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?

When I am elected to the Texas House of Representative District 52, my top priorities will be to 1. Fund our public schools, 2. Oppose school vouchers and the unbridled expansion of charter schools, and 3. Advocate for fewer unfunded state government mandates and more local control.

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?

I would NOT vote to create a taxpayer-funded voucher program of any type to pay for students to attend non-public K-12.

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?

When elected, I will advocate and vote for properly funding all safety measures mandated by our state legislature. I will work to ensure all legislative mandates to public education are properly funded.

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?

Without proper funding, our public schools are forced to increase class sizes, cut essential programs, and fail to provide teachers and staff with salary increases that keep pace with inflation. As a parent with children in our neighborhood public schools, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial adequate funding is to their success.

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?

To tackle Texas' teacher shortage, I will focus on ensuring competitive salaries and providing stronger support for new teachers to help keep certified educators in the classroom. We also need to make it easier to become certified, with incentives like scholarships or loan forgiveness for those willing to teach in underserved areas. These steps will go a long way in strengthening our public schools and ensuring every student has a qualified teacher.

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, I support a state-funded pay raise for all Texas educators, especially since 92% of public school funding is now granted from the state. The state must stop holding back education dollars raised through local property taxes for that purpose. Fair compensation is essential to attracting and retaining high-quality teachers, ensuring every student has access to skilled educators. Investing in our teachers is investing in Texas' future.

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?

To address rising health care costs for Texas educators, I would push for increased state funding to improve the TRS-ActiveCare program, making health insurance more affordable. Exploring cost-saving measures like group purchasing and wellness programs could also help lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Ensuring affordable health care is key to retaining talented teachers and improving their take-home pay.

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.?

Standardized testing should be just one tool among many for assessing student progress. While tests can offer useful data, they should not be the main factor in determining teacher pay, school ratings, or evaluations. These tests should never have high stakes attached. And testing vendors should not benefit more than kids, educators, parents and communities. A balanced approach that includes classroom performance, student engagement, and other measures that each local community expects will give a more accurate picture of both student growth and teacher effectiveness than one test on one day.

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?

The balance should prioritize the community’s interest in maintaining an effective and equitable educational environment for all students. While individual needs and preferences are important and should be considered, the focus must be on creating policies that benefit the entire student population. This ensures that resources are used efficiently and that every student has access to a quality education. As a parent, I work hard to support my children and their teachers.

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?

TRS should be maintained as a defined-benefit pension plan for all future, current, and retired teachers. Recently I met with our local teacher retirement group to hear what is important to them and what they want to see in the next legislative session. I am prepared to serve and advocate for a retired teachers.

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 strongly support allowing all public employees to continue exercising their rights to join professional associations, especially in light of the current attacks on public education. Many state leaders, backed by big money donors, are working to privatize our schools, undermining the profession and defunding public education. This disrespect is wrong, and associations play a crucial role in exposing these issues and advocating for the truth. By supporting these rights, we stand against the erosion of our public schools and ensure that educators can continue to champion the quality education our students deserve.
 

Additional Comments from Candidate on Survey

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I’m your pro-public education candidate in this race, and I’m running because our schools deserve better. My opponent has voted against our public schools and in favor of privatization through vouchers. That’s why I’m proudly endorsed by parents, teachers, and community members across HD 52. My support comes not from big-money donors, but from everyday people who value our local public schools as much as I do. Together, we can reclaim our district from those who are buying up House seats across Texas, taking away YOUR voice. Additionally, we are a proud public school family. My husband works for the local ISD and I have two kids that attend public school, one with special education needs. All of these issues impact us at a very personal level.