Additional Information

Running for Texas House District 135 in the 2026 Democratic primary.

Candidate Survey Responses

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RESPONSES TO THE 2026 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

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

Please describe any specific goals or legislative initiatives you would pursue to strengthen the state’s public education system.

My top priorities for public education are fully funding neighborhood public schools, respecting educators as professionals, and ensuring every student has access to high-quality learning environments. I will fight to increase the basic allotment, reduce class sizes, and modernize the school finance system so it reflects real student needs and inflation.

I will prioritize competitive pay, strong benefits, and classroom supports to recruit and retain educators, including addressing workload and burnout. I also oppose voucher schemes that divert public dollars from public schools and weaken accountability. Public education is a public good, and I will work to strengthen it through stable funding, educator voice, and policies grounded in equity and student success.

2. Public Education Funding:

The 89th Legislature passed an $8 billion school funding bill, HB 2. However, despite years of unanswered “inflationary challenges, a large majority of that funding was earmarked to specific programs and did not supply districts with significant flexible funding, leaving the majority of Texas students in districts with deficit budgets and other significant funding challenges. Do you believe Texas public schools should receive additional funding? If so, how should the state pay for it, and should that funding be earmarked at the state level or provide districts with flexible dollars?

Yes. Texas public schools need additional funding, and that funding must address inflation and the real cost of educating students. While HB 2 included new investments, it did not meaningfully increase flexible dollars, leaving many districts operating in deficit and forcing cuts in classrooms.

The state should raise the basic allotment and provide districts with flexible funding so local educators and school leaders can meet student needs. Texas can pay for this by using budget surpluses, closing tax loopholes, and prioritizing public education over voucher schemes that divert resources from neighborhood schools. Sustainable, flexible funding is essential to stability, accountability, and student success.

3. ESA Vouchers:

Education savings accounts (ESAs) redirect public funds to private or home schools. How do you believe Texas should fund public schools, traditional and charter, alongside ESA vouchers? How should ESA spending be held accountable to taxpayers?

Texas should fully fund public education first. Public dollars should prioritize neighborhood public schools, including traditional and charter schools, that are open to all students and accountable to the public. ESA vouchers divert limited resources away from classrooms, worsen inequities, and undermine the stability of public school systems.

If ESA programs exist, they must meet the same transparency, civil rights, and accountability standards as public schools, including financial audits, academic reporting, and nondiscrimination protections. Taxpayer dollars should come with public oversight. I oppose expanding ESA vouchers and will fight to keep public funds invested in public education where they serve the greatest number of Texas students.

4. Teacher Recruitment and Retention:

Under HB 2, passed in 2025, all educators in core content courses (math, English, science, and social studies) must be certified by 2030. While this is a good start, more can and should be done to ensure high-quality teachers continue to enter the classroom. What are your suggestions to improve the quality of the new teacher pipeline?

Improving the teacher pipeline starts with treating teaching as a respected, sustainable profession. The state should expand paid teacher residencies, strengthen partnerships between school districts and educator preparation programs, and provide affordable, high-quality pathways to certification without lowering standards.

We must also improve starting pay, reduce out-of-pocket certification costs, offer loan forgiveness, and provide strong mentoring for early-career educators. High-quality preparation combined with competitive compensation and real classroom support will attract and retain talented educators and strengthen outcomes for students statewide.

5. Educator Pay and Benefits:

The 89th Legislature passed legislation creating a new mechanism to provide only classroom teachers with tiered raises based on early years of service and their district’s student enrollment. While the raises were significant, they did not apply to all campus educators, and the program created a significant negative funding stream at the district level due to unfunded increased costs for non-salary compensation tied to payroll, such as TRS retirement contributions. Do you support a state-funded across-the-board pay raise for all Texas educators? How would you ensure that compensation keeps pace with inflation and remains competitive with other professions?

Yes. I support a fully state-funded, across-the-board pay raise for all Texas educators, including teachers, librarians, counselors, nurses, and support staff. Compensation policies should strengthen school communities, not create divisions or unfunded obligations for districts.

To ensure pay keeps pace with inflation and remains competitive, educator compensation should be tied to regular increases in the basic allotment and include full state funding for associated benefit costs, including TRS contributions. Texas must commit to sustainable, predictable compensation increases that respect educators’ work and keep experienced professionals in our classrooms.

6. Educator Health Care:

The high cost of health insurance for active and retired educators continues to reduce take-home pay, with educators shouldering the vast majority of their ever-increasing heath care costs. How would you address the affordability and sustainability of educator health care, particularly the TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care programs?

Educator health care must be affordable, reliable, and fully supported by the state. I support increasing the state’s contribution to TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care to reduce premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs for active and retired educators.

The state should also provide stable, long-term funding for these programs instead of shifting costs onto educators or districts. Health care is a core part of compensation, and Texas must honor its responsibility to ensure educators can access quality care without sacrificing their financial security.

7. Retirement Security:

Do you believe the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) should remain a defined-benefit pension plan for all current and future members? If not, what is your plan to provide a secure retirement for Texas educators, particularly considering that state law has been set up such that most districts do not participate in Social Security?

Yes. TRS must remain a defined-benefit pension plan for all current and future educators. A guaranteed pension is essential to retirement security, especially since most Texas educators do not participate in Social Security.

The state has a responsibility to fully fund TRS, maintain its actuarial soundness, and avoid shifting risk onto educators through privatization or defined-contribution schemes. Protecting TRS is about honoring commitments made to educators and ensuring they can retire with dignity after a career of public service.

8. Accountability and Assessment Reform:

The Legislature has passed a new “through-year” multi-test model under HB 8. What role should standardized testing play in evaluating students, teachers, and schools? Should test results continue to determine A–F accountability ratings or teacher pay?

Standardized testing should be one of many tools used to support student learning, not the primary driver of high-stakes decisions. Overreliance on testing narrows instruction, increases stress, and undermines educator professional judgment.

Test results should not be used to determine teacher pay and should play a limited role in A–F accountability ratings. Texas should move toward a more balanced accountability system that values classroom learning, student growth, educator expertise, and whole-child outcomes rather than high-stakes testing alone.

9. Parental Rights and Community Voice:

Recent legislative debates have focused on “parental rights” in education. In your view, what is the appropriate balance between accommodating the often conflicting wishes of individual parents while maintaining policies that reflect the broader community’s educational priorities and still providing consistency and an appropriate level of professional deference to educators?

Parents are essential partners in public education, and their voices deserve respect and meaningful engagement. At the same time, public schools serve entire communities, not individual interests, and policies must reflect the shared priorities of students, families, and taxpayers.

That balance is best achieved through transparent local governance, strong school boards, and professional deference to educators who are trained to meet student needs. Educators should not be undermined by political pressure or individual demands that disrupt learning. Public education works best when parents, educators, and communities collaborate with mutual trust, respect, and clear accountability.

10. School Safety:

HB 3 (2023) imposed new school safety requirements but did not fully fund them. Although the 89th Legislature increased the School Safety Allotment, many districts continue to face substantial unfunded staffing and facility costs associated with school safety laws. How would you make schools safer and ensure the state provides adequate funding to meet safety mandates?

School safety starts with fully funding state mandates. If the Legislature requires new safety measures, it must provide districts with the resources to implement them without cutting classroom instruction.

I support increasing the School Safety Allotment to cover real staffing, training, and facility costs, with flexibility for districts to address local needs. True school safety also includes investing in mental health supports, counselors, and preventive services, not just physical security. Texas must prioritize comprehensive, fully funded approaches that protect students and educators while preserving strong learning environments.

11. Curriculum and Local Control:

What do you believe is the proper role of the State Board of Education, the Texas Education Agency, and local school districts in setting curriculum standards and selecting instructional materials?

The State Board of Education should set broad, transparent curriculum standards that reflect statewide expectations, while the Texas Education Agency should focus on implementation support, guidance, and accountability. Neither should micromanage classrooms or politicize instructional content.

Local school districts, with input from educators and communities, should have primary authority to select instructional materials and make curriculum decisions that meet student needs. Respecting local control and educator expertise ensures consistency, responsiveness, and high-quality instruction across Texas.

12. Educator Rights and Professional Associations:

State law allows educators and other public employees to voluntarily join professional associations such as ATPE and have membership dues deducted from their paychecks at no cost to taxpayers. Do you support or oppose allowing public employees to continue exercising this right? Why or why not?

I support allowing educators and other public employees to voluntarily join professional associations and use payroll deduction for membership dues. This is a personal choice that costs taxpayers nothing and allows educators to access professional support, liability protection, and advocacy.

Educators deserve the freedom to organize, associate, and have a collective voice in policies that affect their profession. Protecting this right strengthens professionalism, transparency, and collaboration in public education.

Additional Comments from Candidate on Survey

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COMMENTS SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THE 2026 CANDIDATE SURVEY:

Public education is the backbone of our communities and our democracy. Texas succeeds when we trust educators, invest in students, and keep public dollars in public schools. I am committed to working with educators, parents, and organizations like ATPE to strengthen public education through stable funding, professional respect, and policies grounded in equity and student success.