Additional Information

First elected to the Texas House in 2016. Current term expires January 2025. *Ortega is not seeking reelection in 2024.

Endorsed in the 2022 general election by Texas Parent PAC, a pro-public education organization that advocates for adequate and equitable funding of public schools, local control, teacher quality, and the prevention of private school vouchers. She also received the same group's endorsement in the 2016 election.

Ortega ran unopposed for re-election in 2020.

In the 2018 election, Ortega was recommended favorably by Texans for Public Education, a grassroots educators' group that researched and rated candidates in the 2018 election based on their stances toward public schools.

Endorsed in the 2016 Democratic primary election by the El Paso Times editorial board.

As reported by the El Paso Times in January 2016, Ortega stated that she "wants to expand free kindergarten to all Texas four-year-olds and fully restore the $5.4 billion that was cut from public education in the 2011 legislative session. ... Also, Ortega wants the state to continue to de-emphasize high-stakes testing in public schools - a trend in the Legislature since 2013."

Related Blog Posts

• House Vote #1 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted for a budget amendment to prohibit state funds from being spent on private school vouchers. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment 45 by Rep. Abel Herrero (D–Robstown) to House Bill 1 by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R–Friendswood), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. During its April 6, 2023, debate on the budget bill, the House passed this ATPE-supported amendment banning use of state funds for a private school voucher. (Record vote #111. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The amendment passed but was later stripped out of the final budget bill.

• House Vote #2 - 2023: CURRICULUM

  Voted for a bill that incentivized school districts to require educators to teach from prepackaged statewide curriculum designed by the Texas Education Agency.

  House Bill 1605 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill incentivizes school districts to require certain educators to teach from prepackaged statewide curriculum designed by the Texas Education Agency. Read more about the bill here. On May 3, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on third reading. (Record vote #914. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a Senate version of the bill.

• House Vote #3 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted against a motion to allow the House Public Education Committee to meet for the purpose of voting on a new version of a private school voucher bill that had not been publicly vetted. The House refused to grant permission for the meeting.

  This vote taken May 10, 2023, prevented the House Public Education Committee from holding a previously unscheduled meeting to rush through a last-minute vote on a controversial voucher bill that had not been publicly vetted. Committee Chairman Brad Buckley (R–Salado) requested permission for his committee to meet while the full House was still in a floor session. Rep. Ernest Bailes (R–Shepherd) objected to the motion and called for a record vote. The vote denying permission for the committee to meet was a pivotal point in stopping the push for vouchers during the regular session. Read more about the vote here. (House Record vote #1464. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #4 - 2023: SCHOOL FUNDING

  Voted for a bill to change funding formulas for school districts and the minimum salary schedule.

  House Bill 100 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill intended to make funding formulas enrollment-based rather than attendance-based. It also called for condensing the minimum salary schedule to a three-tiered schedule covering 10 years, which ATPE opposed. On April 27, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on third reading. (Record vote #595. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Senate later added a private school voucher provision to the bill, which resulted in HB 100’s failure to pass.

• House Vote #5 - 2023: SCHOOL FUNDING

  Voted for an amendment to raise the Basic Allotment to $6,500. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment 7 by Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer (D–San Antonio) to House Bill 100 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The amendment would have increased the Basic Allotment from $6,250 to $6,500. On April 26, 2023, the House voted to reject the Martinez-Fischer amendment. (Record vote #564. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #6 - 2023: TEACHER PIPELINE

  Voted for an omnibus bill that proposed several regulatory changes and a one-time stipend of $2,000 for teachers. ATPE opposed the bill as insufficient in terms of providing a meaningful increase in educator compensation or enhancement of teachers' rights.

  Senate Bill 9 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), sponsored in the House by Rep. Harold Dutton (D–Houston), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. Marketed as a “Teacher Bill of Rights,” SB 9 proposed a one-time stipend of $2,000 for teachers and several regulatory changes affecting the education profession. Read more about the bill and ATPE’s opposition to it here. On May 23, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on second reading. (Record vote #2021. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill ultimately died in the House when it was withdrawn from consideration on third reading.

• House Vote #7 - 2023: TEACHER RECRUITMENT/RETENTION

  Voted for a bill to address teacher recruitment and retention through increased funding for incentive pay and other initiatives.

  House Bill 11 by Rep. Harold Dutton (D–Houston), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. This bill aimed to improve teacher recruitment and retention through increased funding for incentive pay and other initiatives. Read more about the bill and ATPE’s position on it here. On April 26, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on second reading. (Record vote #563. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill later died in the Senate.

• House Vote #8 - 2023: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Voted against an omnibus school safety bill that provides funding to help schools comply with safety requirements. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 3 by Rep. Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. This omnibus school safety bill provides $1.3 billion in school safety funding, calls for mental health training for school district employees, requires an armed officer at every campus, and allows the state to appoint a conservator to help school districts achieve compliance. The bill includes ATPE-recommended language limiting the scope of the conservator’s authority. On May 28, 2023, the House adopted the Conference Committee Report on HB 3, approving final passage of the bill. (Record vote #2229. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #9 - 2023: SCHOOL COUNSELORS

  Voted against a bill that removed the requirement for school counselors to have prior experience as a classroom teacher. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 798 by Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston), sponsored in the House by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill removed the requirement for school counselors to have prior experience as a classroom teacher. On May 16, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on second reading. (Record vote #1750. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill was finally passed the next day and ultimately became law.

• House Vote #10 - 2023: SCHOOL CHAPLAINS

  Voted against a bill that allows school districts to employ paid or volunteer chaplains for student counseling and support and requires school boards to adopt a policy on whether to use chaplains. ATPE opposes allowing chaplains not certified as school counselors to provide counseling services to students.

  Senate Bill 763 by Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston), sponsored in the House by Rep. Cole Hefner (R–Mount Pleasant), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill allows school districts to employ paid or volunteer chaplains to support students without requiring them to be certified or trained as school counselors. SB 763 also requires each school board to vote on whether to adopt a policy authorizing the district’s use of chaplains. On May 8, 2023, the House voted to pass its version of the bill on second reading. (Record vote #1280. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a compromise version of the bill.

• House Vote #11 - 2023: RETIREMENT

  Voted for a bill that provided a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 13th check for retired educators. ATPE supported the bill.

  Senate Bill 10 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R–Houston), sponsored in the House by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R–Friendswood), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill provides a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 13th check for retired educators. On May 28, 2023, the House voted to adopt the conference committee report on SB 10, approving final passage of the bill. (Record vote #2210. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #12 - 2023: ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION

  Voted for a bill that modified the requirements for accelerated instruction to make them less burdensome for teachers and schools. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 1416 by Rep. Keith Bell (R–Forney), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill was a clean-up for 2021’s House Bill 4545 (87-R), which required accelerated instruction for students who failed a STAAR exam. Based on feedback from teachers and school districts, HB 1416 reduced the hours of accelerated instruction required per subject and raised the teacher-student ratio to make it more manageable. On May 19, 2023, the House voted to concur in the Senate amendments to HB 1416, approving final passage of the bill. (Record vote #1873. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• House Vote #13 - 2023: LIBRARY BOOKS

  Voted against a bill establishing a rating system for and restricting certain content in school library materials.

  House Bill 900 by Rep. Jared Patterson (R–Frisco), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill requires book vendors to rate books based on sexual content and the development of additional state standards. The bill also prohibits certain materials from public school libraries and requires parental notification and consent for student access to certain other library materials. Read ATPE’s written testimony on the bill here. On April 19, 2023, the House voted to pass HB 900 on second reading. (Record Vote #334. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill was ultimately approved by both the House and Senate and became law.

• House Vote #14 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted for the Raney amendment that stripped voucher language from an omnibus education bill, thereby stopping the last attempt to pass vouchers through the Texas Legislature in 2023. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment 2 by Rep. John Raney (R–Bryan) to House Bill 1 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado), 88th Legislature, fourth called Special Session. The amendment removed voucher provisions from an omnibus education bill, effectively stopping the last attempt to pass vouchers during the 2023 legislative sessions. Read more about the amendment here. On Nov. 17, 2023, the House voted to adopt the Raney amendment. (Record vote #56. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #1 - 2021: VOUCHERS

  Voted for a budget amendment to prohibit state funds from being spent on private school vouchers. ATPE supported the amendment. 

  House Floor Amendment #84 by Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Robstown) to Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The House passed the ATPE-supported amendment during its debate on the budget bill, April 22, 2021. (Record vote #410. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #2 - 2021: SPECIAL EDUCATION

  Voted against a bill creating the "Supplemental Special Education Services" grant, which allows parents of eligible students in special education to apply for a grant of up to $1,500 for the purchase of supplemental educational services and materials.

  Senate Bill 1716 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), sponsored in the House by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill as passed by the Senate would have created a special education voucher program, which ATPE opposed, but the House removed the voucher language. On May 26, 2021, the House voted to pass its version of the bill on third reading, sending SB 1716 to the governor without objection from ATPE. (Record vote #1516. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #3 - 2021: COMPENSATION

  Voted for an amendment that would have ensured teachers could keep pay raises they had received as a result of 2019 school finance legislation. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment #14 by Rep. Chris Turner (D-Arlington) to House Bill 1525 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingsville), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 21, 2021, the House passed the ATPE-supported amendment during its floor debate on a school finance clean-up bill. (Record vote #387. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #4 - 2021: CIVICS AND CURRICULUM

  Voted against a bill that mandated changes to social studies curriculum standards, sought to ban the teaching of concepts that have been associated with "critical race theory," limited students' access to course credit for activities related to legislation, and restricted educators' discussions of controversial topics and current events in the classroom. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 3979 by Rep. Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 11, 2021, the House voted to pass the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #982. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) House Vote #5 - 2021: CIVICS AND CURRICULUM

  Voted against a bill passed during the second special session that replaced HB 3979 passed during the regular session. The bill requires the State Board of Education to change social studies curriculum standards and seeks to ban the teaching of concepts that have been associated with "critical race theory." SB 3 mandates a civics training academy for certain teachers and requires that teachers address controversial topics in an objective manner free from political bias. ATPE opposed the bill overall but supported House floor amendments that made the bill better than its predecessor, HB 3979.

  Senate Bill 3 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), sponsored in the House by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Sept. 2, 2021, the House amended and then voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #150. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal). Read more about SB 3 here.

• (Historical) House Vote #6 - 2021: HOME-SCHOOL UIL

  Voted for a bill that allows home-schooled students to participate in University Interscholastic League (UIL) activities on behalf of and at the expense of a school district without meeting the same academic requirements under "no pass, no play" rules that apply to public school students. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 547 by Rep. James Frank (R-Wichita Falls), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 13, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #1028. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) The Senate later amended HB 547, removing House provisions that would have given coaches additional authority to verify home-schooled students' academic eligibility and allowed students served by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to participate in UIL. On May 28, 2021, the House voted to concur with the Senate amendments to the bill, thereby sending a final version of HB 547 to the governor. (Record vote #1556. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) House Vote #7 - 2021: CHARTER SCHOOLS

  Was absent for the vote on a bill that expands property tax exemptions for charter schools and those who lease property to a charter school. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 3610 by Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 8, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #913. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) House Vote #8 - 2021: RETIREMENT

  Voted for a bill authorizing a one-time supplemental payment or "13th check" of up to $2,400 to TRS retirees. ATPE supported the bill.

  Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), sponsored in the House by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Aug. 30, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-supported bill on third reading. (Record vote #98. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #9 - 2021: VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

  Voted for a bill that would have expanded full-time virtual school programs statewide. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 1468 by Rep. Keith Bell (R-Forney), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 28, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #497. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) The Senate passed an amended version of HB 1468, and the bill was eventually sent to a conference committee to generate a compromise version. HB 1468 ultimately died when the House failed to vote on the conference committee report before the regular session ended.

• (Historical) House Vote #10 - 2021: VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

  Voted for a bill that expands funding and authorization for full-time virtual school programs statewide. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 15 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), sponsored in the House by Rep. Keith Bell (R-Forney), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. Based on the ATPE-opposed HB 1468 that failed to pass in the regular session, SB 15 expands state funding options for students in full-time virtual schools. On Aug. 30, 2021, the House voted to pass the bill on third reading. (Record vote #96. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #11 - 2021: ACCOUNTABILITY

  Voted for a bill that pauses accountability ratings for the 2021-22 school year, halts progressive sanctions for D- and F-rated schools once they earn a C rating, and clarifies due process protections for districts facing sanctions.

  Voted for/Voted against/Was "present not voting" on/Was absent for the vote on a bill that pauses accountability ratings for the 2021-22 school year, halts progressive sanctions for D- and F-rated schools once they earn a C rating, and clarifies due process protections for districts facing sanctions.

• (Historical) House Vote #12 - 2021: TESTING/ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION

  Voted against a bill that eliminated the STAAR passage requirement for grade promotion but requires accelerated instruction for students who failed a STAAR test. 

  House Bill 4545 by Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 28, 2021, the House voted to concur with Senate amendments to the bill, which sent a final version of HB 4545 to the governor. (Record vote #1689. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal). Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) House Vote #13 - 2021: ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION

  Voted for a bill that would have eased implementation of HB 4545, passed during the regular session, by limiting the subjects in which tutoring is required for students who failed a STAAR test and offering temporary relief from tutoring group size limits.

  House Bill 233 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Sept. 2, 2021, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #153. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal). The bill ultimately died when the Senate declined to hear it before the end of the session. Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) House Vote #1 - 2019: EDUCATION FUNDING & REFORM

  Voted for a major school finance and reform bill providing $6.5 billion in increased funding for public education and $5 billion for property tax relief.

  House Bill 3 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 3, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #159. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #2 - 2019: RETIREMENT

  Voted for an ATPE-supported educator retirement bill making the TRS pension fund sound by increasing contribution rates and authorizing a one-time 13th check for retirees.

  Senate Bill 12 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 25, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #661. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #3 - 2019: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Voted for an ATPE-supported school safety bill offering funding to implement school safety improvements and provide mental health resources.

  Senate Bill 11 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 22, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #1610. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #4 - 2019: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Voted for a floor amendment to Senate Bill 11 requiring the state to identify regional resources that schools can use to address students' mental health needs. The amendment was based on Rep. Allison's HB 4414, a bill supported by ATPE.

  House Floor Amendment #8 by Rep. Steve Allison (R-San Antonio) to Senate Bill 11 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on this school safety bill, Rep. Allison offered Floor Amendment #8 to improve mental health resources in schools. The amendment passed on May 21, 2019. (Record vote #1579. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) Procedural note: This amendment was later reconsidered and amended before being adopted by the House again. (Record vote #1600. View an official record of that subsequent vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #5 - 2019: CLASS SIZES

  Voted against a bill that would have weakened the 22:1 cap on elementary school class sizes. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 1133 by Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R-Bedford), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 9, 2019, the House voted to defeat the bill on second reading. (Record vote #1244. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #6 - 2019: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Voted for an ATPE-supported bill that would have funded and strengthened mentoring programs for teachers.

  House Bill 102 by Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 9, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #197. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) HB 102 did not get heard by the Senate, but its language was incorporated into HB 3 that did pass and become law.

• (Historical) House Vote #7 - 2019: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Voted for a bill to require certain school districts to assign properly certified teachers to students in elementary grades and prevent students from being taught by first-year teachers in consecutive years. HB 1276 would have applied to school districts with at least 5,000 students, unless the district was exempted under the District of Innovation (DOI) law or received a hardship waiver from the commissioner of education. The bill was designed to prevent students from being assigned for two consecutive school years to teachers with less than one year of experience or teachers not certified in the subject being taught as part of the foundation curriculum. Exceptions were provided for new transfer students and students whose parent or guardian consents to the placement. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 1276 by Rep. Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 25, 2019, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #746. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill ultimately died after it did not get heard in the Senate.

• (Historical) House Vote #8 - 2019: CHARTER SCHOOLS

  Voted for a floor amendment to House Bill 3 to increase the transparency and efficiency of charter schools by requiring them to undergo an audit of their fiscal management prior to expanding or opening new campuses and to share the audit results on their website. ATPE supported the amendment.

  House Floor Amendment #15 by Rep. Ernest Bailes (R-Shepherd) to House Bill 3 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on the school finance bill, Rep. Bailes offered Floor Amendment #15 on charter school transparency and efficiency. The amendment passed on April 3, 2019. (Record vote #153. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Senate later stripped the amendment out of the bill.

• (Historical) House Vote #9 - 2019: POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT

  Voted against a bill that would prohibit school districts and other local governmental entities from funding legislative advocacy efforts or paying membership dues to organizations that engage in legislative advocacy.

  Senate Bill 29 by Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 20, 2019, the House voted to defeat the bill on third reading. (Record vote #1519. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #1 - 2017: EDUCATION FUNDING

  Voted for the final version of the state's budget bill.

  Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this primary budget bill. On a motion by Rep. John Zerwas (R-Fulshear), the House voted to adopt the conference committee report and approve the bill for final passage on May 27, 2017. (Record vote #1945. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #2 - 2017: EDUCATION FUNDING

  Supported a school finance bill that offered $1.5 billion in additional public school funding. Voted for HB 21, which would have increased the basic and bilingual allotments, added a new allotment for students with dyslexia, and funded hardship grants for certain districts losing money due to the expiration of ASATR (Additional State Aid for Tax Reduction). ATPE supported this bill.

  House Bill 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to approve the bill on third reading on April 20, 2017. (Record vote #328. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) This bill did not ultimately pass during the regular session.

• (Historical) House Vote #3 - 2017: EDUCATION FUNDING

  Supported additional education funding. Voted for a bill to revise the state's school finance system, add $1.8 billion in new funding for public education, and use the state's rainy day fund to shore up the education budget. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The House voted to approve its version of a school finance bill on third reading on Aug. 7, 2017. (Record vote #72. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a watered-down Senate version of the bill.

• (Historical) House Vote #4 - 2017: STUDENT TESTING

  Supported relief from high-stakes testing. Voted for an ATPE-supported bill to extend the Individual Graduation Committees (IGC) law to help qualified high school students graduate in spite of failing a required STAAR test.

  Senate Bill 463 by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to approve the bill on third reading and final passage on May 23, 2017. (Record vote #1606. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #5 - 2017: RETIREMENT BENEFITS

  Supported short-term funding for retired educators' healthcare. Voted for a bill that restructured TRS-Care, the health insurance program for retired teachers. The bill prevented the TRS-Care program from running out of money in 2017 and leaving retired educators without health coverage. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 3976 by Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted in favor of a motion to concur with Senate amendments, which enabled final passage of the bill, on May 24, 2017. (Record Vote #1770. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #6 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Voted against a payroll deduction-related amendment that ATPE opposed. The amendment, which failed to pass, called for a state school finance commission to study whether educators should continue to have access to payroll deduction for their voluntary association dues.

  Floor amendment #20 by Rep. Bill Zedler (R-Arlington) to Senate Bill 16 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The House voted against the amendment on Aug. 14, 2017. The amendment failed to pass. (Record vote #167. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #7 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Opposed vouchers. Voted for an amendment that would prevent the state budget bill from being used to fund or support any form of private school voucher. ATPE supported this amendment.

  Floor amendment #8 by Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Corpus Christi) to Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House adopted the amendment on April 6, 2017. (Record vote #165. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #8 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Opposed vouchers. Voted for a budget amendment to clarify that no public funds should be used to pay for or support any type of private school voucher. ATPE requested the amendment.

  Floor amendment #9 by Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston) to Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House adopted the amendment on April 6, 2017. (Record vote #163. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #9 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Opposed vouchers. Opposed a budget amendment that would allow for the possibility of state-funded private school vouchers for certain students. Voted for a motion to table (kill) the amendment. ATPE opposed the amendment and backed the motion to table it.

  Motion by Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Corpus Christi) to table floor amendment #10 by Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) to Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. Cain tried to amend the budget bill in order to allow for the possibility of state-funded vouchers for low-income students. ATPE opposed the Cain amendment and supported Herrero's motion to table (kill) the amendment. The House voted to table Cain's amendment #10 on April 6, 2017. (Record vote #164. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #10 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Opposed vouchers. Voted for a motion aimed at keeping private school voucher language out of a school finance bill. ATPE supported the motion.

  House Bill 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to try to negotiate a compromise between House and Senate versions of a school finance bill. This vote on May 24, 2017, was on an ATPE-supported motion by Rep. John Zerwas (R-Fulshear) to instruct members of that conference committee to reject any language in the bill that would allow private school vouchers. (Record vote #1712. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #11 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Opposed vouchers. Voted against a motion that would have preserved the possibility of state-funded private school vouchers for students with special needs. ATPE opposed the motion.

  House Bill 21 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to try to negotiate a compromise between House and Senate versions of a school finance bill. This vote on May 24, 2017, was on a motion by Rep. Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton) to instruct members of that conference committee to favor language in the bill that would allow private school vouchers for students with special needs. ATPE opposed the motion to instruct, which failed to pass. (Record vote #1713. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #12 - 2017: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Supported measures to improve educator quality. Voted for a bill to establish a mentoring program for inexperienced teachers and state funding for mentor stipends, scheduled release time, and training. ATPE supported the bill, which later died in the Senate.

  House Bill 816 by Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House approved the bill on third reading on May 11, 2017. (Record vote #1162. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill ultimately did not pass the Senate.

• (Historical) House Vote #13 - 2017: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Supported measures to improve educator quality. Voted for a bill that would prohibit school districts from assigning elementary school students in core subject classes to inexperienced or uncertified teachers for two consecutive years. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 972 by Rep. Helen Giddings (D-Dallas), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House approved the bill on third reading on May 6, 2017. (Record vote #954. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill later died in the Senate.

• (Historical) House Vote #14 - 2017: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Supported "David's Law." Voted for a bill to prevent and address the problem of cyberbullying in schools. ATPE supported the bill.

  Senate Bill 179 by Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to adopt the conference committee report and finally pass the bill on May 27, 2017. (Record vote #1938. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)

Candidate Survey Responses

Not applicable for 2024.

Did not respond to the 2022 or 2018 ATPE Canidate Survey.

Below are the candidate's responses to the 2016 ATPE Candidate Survey:

1. Is there a need to increase funding in order to meet the needs of our growing student population and ensure that students have access to high-quality teachers? If so, how would you recommend securing more revenue for public education?

Yes, Texas ranks 43rd in the nation on public school funding and in 2011 public school funding was cut back and has not yet been fully restored. Texas needs to meet the need of our growing student population, and ensure that quality education is provided on an equitable basis across the state. Being a candidate and not yet being fully familiar with the state budget, I would have to study it to before I could recommend how to secure more funding; but I am committed to working to secure more state funding. Avenues that may be available to secure more funding could potentially be by closing corporate tax loopholes and/or using gambling/gaming taxes as a revenue source.

2. On what types of programs or specific areas of need would you prioritize the spending of state funds for public education?

My priority would be to first seek El Paso's fair share for our public schools. We then need programs for our English learners, programs that are community based and proven to be successful such as bilingual programs, and programs to assist and train our teachers to better educate our students.

3. Would you vote to create a voucher, tax credit, grant, scholarship program, or any other type of incentive that would help cover the cost for students to attend non-public schools in grades K-12? Why or why not?

No, we need to adequately fund our public schools before diverting our limited resources to non-public schools.

4. Would you vote to maintain a hard cap on the number of students per class, or should school administrators be given more flexibility to increase class sizes? (Currently, the law imposes a cap of 22:1 in grades K-4 but allows schools to obtain a waiver, a step a number of them routinely take.)

I do believe in a cap of 22:1 per class. I also believe that the cap needs to be extended beyond K-4 to all elementary grades. This would allow the teachers to provide more individual attention to students with educational deficits or any student having difficulties understanding any subject matter.

5. What do you feel is the proper role of standardized testing in Texas's public education system? For instance, should tests be used for school accountability purposes, for evaluating teachers, for measuring the progress of students, etc.?

I believe that there is too much emphasis on standardized testing and I do not believe that standardized tests should be used to assess a school accountability and for the exclusively evaluating teachers. Accountability and assessment standards need to be revised and their should be a more individualized assessment of students, teachers and schools based on the unique challenges of each individual community.

6. Local decisions on teacher pay and whether to continue a teacher's employment are often based on evaluations. To what extent, if any, should a teacher's evaluation be based on his students' scores on state standardized tests? If you believe student test scores should factor into a teacher's evaluation, how would you recommend evaluating teachers in grades or subjects for which there are no state standardized tests?

A teacher should be evaluated on how their students progress throughout the school year based on an acceptable and reasonable individualized educational goal and not only on standardized test scores.

7. Do you believe that the state should maintain a floor for classroom teacher salaries that includes annual increases based on experience over the first 20 years of a teacher's career?

Teacher salaries should be increased based on experience and length of service. Stand out teachers should be allowed to earn higher salaries.

8. If a public school in your district failed to meet state accountability standards, what course of action would you recommend? Are there circumstances in which you would support allowing a private entity to take over the management of that school (for instance, by converting it to a charter school, placing it under a special statewide district for low-performing schools, replacing the elected school board, or hiring an outside entity to operate the school)?

I do not believe schools should be graded as a failing school. Instead we need to divert more resources to assist the student body in a challenged school in order for it to succeed in its academic goals. I would not support a private entity taking over the management of a public school.

9. The cost of health insurance for active educators has dramatically increased over the last decade, while the portion paid by the state has remained flat and significantly lagged behind that of private employers. How would you address the increasing cost of covering the education workforce's health insurance needs?

I would support increasing the level of state contribution toward the cost of health insurance for educators to make it more affordable.

10. Do you believe the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) should be maintained as a traditional defined benefit pension plan for all future, current, and retired educators, or would you vote to convert TRS to a defined contribution plan that is more like a 401(k), in which future benefits are not guaranteed? Why?

I would support maintaining TRS as a traditional defined benefit plan and would oppose it being converted to a plan where its future benefits are not guaranteed. To change it, would be unfair to our educators who rely on a guaranteed pension for financial security.

Additional Comments from Candidate on Survey

No additional comments