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Pam Little
Texas State Board of Education District 12
Status

incumbent

Party

Republican

Occupation

Member State Board of Education District 12

Address

TX

Candidate Survey Responses

RESPONSES TO THE 2024 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

1. If elected, what do you believe your primary role and responsibility as a State Board of Education (SBOE) member should be?

approve the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, approve instructional materials and evaluate charter schools

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

Funding and teacher raises are the most pressing issues. I'm also concerned about discipline in the classroom. I will be looking to see if there is some way to get more discipline back into the classrooms

3. What role should educators and educator groups such as ATPE play in policy decisions made by the SBOE?

ATPE is a good source of information. They can provide knowledge of an issue from the perspective of an educator.

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

ATPE is a good source of information. They can provide knowledge of an issue from the perspective of an educator.

5. In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1605, which requires the SBOE to review and approve instructional materials that may be used by school districts. What is the right balance between the SBOE and local school districts when it comes to selecting and approving instructional materials?

I truly value the input from educators on both the TEKS and instructional materials. It was input from the social studies educators that convinced me to make a motion to table the social studies standards a year ago.

6. 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?

The SBOE can approve a list of materials that will then go to districts for approval. Local control is very important with regard to instructional materials. Instructional materials should be the right fit for a district.

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

I support accountability but would like to see some major changes with the STAAR test. I plan to work with the legislators to see what we can do to have accountability be more representative of a broad scope of items. I do think our students can receive a well-rounded education in all grade levels based on the TEKS for each grade level.

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

In some cases, there is a need for charter schools - like a dyslexia school or school for autistic students. I do not support the expansion of charter schools without SBOE approval which is what happens now. I would also want to see charter schools have the same requirements as the ISD schools - like requiring certified teachers.

9. 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)?

Yes - there have been several times when the SBOE denied SBEC recommendations due to additional information being discovered.

 

BELOW ARE THE CANDIDATE'S 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?

Approving TEKS revisions and instructional materials.
Review of Charter School applications
Management of the Permanent School Fund

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

I think the teacher shortage is critical for our state right now. With the effects of the pandemic our teachers are exhausted and need to be supported as much as possible.

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

I always appreciate input from all sources. In any situation where ATPE has information it would be important to hear from them.

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 input is an integral part of the process and is very important to consider in TEKS revision. As an example Science and Engineering practices were added to the K-8 TEKS as a result of educator input.

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 think a diagnostic approach to accountability would provide for a better education for Texas students. Especially now with the pandemic and our students are behind a diagnostic test in the fall to determine their learning gaps would be extremely beneficial. This approach would focus more on student learning and not just preparing to take a test.

The curriculum standards should reflect the needs of the employers. The SBOE has recently been reviewing the CTE courses to get them up to industry standards.

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

Charter schools should fill a niche that the public schools cannot fill. As an example the recent Charter School that only accepts students with autism. Another one up recently dealt strictly with drop out students. I disagree with charter schools coming into an area where there are already good public schools.

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?

I think the SBOE should have a broader role than they do now over charter schools. Unfortunately the SBOE has no authority over expansions, I would like to see this changed and the SBOE has approval over expansions.

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)?

Yes as we are an elected body whereas the SBEC is not.

Additional Comments from Candidate on Survey

COMMENTS SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THE 2024 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

I support public education and don't know what we would do with the 5.5 million students in the state without good public schools. Thank you, educators, for the great you do every day.

COMMENTS SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THE 2022 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

I have been honored to serve on the SBOE these past 3 years. I appreciate educators and all they do for the students of Texas. It is a difficult job and is so important to Texas. Thank you for your dedication to Texas students.