Additional Information

First elected to the Texas Senate in 2015. Current term expires January 2027. This race will not be on the ballot in 2024.

Member of the Senate Education Committee.

Menéndez won a special election to fill the unexpired term of former Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, who resigned in 2014. Menéndez earned 25.36 percent of the vote in a January 2015 special election and then earned 59.05 percent to win a February 2015 runoff election.

Menéndez previously served as State Representative for Texas House District 124 from 2000 to 2015.

Endorsed in the 2016 Democratic primary election by the San Antonio Express-News editorial board.
 

Related Blog Posts

• Senate Vote #1 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted against a bill that would have established an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 8 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill would have established an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. Read more about the bill here. On April 6, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill ultimately died in the House.

• Senate Vote #2 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted against a teacher compensation bill that the Senate modified to create an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. ATPE opposed the Senate's version of the bill.

  House Bill 100 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The original House bill intended to change school funding formulas and teacher compensation. The Senate modified HB 100 to include an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. Read more about the bill here. On May 23, 2023, the Senate voted to pass its version of the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) HB 100 later died in a conference committee because the House refused to accept the Senate’s addition of a voucher to the bill.

• Senate Vote #3 - 2023: COMPENSATION

  Voted for an amendment to grant teachers a $10,000 pay raise. ATPE supported the amendment.

  Senate Floor Amendment 8 by Sen. Morgan LaMantia (D–South Padre Island) to Senate Bill 9 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The amendment would have given all teachers a $10,000 pay raise. On April 6, 2023, the Senate voted to reject the amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #4 - 2023: TEACHER PIPELINE

  Voted for an amendment to preserve the elected State Board of Education's (SBOE) veto power over rules adopted by the appointed State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). ATPE supported the amendment.

  Senate Floor Amendment 9 by Sen. Nathan Johnson (D–Dallas) to Senate Bill 9 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The amendment would have ensured public oversight of teacher pipeline regulations by maintaining the elected State Board of Education’s (SBOE) veto authority over rulemaking by the appointed State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). On April 6, 2023, the Senate voted to reject the amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #5 - 2023: TEACHER PIPELINE

  Voted against an omnibus bill that proposed several regulatory changes and a one-time stipend of $2,000 for teachers. ATPE believed the bill was 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), 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 Senate testimony on it here. On April 6, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later died in the House.

• Senate Vote #6 - 2023: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Voted for 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Robert Nichols (R–Jacksonville), 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 21, 2023, the Senate voted to pass its version of HB 3. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a compromise version of the bill.

• Senate Vote #7 - 2023: SCHOOL SAFETY

  Authored an amendment that would have significantly increased funding for school safety. Voted against a motion to table (kill) the amendment. ATPE supported the amendment and opposed the motion to table it.

  Senate Floor Amendment 2 by Sen. Jose Menendez (D–San Antonio) to House Bill 3 by Rep. Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Robert Nichols (R–Jacksonville), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate’s version of HB 3 proposed a school safety allotment that included $10 per student. The Menendez amendment would have significantly increased that funding to $100 per student. On May 21, 2023, the Senate voted to table (kill) the Menendez amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #8 - 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney), 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 May 23, 2023, the Senate voted to approve final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal).

• Senate Vote #9 - 2023: CURRICULUM

  Voted against 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 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 12, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later became law after being approved by both the Senate and House.

• Senate Vote #10 - 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), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill removed the requirement for school counselors to have prior experience as a classroom teacher. On April 5, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later became law after being approved by both the Senate and House.

• Senate Vote #11 - 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 Sen. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston), 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 23, 2023, the Senate voted to adopt the conference committee report on SB 763, approving final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #12 - 2023: MANDATORY REPORTING

  Voted against a bill that removed educators' ability to anonymously report cases of suspected child abuse and neglect. ATPE opposed the bill.

  House Bill 63 by Rep. Valoree Swanson (R–Spring), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Kevin Sparks (R–Midland), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill removed educators’ ability to anonymously report suspected child abuse and neglect. On May 18, 2023, the Senate voted to approve final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #13 - 2023: TEN COMMANDMENTS

  Voted against a bill that would have required every educator to display the Ten Commandments in their classroom. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 1515 by Sen. Phil King (R–Weatherford), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill would have required every educator to display the Ten Commandments in their classroom. ATPE opposed SB 1515’s mandate of the display in every classroom but did not oppose a related bill, Senate Bill 1721 by Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney), which called for a display of the Ten Commandments in a single prominent location on each campus. On April 20, 2023, the Senate passed SB 1515 on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later died in the House.

• Senate Vote #14 - 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), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill provides a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 13th check for retired educators. On May 27, 2023, the Senate voted to adopt the conference committee report on SB 10, approving final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• Senate Vote #15 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted against a bill that would have established an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), 88th Legislature, third called Special Session. The bill would have established an education savings account (ESA) voucher program. On Oct. 12, 2023, the Senate voted to pass the bill on second reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later died in the House.

• (Historical) Senate Vote #1 - 2021: SPECIAL EDUCATION VOUCHERS

  Voted against a bill that would have created a special education voucher program, allowing parents to use public funds to privately purchase educational services. ATPE opposed this version of the bill.

  Senate Bill 1716 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill as filed would have created a special education voucher program, which ATPE opposed. The Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading, May 4, 2021. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal.) The House later removed the voucher language from another version of SB 1716 that passed and was signed into law without objection from ATPE.

• (Historical) Senate Vote #2 - 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.

  Senate Floor Amendment #14 by Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) to House Bill 1525 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 26, 2021, the Senate rejected the ATPE-supported amendment during its floor debate on a school finance clean-up bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #3 - 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, sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) and Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 22, 2021, the Senate voted to pass the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal.) Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) Senate Vote #4 - 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), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. The bill expanded upon and replaced HB 3979 that was passed during the regular session. The Senate voted Sept. 2, 2021, to concur in House amendments to the bill, thereby sending SB 3 to the governor for signature. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal). Read more about SB 3 here.

• (Historical) Senate Vote #5 - 2021: HOME-SCHOOL UIL

  Voted against 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate  amended the bill, 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. The Senate passed the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading, May 22, 2021. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal.) Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) Senate Vote #6 - 2021: CHARTER SCHOOLS

  Voted against 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Drew Springer (R-Muenster), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate passed the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading, May 22, 2021. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal). Read more about the bill here.

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

  Voted against a bill that would have weakened voter oversight of charter schools by making it harder for the elected State Board of Education to veto new charter applications and reducing local voters' input regarding where charter schools are allowed to locate. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 28 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate passed the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading, April 15, 2021. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal). SB 28 ultimately failed to pass the full Legislature. Read more about the bill here.

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

  Was absent for the vote on 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), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Aug. 9, 2021, the Senate voted to approve the ATPE-supported bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal.)

• (Historical) Senate 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. After the House and Senate passed different versions of the ATPE-opposed bill, HB 1468 was sent to a conference committee to generate a compromise version. On May 30, 2021, the Senate voted to pass the bill by adopting its conference committee report. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal.) HB 1468 ultimately died when the House failed to vote on the conference committee report before the regular session ended.

• (Historical) Senate 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), 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. 31, 2021, the Senate voted to concur in House amendments to the bill, thereby sending SB 15 to the governor's desk. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal). Read more about the bill here.

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

  Voted against an accountability bill that would have significantly expanded the appointed education commissioner's power to investigate and take over the management of school districts. ATPE opposed this version of the bill.

  Senate Bill 1365 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate passed its version of the school takeover bill, which ATPE opposed, on third reading, May 5, 2021. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal.) SB 1365 was later amended favorably by the House, and the Legislature passed a final version of SB 1365 that ATPE did not oppose. Read more about the bill here.

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

  Voted for 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), sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate passed HB 4545 on third reading, May 26, 2021. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate Journal). Read more about the bill here.

• (Historical) Senate 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 May 6, 2019, the Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate 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 March 25, 2019, the Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate 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 April 29, 2019, the Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #4 - 2019: COMPENSATION

  Voted for a bill that would have provided across-the-board pay raises of $5,000 for classroom teachers and librarians.

  Senate Bill 3 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On March 4, 2019, the Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later died in the House as other teacher pay language was chosen for inclusion in House Bill 3.

• (Historical) Senate Vote #5 - 2019: COMPENSATION

  Authored and voted for an amendment to House Bill 3 that would have removed a controversial merit pay program from the school finance bill. ATPE supported the amendment.

  Senate Floor Amendment #8 by Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) to House Bill 3 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. During the Senate floor debate on the school finance bill on May 6, 2019, Sen. Menendez offered Floor Amendment #8 to remove merit pay language from the bill. The amendment failed to pass. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #6 - 2019: COMPENSATION

  Co-authored and voted for an amendment to House Bill 3 that would have provided a pay raise to all professional school employees, in addition to classroom teachers and librarians. ATPE supported the amendment.

  Senate Floor Amendment #30 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) to House Bill 3 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. During the Senate floor debate on the school finance bill on May 6, 2019, Sen. Zaffirini offered Floor Amendment #30 to provide a pay raise for all professional public school employees. The amendment failed to pass. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #7 - 2019: TESTING

  Authored and voted for an amendment to House Bill 3 that would have required passages on STAAR exams to be written at the appropriate grade-levels. ATPE supported the amendment.

  Senate Floor Amendment #66 by Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) to House Bill 3 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. During the Senate floor debate on the school finance bill on May 6, 2019, Sen. Menendez offered Floor Amendment #66 to ensure grade-level readability of STAAR tests. The amendment failed to pass. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #8 - 2019: VOUCHERS

  Voted against a bill that would have expanded full-time virtual schools and created a "virtual voucher." ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 1455 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 23, 2019, the Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later died after it was left pending in a House committee.

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

  Voted against a bill that would have restricted educators' First Amendment rights to engage in political speech and subjected them to criminal penalties. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 1569 by Sen. Pat Fallon (R-Prosper), 86th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 17, 2019, the Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill later died after it was left pending in a House committee.

• (Historical) Senate Vote #10 - 2019: POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT

  Voted against a bill to 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 April 17, 2019, the Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) The bill was later defeated on the House floor.

• (Historical) Senate 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. The Senate voted on May 27, 2017, to adopt the conference committee report and approve final passage of the bill. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #2 - 2017: STUDENT TESTING

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

  Senate Bill 463 by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading and final passage on May 1, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #3 - 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 Senate voted to approve its committee substitute version of the bill on third reading and final passage on May 21, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #4 - 2017: RETIREMENT BENEFITS

  Supported long-term state funding increases for retired educators' healthcare. Voted for an ATPE-supported amendment that called for a permanent increase to the state's contributions to TRS-Care, rather than a one-time supplemental increase. The amendment did not pass.

  Floor amendment #3 by Sen. Kirk Watson (D-Austin) to Senate Bill 19 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The Senate voted against the amendment on July 25, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #5 - 2017: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Opposed vouchers. Twice voted against a private school voucher bill, which called for both tax credit scholarships and education savings account vouchers. ATPE opposed the bill.

  Senate Bill 3 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. This ATPE-opposed bill called for creating private school vouchers in the form of tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts. The Senate voted to approve the voucher bill on second and third readings on March 30, 2017, but the bill ultimately died in the House. (View an official record of the votes here and here in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #6 - 2017: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  Was absent (excused) for the vote on a bill that would have lowered standards for educator preparation programs. ATPE and many in the education community opposed this bill, which would have rolled back SBEC rules aimed at ensuring all children have access to well-trained educators.

  Senate Bill 1278 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve its committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on May 10, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.) SB 1278 ultimately failed, although some pieces of the legislation were added to other bills.

• (Historical) Senate Vote #7 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Voted against a bill that would take away educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary professional association dues. ATPE opposed the bill, which passed the Senate but ultimately failed in the House.

  Senate Bill 13 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), 85th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve its committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on March 30, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #8 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Supported allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Supported an ATPE-backed amendment that would preserve educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary dues paid to professional associations.

  Motion by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) to table floor amendment #4 by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) to Senate Bill 13 by Huffman, 85th Legislature, Regular Session. ATPE opposed the motion to table, supported the Lucio amendment, and opposed the bill. The Senate voted on March 29, 2017, to table the ATPE-supported amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #9 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Supported an ATPE-backed amendment, which would have applied a proposed ban on payroll deductions to all types of deductions, rather than discriminating against educators who join professional associations.

  Motion by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) to table floor amendment #6 by Sen. Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso) to Senate Bill 13 by Huffman, 85th Legislature, Regular Session. ATPE opposed the motion to table, supported the Rodriguez amendment, and opposed the bill. The Senate voted on March 29, 2017, to table the ATPE-supported amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #10 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Supported local options allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Supported an ATPE-backed amendment that would have allowed local school boards to decide whether or not to offer their school district employees the right to payroll deduct their voluntary association dues.

  Motion by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) to table floor amendment #7 by Sen. Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso) to Senate Bill 13 by Huffman, 85th Legislature, Regular Session. ATPE opposed the motion to table, supported the Rodriguez amendment, and opposed the bill. The Senate voted on March 29, 2017, to table the ATPE-supported amendment. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #11 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Supported allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Voted against a bill that would take away educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary professional association dues. ATPE opposed the bill, which passed the Senate but ultimately died in the House.

  Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The Senate voted to approve the bill on third reading on July 26, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #12 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Supported allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Voted for an amendment that would preserve educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary dues paid to professional associations. ATPE supported the amendment.

  Floor amendment #1 by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. (D-Brownsville) to Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The Senate voted to reject the amendment on July 25, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #13 - 2017: PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Supported allowing educators to use payroll deduction to pay association dues. Voted for an amendment that would preserve educators' right to use payroll deduction for their voluntary association dues as long as there is no cost to the state or school district. ATPE supported the amendment.

  Floor amendment #5 by Sen. Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio) to Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), 85th Legislature, Special Session. The Senate voted to reject the amendment on July 25, 2017. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

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

  Supported David's Law. Authored and voted for a bill to prevent and respond to cyberbullying in schools. ATPE supported the bill.

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

• (Historical) Senate Vote #1 - 2015: VOLUNTARY PAYROLL DEDUCTION

  Supported payroll deduction as a convenience for public employees. Voted against a bill to prohibit school districts and other governmental entities from offering payroll deduction as a means of letting their employees pay voluntary dues to professional associations. ATPE opposed the bill, which was likely unconstitutional and designed to discourage public employees from joining professional associations. The bill ultimately died in the House.

  Senate Bill 1968 by Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on May 7, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #2 - 2015: TESTING & GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

  Was absent (excused) during the vote on a bill to give some high school students who've failed certain STAAR tests a pathway to graduate. The bill allows individual graduation committees to decide, based on the student's academic record and other measures, if the student is college- and career-ready. ATPE supported the bill, which later passed the House and was signed into law.

  Senate Bill 149 by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on March 17, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #3 - 2015: EDUCATOR COMPENSATION & EVALUATION

  Voted against a bill to do away with the minimum salary schedule for teachers and compel school districts to evaluate and compensate their teachers based on measures that are potentially unreliable, such as students' standardized test score data. ATPE opposed the bill, which ultimately died in the House.

  Senate Bill 893 by Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on April 7, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #4 - 2015: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  Voted against a private school voucher "scholarship" bill that would divert state franchise tax dollars away from the state budget and use them to subsidize private and religious schools that are not held accountable to taxpayers and voters. ATPE opposed the bill, which ultimately died in the House.

  Senate Bill 4 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on April 21, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #5 - 2015: PRIVATIZATION & SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY

  Voted against a bill to expand "parent trigger" laws in Texas and make it easier for struggling schools to be placed under private management and subject to deregulation upon a petition by parents. ATPE opposed the bill, which was pushed by the controversial group Texans for Education Reform. The bill ultimately died in the House.

  Senate Bill 14 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on March 31, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) Senate Vote #6 - 2015: SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY

  Voted against an accountability bill to assign "A" through "F" letter grades to school campuses. ATPE opposed the bill and opposes assigning failure labels to schools. This bill was part of a package of reform legislation being pushed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R). SB 6 did not ultimately pass, but a similar provision was added to another comprehensive bill (HB 2804) that did pass.

  Senate Bill 6 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), 84th Legislature, Regular Session. The Senate voted to approve a committee substitute version of the bill on third reading on March 31, 2015. (View an official record of the vote in the Senate journal.)

• (Historical) House Vote #1 - 2013: EDUCATION FUNDING

  While serving in the Texas House, Menendez voted for a budget bill providing increased funding for public education and a partial restoration of the education budget cuts made in 2011.

  Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands), 83rd 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 Pitts (R-Waxahachie), the House voted to adopt the conference committee report May 26, 2013 (record vote 1336).

• (Historical) House Vote #2 - 2013: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS

  While serving in the House, Menendez voted for an amendment to prohibit public education funds from being spent on private school vouchers. ATPE supported the amendment.

  During the House floor debate on the budget (Senate Bill 1), Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Corpus Christi) offered Amendment #95 to prohibit the use of funds in the public education budget for private school vouchers. The House voted to adopt the Herrero amendment April 4, 2013 (record vote 169).

• (Historical) House Vote #3 - 2013: RETIREMENT BENEFITS

  While serving in the House, Menendez voted for a bill to shore up the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) and provide most retirees with a benefit increase. ATPE supported the bill.

  Senate Bill 1458 by Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. The House voted to approve the bill on third reading May 20, 2013 (record vote 949).

• (Historical) House Vote #4 - 2013: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  While serving in the House, Menendez voted for a teacher quality bill to raise the standards for entering the education profession; require districts to provide appraisal results to teachers in a timely manner and consider multiple years' appraisal results in making personnel decisions; and require the state to conduct a survey of teacher working conditions and salaries. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 2012 by Rep. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this bill. On a motion by Rep. Villarreal, the House voted to adopt the conference committee report May 26, 2013 (record vote 1318).

• (Historical) House Vote #5 - 2013: EDUCATOR QUALITY

  As a member of the Texas House, Menendez voted for creating the Texas Teacher Residency Program, a high-quality university program through which new teachers would receive stipends and employment at a school district or charter school while earning a master's degree. ATPE supported the bill.

  House Bill 1752 by Rep. Diane Patrick (R-Arlington), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. After the Senate made changes to the House version of the bill, the House voted on a motion by Rep. Patrick to concur in (accept) the Senate amendments to the bill May 21, 2013 (record vote 1031).

• (Historical) House Vote #6 - 2013: PRIVATIZATION & SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY

  While serving in the House, Menendez was absent during the vote on an amendment to the Achievement School District bill to require ASD schools to be subject to laws pertaining to teacher rights and benefits, discipline and class-size limits.

  Senate Bill 1718 by Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on this bill that called for creating an "Achievement School District" for certain low-performing schools, Rep. Chris Turner (D-Arlington) offered Amendment #2 to require ASD schools to remain subject to laws pertaining to teacher rights and benefits, discipline and class-size limits. On a motion by Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston), the House voted to table (kill) the Turner amendment May 21, 2013 (record vote 1044).

• (Historical) House Vote #7 - 2013: SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY & CLASS SIZES

  While serving in the House, Menendez opposed an amendment to impose a maximum 15:1 student-to-certified teacher average ratio within the proposed Achievement School District for certain low-performing schools. (He voted to table the amendment.) ATPE supported the amendment and opposed the motion to table.

  Senate Bill 1718 by Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on this bill that called for creating an "Achievement School District" for certain low-performing schools, Rep. Diane Patrick (R-Arlington) offered Amendment #7 to require ASD schools to assign no more than 15 students on average to each certified teacher. On a motion by Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston), the House voted to table (kill) the Patrick amendment May 21, 2013 (record vote 1046).

• (Historical) House Vote #8 - 2013: SCHOOL COUNSELORS

  As a member of the Texas House, Menendez voted for a bill to require schools to notify the public if a full-time school counselor is not assigned to the campus. ATPE supported the bill.

  Senate Bill 401 by Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. A conference committee was appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of this bill requiring public notice when a full-time school counselor is not assigned to a public school campus. Rep. Alma Allen (D-Houston) moved adoption of the conference committee report. The bill died in the House when the motion to adopt the conference committee report failed May 26, 2013 (record vote 1372).

• (Historical) House Vote #9 - 2013: CHARTER SCHOOLS

  While serving in the House, Menendez voted against an amendment that would have delayed the expansion of charter schools. ATPE supported the amendment.

  Senate Bill 2 by Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston), 83rd Legislature, Regular Session. During the House floor debate on this omnibus charter legislation, Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) offered Amendment #3 to delay the bill's considerable expansion of charter schools in Texas. The Turner amendment failed to pass May 17, 2013 (record vote 876).

Candidate Survey Responses

Did not respond to the 2022 or 2020 ATPE Candidate Survey. 

Below are the candidate's responses to the 2014 ATPE Candidate Survey:

1. Is there a need to increase funding to meet the needs of our student population? If so, how would you recommend securing more revenue for public education?

Yes. Texas must utilize the Rainy Day Fund to restore the over $1.5 billion remaining in cuts from 2011. Unfortunately, restoring this amount isn't enough because it doesn't account for growth in school districts. So the RDF must also be used to fund population growth since 2011, which amounts to a rough increase of $600 more per student. Once those deficits are restored the state must look at more equitable funding streams. The state has to move away from a public school finance system that is unconstitutional and unfairly incentivizes property wealth districts over property poor districts. Revising the WADA revue allocation system is one way to accomplish this goal. Moreover, The state must revaluate how much property wealth districts are able to contribute financially to their ISD versus how much property poor districts are able to contribute. The state should then mitigate the differences by allocating more funding to property poor districts. This can be accomplished by closing the loopholes in the Business Tax and Commercial Property Taxes

2. Regardless of the level of funding, do you believe that Texas public education dollars are being spent in an appropriate manner, or should the funds be reallocated and spent in different ways?

The state could do a better job at allocating money to fund public education. One example is the state should increase and reevaluate the Cost of Education Index (CEI). The CEI hasn't been updated since 1991. Our schools would receive more funding if the state honestly analyzed the CEI based on 2015 data. Transportation costs are also a large portion of ISDs budgets. The state should appropriate more money for transportation costs so school districts can put more money into the classroom. Lastly, the state must give more power to school boards to raise money in their districts without tax elections. If the state truly values public education it cannot simultaneously cut public education funding and tie the hands of school boards to raise funds locally.

3. Would you vote to spend public tax dollars on a voucher, tax credit or scholarship that allows students to attend non-public schools in grades K–12? Why or why not?

Vouchers and tuition tax credits undermine our public education system. Both programs siphon off desperately needed funds to our public schools. The answer to a struggling public education system is not to give up on the system and support private or religious schools. The answer is properly funding our current public education system and working with ISDs that may be struggling to offer them needed resources that strengthen their schools. The state cannot be supportive of a private or religious school education system because those schools are selective. Those schools can choose which students to admit and which to leave behind. Texas must support and fund our public education system because the future of our state is dependent on all students, regardless of background, getting a world-class education. We can and we must provide that for the children of Texas.

4. 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?

A defined-benefit pension system is the backbone of retirement for future, current, and retired educators. I would adamantly oppose any conversion to a defined contribution plan. Moreover, adequately funding the TRS pension fund is critical to the livelihood of retired teachers. For many retired teachers this is their sole revue stream to pay bills and stay afloat. The state must honor its commitment to retired teachers and ensure the TRS pension is always tied to inflation and cost-of-living. Moreover, due to increased cost of living and healthcare costs our retired teachers have a difficult time making ends meat which is why in 2011, I authored HB 1699 which would give retired teachers a supplemental payment.

5. Local decisions on whether to continue a teacher's employment and how much to pay each teacher 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?

Teachers' employment should not be based on students' standardized test scores alone. Comprehensive evaluations, encompassing a variety of factors from student grades, to tenure, to classroom behavior and management, to participation in school activities etc., should all determine a teacher's employment and pay rate. Teachers should not be punished because they were given a classroom of students that do not take tests well.

6. 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 many of them routinely take.)

The goal should always be to maintain a cap on student to teacher ratio. 22:1 or even 20:1 is an appropriate number. However, I am sympathetic to the realities school districts face when the state continues to cut public education funding and refuses to fund growth in public schools. Therefore, I believe the state should get serious about maintaining a hard cap of students per class, but they only way to accomplish that is to equitably and adequately fund public education.

7. If a public school in your district failed to meet state accountability standards for two or more consecutive years, would you support allowing a private entity to take over the management of that school, essentially converting it to a charter school?

No - the state is abdicating its responsibility by turning over failing schools to a private entity. The answer is not to pass the buck to a private school, but rather work with that institution and offer it unique resources and assistance to turn the school around. By not funding and working with these struggling schools the state is setting them up for failure. Constitutionally the state of Texas is mandated to provide public education for all it citizens. It shouldn't be abandoning that duty to a private entity.

8. Do you believe charter schools in Texas have been largely successful? Should their presence be expanded? Why or why not?

Texas's Charter School system is broken and must be reformed. This is evident because the state had to close 14 charter schools this year. It's important to have schools that are agile to students needs, but it is becoming increasing clear that charter schools do not provide that flexibility and lack proper financial and academic oversight. Moreover, these charter schools may be well intended but until they can provide services to all students the state should invest in ISD's and local public schools instead.

Additional Comments from Candidate on Survey

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