Additional Information

Running for Texas State Board of Education District 6 in the November 2026 election.

Palmer ran unsuccessfully for the same SBOE seat in 2020 and 2022.

Endorsed in the 2020 general election and in the Democratic primary election by the Houston Chronicle editorial board.

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Candidate Survey Responses

RESPONSES TO THE 2026 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

1. Role and Responsibility

If elected, what do you believe your primary role and responsibility as a State Board of Education (SBOE) member should be, particularly in comparison to or in coordination with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Legislature?

As a history and government teacher, I believe my primary role as an SBOE member will be to make sure that the standards approved by the Board is based on facts. That specifically includes the science, history and health standards.

In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue facing public education in Texas?

Funding is the #1 issue facing public education in Texas. SBOE has nothing to do with that so of the issues that can be affected by the SBOE, I believe that the standards being such that will lead to students being successful in the economy of the future. I would like to see more P-TECH and CTE schools opened in the state. However, I also believe that if students are not learning truth then they cannot compete in the economy of the future and standards need to reflect that. Science standards need to include climate change for instance.

If elected, what degree of input will you seek from educators, ATPE, and other educator organizations in policy decisions made by the SBOE? How would you seek that input?

I would ask ATPE and other educator organizations any time that major decisions are being made as well as when teachers are being chosen for working groups. As a member of multiple educator organizations, I know the importance of them.

How much weight should the SBOE give to educator input when developing curriculum standards (known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or “TEKS”) and approving instructional materials?

Teachers are THE experts on curriculum standards and their input should be the majority of why the Board approves standards.

How should the SBOE approach curriculum and instructional materials decisions amid increased legislative emphasis on “parental rights”? What does meaningful parent engagement look like at the state level?

Parents should always be heard but unless they are an subject expert, then teachers should be listened to much more.

Under HB 1605, the SBOE now reviews and approves TEA-developed instructional materials, including state-funded “Open Education Resource” options. How should the board balance local control and state oversight to ensure materials are high-quality and aligned to standards, as well as reflect Texas values without politicization? 

I use OER materials as my textbook in all of my courses and none of them are TEA developed. There are plenty of resources with TEA being part of the process. Perhaps it is more important for teachers of younger students.

Texas is transitioning to new assessment and accountability systems under House Bill 8. The bill transfers board authority related to the testing and accountability system from the SBOE to TEA. What should the role of the SBOE be regarding the statewide testing and accountability system?

Elected board members have been slowly having their power stripped and given to the appointed TEA. I am against this completely.

Should the SBOE retain its authority to veto or approve new charter applications? Should the board’s veto authority be expanded to include charter expansion requests? How can the board ensure transparency and community input in this process?

SBOE should have more authority over this process than it currently has. Charter schools should be more transparent and accountable to the people then they currently are. Many of them are very secretive and nobody gets to know how they spend our tax dollars. I would put a pause on new charter approvals until the current charter systems can be audited.

How should the SBOE ensure that curriculum standards and instructional materials meet the needs of students receiving special education services, English learners, and other diverse student populations?

Special Education and ESL teachers and college professors who those educators should be asked for their input at every level of the professors.

What steps should the SBOE take to make its processes, such as TEKS review committees, charter hearings, and instructional materials approvals, more transparent and accessible to educators and the public?

All committee meetings, charter hearings, and other meetings should be live streamed and those live streams should be linked on a website and should be shared on official government social media pages.

Do you believe the SBOE should continue to have the authority to review and potentially veto any rulemaking actions taken by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC)? Why or why not?

This goes back to democracy and accountability. SBOE is elected whereas SBEC is appointed. I will always choose the more accountable and pro-democracy way to do things.
 

RESPONSES TO THE 2022 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

1. If elected, what do you believe your primary role and responsibility as a state board member should be?

My primary role should be to appoint educators to the curriculum committees and then approve what they create. We need fact-based curriculum so that our students are prepared to compete in the markets of tomorrow.

2. In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue facing public education in Texas?

Finance. Because education in Texas is vastly underfunded. Rural teachers need a raise and urban teachers need smaller class sizes and more planning time. We need money for resources such as class libraries, devices for classrooms or 1:1 teaching.

3. What role should educators and educator groups such as ATPE play in policy decisions made by the State Board of Education (SBOE)?

Educators and organizations such as ATPE should be met with regarding who to appoint to curriculum committees, revising of teacher certification requirements, and revising of graduation requirements. They should play a role at every step. Teachers and teacher organizations should also be consulted regarding textbook adoption.

4. How much weight should the SBOE give to educators’ input when it comes to setting curriculum standards (known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills or “TEKS”) and evaluating instructional materials?

Educators (at all levels) should be the primary resource for input on setting curriculum standards and evaluating instructional materials. We are the ones who know what has worked in the past. My district just adopted new curricula for both math and English and did not consult with even the program directors of those departments. The math curriculum is going okay but not great and the English curriculum does not even follow the TEKS. This is a curriculum being pushed by the state. Board members should not accept donations from anyone who works for a company that creates curriculum, textbooks, or any other education product.

5. Do you believe our state’s public education system, including current regulations on testing and accountability, graduation requirements, and curriculum standards, enables students to receive a well-rounded education throughout all grade levels? Would you recommend any changes?

I do not believe these enable students to receive a well-rounded education. Because of accountability and testing, schools take students out of any class they aren't testing in to put them in test prep. It does not generally help them and makes them hate school regularly. In addition, it causes anxiety among many of our students. I suggest we get rid of testing (at least not require it for graduation) and instead use a portfolio system. Students should keep a portfolio of their work throughout their high school career and a committee can evaluate it to see if they are ready to graduate. Students already need things like TSI or SAT in order to prove they are college ready, STAAR doesn't prove anything except that they are good test takers.

6. What role, if any, should charter schools have in the Texas public education system?

The only role that charter schools should play in the Texas education system is in places where a public school doesn't work. A friend works at a charter that works with students in a drug rehabilitation system. A public school would not be able to easily work there because of the way public schools are funded. I have vowed to vote against all new charter school applications. I also believe the ability to for charter systems to expand should be approved by SBOE instead of TEA. There are far too many charter schools in this state and they do not test higher than public schools. If that was their purpose then they are failing at it. In addition, they do not require teacher certification and do not give yearly contracts so teachers can be fired on the spot in this "right-to-work" state.

7. What role should the SBOE play in overseeing charter schools, such as approving or denying new charter applications and expansion requests of existing charters?

SBOE should be the body that approves ALL new charter school applications and expansion requests. And they should not approve any more.

8. Do you believe the SBOE should continue to have the authority to review and potentially veto any rulemaking actions taken by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC)?

I believe an elected body should be over SBEC and SBOE makes the most sense.

Additional Comments from Candidate on Survey

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