must strive to give our students an all-encompassing education. IGC committees allow for students to receive their diplomas if they meet a high level of criteria, without the need of passing an end-of-course standardized exam. We need to implement IGC committees indefinitely in Texas. A-F CAMPUS EVALUATION: A-F district and school grading is not an effective method of evaluation. It incentivizes teachers and administrators to teach to the standardized tests these grades are often based on. ATTRACTING/RETAINING TEACHERS: We need teacher pay and benefits that reflect the hard, community-focused work they provide. We need an immediate increase to the amount of funding provided by the state School boards and administrators should stand by our classroom teachers when they come under attack by radicalized parents pushing their personal agendas on our public education system. Teachers are professionals and should be accorded the same respect those in other professions receive. COLAs: Retired teachers deserve a COLA for their retirement pension at least every five years. As it stands, we have not seen an adjustment in over ten years, and we cannot pretend an occasional thirteenth check fixes the issue. TRS CARE: We must fix the systemic issues associated with TRS Care, and ensure that our retired teachers receive above adequate healthcare. We need to fight to properly fund it continuously. TRS RETIREMENT: I support it remaining as a secure, defined benefit plan. Transitioning over to a 401 k type plan will put retired teachers at too much risk, and they need certainty and dignity during their retirement. REPRESENTING ALL CONSTITUENTS: When I served on Euless City Council, I was the only Democrat on the seven-member council. Despite this, my colleagues elected me to serve as Mayor Pro Tem, and be a voice of our body. They chose me because I was willing to work with anyone and everyone, as long as it aided in the betterment of our city and community. That philosophy has served me well, and I look forward to bringing a similar attitude to Austin. RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION ON PUBLIC EDUCATION: School administration, especially local superintendents, are my go-to source for the overarching issues affecting public education. They are a wealth of information about the subject, and view it from a macro and micro perspective, which is necessary to get a full picture of the issues at hand. I will also lean on various public education PACs and unions that will add wider perspectives and facts to help me articulate the issue better and pass legislation to help provide a better education to young Texans. OTHER COMMENTS: I will be a firm and effective advocate for public education in the state legislature. I am the only candidate in this race, with elected and legislative experience, and I am uniquely qualified to hit the ground running on day one. My door will always be open to teachers, school administrators, and public education advocates, and I will not shy away from my duty to fight for a better education for all students in HD-92. ATPE survey responses: PRIORITIES: I will push to increase teacher pay, benefits, and TRS. We desperately need representation that honors the work of our public school teachers and staff, and I will stand firmly in support of any legislation that accurately rewards them for the work they do for our collective communities. I will additionally fight for universal pre-K, additional funding for underserved school districts, and an end to all pass/fail standardized testing in Texas. I hope to be a loud voice for the rights of teachers across District 92. FUNDING: HB 3 did a lot to improve and enhance public school funding, including a drastic increase to the amount of funding per student in Texas public schools. However, more must and can be done. We need additional increases to teacher compensation, without any ties to merit programs. We are already dealing with a teacher shortage in our state, and that won't improve until compensation matches the new challenges the average teacher faces on a day to day basis. TRS CARE: Medicaid expansion will be one of the first reforms I push for, if elected. We have far too many uninsured and underinsured Texans in the state, and we could easily cover hundreds of thousands of Texans with a Medicaid expansion. We must also seek to protect our teachers, and other public employees, healthcare plans and strengthen their benefits. TRS RETIREMENT: It should be a beefed up version of the current plan, with future benefits are guaranteed. Those benefits should be enough for retired teachers to live a good life without financial hardship after years of service to their communities. TESTING: Standardized testing should not be a factor in teacher pay or evaluations, and it shouldn't be a barrier to graduation for students. Standardized testing can be used as a barometer for a student's progress, in addition to their performance over the course of the academic year, but should never be used as a deciding factor. We are teaching our children to be productive members of society, not the most proficient test-takers. VOUCHERS: No. Public funds must remain in public schools, and any type of voucher scheme would only act as a disservice to our public school teachers, and underserved school districts. Additionally, public schools are overseen by the state, and sending that money to independent charter or private schools would remove any such oversight from the equation. PROF. ORG DUES PAYROLL DEDUCTION: I firmly support the continued existence of ATPE and other organized labor groups, and I support teachers' right to have dues deducted from their personal paycheck. I am a firm supporter of unions, and will oppose any and all right-to-work legislation that comes before me. CHARTERS: I do not believe in the further expansion of independent charter schools in Texas. I see magnate schools within ISDs as potentially beneficial, but only if they receive the same oversight traditional public schools receive. Additionally, I am fully opposed to any and all private voucher scheme that would divert public funds away from public schools. VIRTUAL SCHOOL: Virtual education has been of great use during the COVID pandemic, as it has drastically reduced the spread of the diseases, but it shouldn't be seen as a permanent replacement to in-school learning. Students learn best surrounded by other students, and interpersonal and social skills are just as important as anything learned from a textbook. Virtual education is a good tool to be used in conjunction with in-school learning, as an emergency tool, and/or for special circumstances. ROLE OF STATE/CURRICULUM: We must trust our local school trustees and administrators to take appropriate steps in the creation of curriculum and materials. However, state oversight is necessary, and we should ensure that school districts adhere to a basic set of principles. Within reason, school districts and their representatives should have final say on the specifics and minutiae of day-to-day curriculum. EFFECTS OF PANDEMIC: Increasing teacher pay and benefits is the easiest way to assist with the hiring downturn. We additionally need to ensure that teachers are receiving pay for work done outside the classroom, especially if planning time during school hours is increasingly sacrificed in the post-COVID world. From FB, 1/25: "There is a nationwide shortage of teachers. Teachers in Texas are having to navigate teaching while going through a global pandemic that has led to our children falling behind. Instead of supporting our public schools, extremist Republicans have gotten in the way when it comes to public health and safety and the education of our children. All the distractions has made a teacher's job even more difficult. We have an obligation to support our public school teachers and fulfill the promises made in 2019 to fund their pay raises. We must resist the temptation to go backward, and fall back into the pre-2019 cycle of leaving schools with ?whatever is left? in the budget. While these are administrative issues at the State Level, we should be doing more to understand what is going on in these classrooms so that teachers feel supported and want to continue teaching for their careers." From FB 11/19: "10% of ALL American children are right here in Texas. It's about time we have an education system that values every child in Texas and equally funds every school." From FB, 10/5: "Today is World Teacher Day. Here in Texas, teachers make $0.78 for every dollar that other professionals with the same education & experience level make! And they've been hit hard during the pandemic with online school and broadband access. It's time we compensate them fairly!" From FB, 6/29: "I was raised with the belief that #education is the key to a better future. What does it say then when we slash public education funds or fail to fully fund education in the first place? We must invest in our future and our schools."
strong public SCHOOLS
Quality education is a core value in our district and constitutionally mandated in Texas.
Despite an increase in public school funding by the state of 5%, we need to work to sustain and build upon those gains. Teachers and staff need to be treated like the professionals that they are and teacher pay increases approved by the Texas Legislature in 2018 need to be funded.
The GOP leadership in Austin has a long-running poor record on preparing our children for the future by properly supporting public schools. The COVID pandemic has contributed to reducing readiness for Texas school children. I'm a firm believer and example of how much a quality education can provide upward mobility for our most precious resource.
We need to ensure that the new investments in 2018 are yielding the results we expect. We must resist the temptation to go backward, and fall back into the pre-2019 cycle of leaving schools with ?whatever is left? in the budget. We need to put more resources into schools, and we need to do it in a way that does not place an undue burden on homeowners who have covered the bill as the state has reduced its contribution to public school funding. We also need to fully fund special education, as we are required to by law; and support trade programs, community colleges, adult education and other ways to prepare the future workforce so we can not only attract employers but also be competitive with other states.
Voted for the amendment to remove vouchers from HB 1 making it purely a school finance bill (special session 4 - 2023)
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
Which of the following statements comes closest to your position on vouchers?
I am against vouchers in any form no matter what they name it. I will not vote for vouchers.
Please feel free to elaborate on your position in regards to vouchers as you see fit.
I am strongly opposed to school vouchers because of how they drain resources from public schools, because of how private schools are subject to lower levels of accountability, and because I believe public dollars stay in public places.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your position on charter schools?
Charters are necessary in some areas, but strict oversight needs to be taken to monitor them.
Please feel free to elaborate on your position in regards to charters as you see fit.
I do not believe in charter school expansion, but I do think that they can sometimes be helpful in economically deprived areas where public schools are underfunded and lacking critical resources.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your position on funding public schools?
Public schools are underfunded. The state should increase its contribution.
Please feel free to elaborate on your position in regards to public school funding as you see fit.
I am a big advocate for public education, we are blessed to live in a country where people can get far with a public education, we should maintain and further improve the quality of public education, funding is a very important area to start.
Which of the following statements comes closest to your position on funding TRS?
TRS is underfunded. The state needs to increase contribution so that Cost of Living Allowances and other needed functions can be implemented.
Please feel free to elaborate on your position in regards to TRS funding as you see fit.
We need a funding system that accounts for inflation and any other crises.
Please add any further information you believe to be pertinent. Thank you for participating!
Thank you for considering an endorsement, I would love to hear about any potential policies I can propose to help serve the interests of public education. Please feel free to contact me with suggestions.
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