Additional Information

Candidate Survey Responses

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RESPONSES TO THE 2024 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

1. If elected, what are your top priorities for public education?

Increasing teachers' salaries, decreasing class sizes, restoring trust and respect for our public education shareholders, an immediate increase in per-student funding, and less emphasis on standardized tests.

2. Voucher programs take many forms (tax credits, scholarships, education savings accounts, etc.) and are either universal or aimed at specific subpopulations (special education students, low-income students, students attending schools with poor A-F accountability ratings, etc.). Would you vote to create a voucher program of any type to pay for students to attend non-public K-12 schools, such as private or home schools?

Absolutely not. We need to prioritize and fund our public schools before using taxpayer money for vouchers of any kind.

3. In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 3 requiring a number of new school safety measures. However, many believe the Legislature did not adequately increase funding to cover the cost of the mandates in HB 3 or other locally adopted school safety measures. How would you work to make schools safer and ensure such initiatives are properly funded?

Any House Bill or Senate Bill needs professionals and specialists assessing the true fiscal note. Every bill that passes should have funding tied to policies they expect schools to implement. We need more mental health advocacy and support so that we don't need more safety precautions. We need to analyze the root of the problem and provide early intervention programs to decrease incidents and safety concerns. HB 3 was a poorly planned bandaid that lawmakers stuck onto our public schools, when it should not be their responsibility to stop mass shootings from happening.

4. Despite a record-breaking surplus of $38 billion during the 2023 legislative session, school funding formulas were not increased to keep pace with inflation since they were last adjusted in 2019. Do you believe Texas public schools should receive additional funding? If so, how should the state pay for it?

Texas is long overdue for an increase in per-student funding, teachers' wages, supplies, and programs. It is really shameful being one of the bottom ten states in the nation when it comes to funding our students. The money is already there, just like we divert funds for nonessential programs, we need to direct funds to public schools immediately.

5. Texas has faced growing teacher shortages in recent years, with many schools hiring uncertified teachers to fill the gaps. How would you work to ensure Texas public schools have an adequate number of trained and certified teachers?

The Texas Education Agency needs to get with the program and revamp their licensing and certification process. I know first hand that it was super hard for them to accept my bachelor's degree in education, years of working with students, and passing several exams in other states. There are several qualified teachers in Texas that never stepped into the arena because TEA makes it difficult. Instead, they should have more committee's reviewing applicants' experiences, endorsements, certifications and qualifications. We need a more unified process for all of the states, but specifically Texas when we are having a "teacher shortage." It doesn't have to be this way.

6. Inadequate compensation hampers the recruitment and retention of high-quality educators. Do you support a state-funded across-the-board pay raise for all Texas educators?

Yes, we should have a unified way to increase salaries fairly for all of our teachers regardless if they teach in a rural or urban setting. They are equally important to each student and district. We need to pay them enough to live off of their wages, and not force them to move or juggle multiple jobs to survive.

7. The high cost of health insurance available to educators is a significant factor decreasing their take-home pay. How would you address the challenge of rising health care costs facing Texas educators and ensure access to affordable health care?

I don't think healthcare coverage should be tied to employers. This immediately hinders the quality of treatment a person has access to and costs more for employees who do not work for a big company or organization. It would be lovely to have a designated network of medical providers for teachers to have routine checkups and see for common colds / flu. Can you imagine how much stronger our workforce would be if they had access to a checkup, or blood analysis consultation explaining how to improve their health. Prevention instead of intervention would decrease major health concerns and could eliminate time lost to illness. Instead they could use a mental health day or vacation. Teachers give so much, they need money in their pockets and to be in tip top shape for an ever demanding profession. Do not get me started on illnesses that are triggered by the lack of bathroom breaks.

8. What do you feel is the proper role of standardized testing in the Texas public education system? For instance, should student test scores be used as a metric in determining teacher pay, school accountability ratings, evaluating teachers, measuring student progress, etc.?

We should absolutely not be determining teacher pay based off of standardized testing and accountability ratings. This is chaotically evil because we should not be teaching to the test. We have so many talented teachers that are being swamped with nonsense instead of being able to teach in a healthy happy manner that produces 21st Century learners. We need to revamp the status quo and determine better strategies used throughout the world to increase student learning and retains exceptional teachers.

9. In your opinion, what is the proper balance between accommodating an individual parent’s or student’s wishes and the taxpaying community’s interest in directing and maintaining an optimal educational environment for the student population as a whole?

Teachers have a ridiculous amount of students and families to manage, along with fulfilling a never ending list of tasks to meet standards and goals. Each student learns differently, figuring out their preferred learning method can take time and patience for everyone involved. By law, teachers have to follow legal accommodations for students with a learning plan and sometimes that can get hard when you have students who require the same methods but may not have accommodations. Whole class and group learning can be awesome, sorting students into effective groups can take time as well. Smaller class sized could definitely help so that teachers aren't so overwhelmed with all of the different accommodations. I loved being student teacher and helping facilitate lessons and provide behavioral support to students in need. I believe any classroom with more than 12-15 students should be provided with two adults. This is the only way to truly provide that one on one to every student and reduce the stress and anxiety that follows when a routine changes.

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 do you support converting TRS to a defined-contribution structure that is more like a 401(k) plan, in which future benefits are not guaranteed?

I do not support converting TRS to a defined-contribution because this decreases the stability and reliability of their retirement. Teacher recruitment and retainment can be achieved if the TRS is more appealing.

11. State law allows educators and other public employees to voluntarily choose to join professional associations such as ATPE and have membership dues deducted from their paychecks at no cost to taxpayers. Do you support or oppose letting all public employees continue to exercise this right?

I support letting public employees continue to exercise their right. They are not in a conservatorship and no one should be limiting how/when they choose to spend their money.

Additional Comments from Candidate on Survey

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We should have more teachers in our state house so that we can prioritize funding and protecting our public education shareholders. Other countries have banned private schools, and in return more of their societies value and support every public school regardless of their income. They want them to do well because their kids go there too. It's that community buy in that makes them stronger.