Glenn Rogers*
Texas House District 60
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(817) 319-1239 Phone Number
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info@rogersfortexas.com Email Address
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https://www.RogersforTexas.com Website Address
Status
Incumbent
Party
Republican
Occupation
Veterinarian/Rancher
Address
1832 Grassy Ridge Road, Graford, TX, 76449
Additional Information
First elected to the Texas House in 2020. Current term expires January 2025.
*Rogers lost his reelection bid for Texas House District 60 in the 2024 Republican primary election. He will not be on the November 2024 general election ballot.
Supported by one or more pro-public education organizations in the 2024 Texas primaries.
Endorsed in the 2024 Republican primary election by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial board. He also received their endorsement in the May 2022 Republican primary runoff election.
Endorsed in the 2022 Republican primary election by Texas Parent PAC, a pro-public education organization that advocates for adequate and equitable funding of public schools, local control, teacher quality, and the prevention of private school vouchers. He also received the same group's endorsement in the 2020 election.Rogers participated in a nonpartisan candidate forum hosted by the education-focused nonprofit organization Raise Your Hand Texas prior to the 2022 primary election. Watch video of that event here.
Related Blog Posts
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House Vote #1 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS
Voted for a budget amendment to prohibit state funds from being spent on private school vouchers. ATPE supported the amendment.
House Floor Amendment 45 by Rep. Abel Herrero (D–Robstown) to House Bill 1 by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R–Friendswood), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. During its April 6, 2023, debate on the budget bill, the House passed this ATPE-supported amendment banning use of state funds for a private school voucher. (Record vote #111. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The amendment passed but was later stripped out of the final budget bill.
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House Vote #2 - 2023: CURRICULUM
Voted for 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), 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 3, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on third reading. (Record vote #914. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a Senate version of the bill.
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House Vote #3 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS
Voted against a motion to allow the House Public Education Committee to meet for the purpose of voting on a new version of a private school voucher bill that had not been publicly vetted. The House refused to grant permission for the meeting.
This vote taken May 10, 2023, prevented the House Public Education Committee from holding a previously unscheduled meeting to rush through a last-minute vote on a controversial voucher bill that had not been publicly vetted. Committee Chairman Brad Buckley (R–Salado) requested permission for his committee to meet while the full House was still in a floor session. Rep. Ernest Bailes (R–Shepherd) objected to the motion and called for a record vote. The vote denying permission for the committee to meet was a pivotal point in stopping the push for vouchers during the regular session. Read more about the vote here. (House Record vote #1464. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)
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House Vote #4 - 2023: SCHOOL FUNDING
Voted for a bill to change funding formulas for school districts and the minimum salary schedule.
House Bill 100 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill intended to make funding formulas enrollment-based rather than attendance-based. It also called for condensing the minimum salary schedule to a three-tiered schedule covering 10 years, which ATPE opposed. On April 27, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on third reading. (Record vote #595. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Senate later added a private school voucher provision to the bill, which resulted in HB 100’s failure to pass.
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House Vote #5 - 2023: SCHOOL FUNDING
Voted against an amendment to raise the Basic Allotment to $6,500. ATPE supported the amendment.
House Floor Amendment 7 by Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer (D–San Antonio) to House Bill 100 by Rep. Ken King (R–Canadian), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The amendment would have increased the Basic Allotment from $6,250 to $6,500. On April 26, 2023, the House voted to reject the Martinez-Fischer amendment. (Record vote #564. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)
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House Vote #6 - 2023: TEACHER PIPELINE
Voted for an omnibus bill that proposed several regulatory changes and a one-time stipend of $2,000 for teachers. ATPE opposed the bill as 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), sponsored in the House by Rep. Harold Dutton (D–Houston), 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 opposition to it here. On May 23, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on second reading. (Record vote #2021. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill ultimately died in the House when it was withdrawn from consideration on third reading.
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House Vote #7 - 2023: TEACHER RECRUITMENT/RETENTION
Voted for a bill to address teacher recruitment and retention through increased funding for incentive pay and other initiatives.
House Bill 11 by Rep. Harold Dutton (D–Houston), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. This bill aimed to improve teacher recruitment and retention through increased funding for incentive pay and other initiatives. Read more about the bill and ATPE’s position on it here. On April 26, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on second reading. (Record vote #563. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill later died in the Senate.
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House Vote #8 - 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), 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 28, 2023, the House adopted the Conference Committee Report on HB 3, approving final passage of the bill. (Record vote #2229. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)
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House Vote #9 - 2023: SCHOOL COUNSELORS
Voted for 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), sponsored in the House by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill removed the requirement for school counselors to have prior experience as a classroom teacher. On May 16, 2023, the House voted to pass the bill on second reading. (Record vote #1750. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill was finally passed the next day and ultimately became law.
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House Vote #10 - 2023: SCHOOL CHAPLAINS
Voted for 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 Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston), sponsored in the House by Rep. Cole Hefner (R–Mount Pleasant), 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 8, 2023, the House voted to pass its version of the bill on second reading. (Record vote #1280. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The Legislature ultimately passed a compromise version of the bill.
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House Vote #11 - 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), sponsored in the House by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R–Friendswood), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill provides a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and 13th check for retired educators. On May 28, 2023, the House voted to adopt the conference committee report on SB 10, approving final passage of the bill. (Record vote #2210. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)
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House Vote #12 - 2023: ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION
Voted for a bill that modified the requirements for accelerated instruction to make them less burdensome for teachers and schools. ATPE supported the bill.
House Bill 1416 by Rep. Keith Bell (R–Forney), 88th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill was a clean-up for 2021’s House Bill 4545 (87-R), which required accelerated instruction for students who failed a STAAR exam. Based on feedback from teachers and school districts, HB 1416 reduced the hours of accelerated instruction required per subject and raised the teacher-student ratio to make it more manageable. On May 19, 2023, the House voted to concur in the Senate amendments to HB 1416, approving final passage of the bill. (Record vote #1873. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)
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House Vote #13 - 2023: LIBRARY BOOKS
Voted for a bill establishing a rating system for and restricting certain content in school library materials.
House Bill 900 by Rep. Jared Patterson (R–Frisco), 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 April 19, 2023, the House voted to pass HB 900 on second reading. (Record Vote #334. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.) The bill was ultimately approved by both the House and Senate and became law.
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House Vote #14 - 2023: PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS
Voted for the Raney amendment that stripped voucher language from an omnibus education bill, thereby stopping the last attempt to pass vouchers through the Texas Legislature in 2023. ATPE supported the amendment.
House Floor Amendment 2 by Rep. John Raney (R–Bryan) to House Bill 1 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado), 88th Legislature, fourth called Special Session. The amendment removed voucher provisions from an omnibus education bill, effectively stopping the last attempt to pass vouchers during the 2023 legislative sessions. Read more about the amendment here. On Nov. 17, 2023, the House voted to adopt the Raney amendment. (Record vote #56. View an official record of the vote in the House journal.)
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(Historical) House Vote #1 - 2021: VOUCHERS
Voted for a budget amendment to prohibit state funds from being spent on private school vouchers. ATPE supported the amendment.
House Floor Amendment #84 by Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Robstown) to Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The House passed the ATPE-supported amendment during its debate on the budget bill, April 22, 2021. (Record vote #410. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)
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(Historical) House Vote #2 - 2021: SPECIAL EDUCATION
Voted for a bill creating the "Supplemental Special Education Services" grant, which allows parents of eligible students in special education to apply for a grant of up to $1,500 for the purchase of supplemental educational services and materials.
Senate Bill 1716 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), sponsored in the House by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. The bill as passed by the Senate would have created a special education voucher program, which ATPE opposed, but the House removed the voucher language. On May 26, 2021, the House voted to pass its version of the bill on third reading, sending SB 1716 to the governor without objection from ATPE. (Record vote #1516. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)
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(Historical) House Vote #3 - 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.
House Floor Amendment #14 by Rep. Chris Turner (D-Arlington) to House Bill 1525 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingsville), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 21, 2021, the House passed the ATPE-supported amendment during its floor debate on a school finance clean-up bill. (Record vote #387. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)
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(Historical) House Vote #4 - 2021: CIVICS AND CURRICULUM
Voted for 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 (R-The Woodlands), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 11, 2021, the House voted to pass the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #982. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) Read more about the bill here.
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(Historical) House Vote #5 - 2021: CIVICS AND CURRICULUM
Voted for 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), sponsored in the House by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Sept. 2, 2021, the House amended and then voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #150. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal). Read more about SB 3 here.
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(Historical) House Vote #6 - 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), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 13, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #1028. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) The Senate later amended HB 547, 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. On May 28, 2021, the House voted to concur with the Senate amendments to the bill, thereby sending a final version of HB 547 to the governor. (Record vote #1556. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) Read more about the bill here.
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(Historical) House Vote #7 - 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), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 8, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #913. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) Read more about the bill here.
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(Historical) House Vote #8 - 2021: RETIREMENT
Voted for 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), sponsored in the House by Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Aug. 30, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-supported bill on third reading. (Record vote #98. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)
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(Historical) House 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), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On April 28, 2021, the House voted to approve the ATPE-opposed bill on third reading. (Record vote #497. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.) The Senate passed an amended version of HB 1468, and the bill was eventually sent to a conference committee to generate a compromise version. HB 1468 ultimately died when the House failed to vote on the conference committee report before the regular session ended.
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(Historical) House 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), sponsored in the House by Rep. Keith Bell (R-Forney), 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. 30, 2021, the House voted to pass the bill on third reading. (Record vote #96. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal.)
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(Historical) House Vote #11 - 2021: ACCOUNTABILITY
Voted for a bill that pauses accountability ratings for the 2021-22 school year, halts progressive sanctions for D- and F-rated schools once they earn a C rating, and clarifies due process protections for districts facing sanctions.
Voted for/Voted against/Was "present not voting" on/Was absent for the vote on a bill that pauses accountability ratings for the 2021-22 school year, halts progressive sanctions for D- and F-rated schools once they earn a C rating, and clarifies due process protections for districts facing sanctions.
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(Historical) House 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), 87th Legislature, Regular Session. On May 28, 2021, the House voted to concur with Senate amendments to the bill, which sent a final version of HB 4545 to the governor. (Record vote #1689. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal). Read more about the bill here.
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(Historical) House Vote #13 - 2021: ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION
Voted for a bill that would have eased implementation of HB 4545, passed during the regular session, by limiting the subjects in which tutoring is required for students who failed a STAAR test and offering temporary relief from tutoring group size limits.
House Bill 233 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood), 87th Legislature, Second Called Session. On Sept. 2, 2021, the House voted to approve the bill on third reading. (Record vote #153. View an official record of the vote in the House Journal). The bill ultimately died when the Senate declined to hear it before the end of the session. Read more about the bill here.
Candidate Survey Responses
RESPONSES TO THE 2024 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:
1. If elected, what are your top priorities for public education?
- Secure the teacher pay raises and funding for school safety that was held hostage by vouchers in HB1.
- Rein in TEA. I will file a bill to eliminate TEA. This is a bloated bureaucracy that is responsible for many of the issues that are causing teachers to leave the profession – forced to teach to the STARR test, burdensome regulations, continual changing parameters for measured success. Each legislative session bills are passed to put even more power in TEA. We need power returned to the ELECTED State Board of Education and put the INDEPENDENT back in independent school districts.
- Improve marketing of public schools to general public. There needs to be considerable resources put in to restoring confidence in our schools and teachers. We have a great story to tell, but unfortunately, it has been overwhelmed by the Voucher lobby, the Wilks/Dunn Cartel and politicians that have used teachers as scapegoats for societal woes and scoring political points with the Crazy Far Right. I will continue protecting our great local schools. In District 60, we are blessed to have outstanding public and private schools that provide our students with a balanced education. Our schools are the heart of our communities; Friday Night Lights, band performances, FFA activities, and many other school events are irreplaceable. I will continue to stand up for local schools, to enhance our students' learning experience, and support our teachers in their efforts to bring up the next generation. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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, lowincome 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 will not support any type of voucher program. I fully support parents making the decision of where to educate their children, be it public schools, private schools, home schools, charter schools, or other alternatives. However, taking public money from our public schools and turning it over to the private sector with no accountability is not a conservative value and is wrong for Texas and wrong for our children. Further, placing more power in the hands of TEA and increasing their unelected, bureaucratic reach is also not a conservative value. Let’s fully fund public education, restructure the TEA, and put the “independent” back in independent school districts. https://www.community-news.com/stories/vouchers-are-not-conservative,69954 THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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?
Nothing is more important than the safety of our school children. However, HB 3 resulted in an unfunded mandate being placed on our already cash-strapped public schools. I will work to increase public education funding to cover these additional costs and support fully funding education mandates. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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?
Texas schools should receive additional funding to keep pace with unfunded mandates on top of record inflation. Fortunately, we have the funds to adequately fund public education with the current budget surplus. Moving forward, the state budgetary process should prioritize funding public education and we should make sure we are recovering funds from the federal government for state expenditures on federal responsibilities. A voucher entitlement program would cost $2 billion by next biennium. Ultimately, there are only two ways to fund vouchers, 1) raise property taxes, or 2) defund public schools. Creating another educational pathway instead of adequately funding and supporting our current system is not economically sound. The state can fund public schools adequately, but would have great difficulty with the financial burden of an unaccountable voucher entitlement program. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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?
As stated earlier, this has to start with better marketing to the public about the value of public school teachers and all the wonderful educational and workforce training that is taking place. The most important requirement for recruitment is not money, it’s RESPECT. Respect from administrators, civic and political leaders and parents. There seems to have been a concentrated effort by the wealthy power players in the state to undermine teachers and schools so they can be privatized. Next is to make sure we are compensating teachers adequately. We should also work to take the administrative burden off of teachers to allow them more time to teach. We must also make sure school districts have adequate resources to manage an increasing load of discipline and behavior issues. Again TEA is often the problem, not the solution. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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. This session was a good one for retired educators. We were able to provide a substantial supplemental payment and the first COLA in almost 20 years. This will not only help retirees with offsetting the effects of inflation, but should show active teachers that we care about them in retirement. It was a great disappointment for me personally to not be able to leave Austin with an active teacher pay praise. We must correct this as soon as possible. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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?
Rising health care costs are an issue across the nation. I support emphasizing voluntary wellness and preventive health programs to decrease the number of chronic health care cases. The healthier we all stay, the lower our health care costs will be. There must be a focus on creative methods to deliver health insurance at a more reasonable cost. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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.?
Any organization needs feedback mechanisms to allow the managers to measure progress and make course corrections. However, using a single tool in isolation is not good practice. I favor working with educators to provide a proper feedback mechanism that could take more factors into account rather than a mandated, one-size-fits-all, make-or-break test. I support elimination of the STAAR test and use of a different method of accountability that truly demonstrates progress and can be better utilized by teachers and administrators for making progress in each unique setting. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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?
That balance should be under local control with assistance from Austin rather than be dictated almost entirely from Austin. Put the independent back in our independent school districts. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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?
I support a defined benefit pension plan that is actuarily sound and keeps retirees’ income current with inflation. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
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?
As with all professions, public employees should be able to freely choose what, if any, professional associations they wish to join and have those dues deducted from their pay at no cost to the taxpayers. This is a contentious topic with certain elements (far far right). The word “union” needs to be eliminated from any discussions since we are a “Right to Work” state. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
RESPONSES TO THE 2022 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:
1. If elected, what will be your top priorities for public education?
1) Reduce onerous administrative requirements and increase teaching opportunities.
2) Eliminate STAAR test.
3) Prevent vouchers
2. What are your recommendations for funding public education, including securing the necessary revenue to sustain the improvements made by House Bill 3 in 2019? Do you believe additional funding is needed?
The state should pay for at least 50% of the cost of public education. Local property tax for public schools must be reduced. Increased state spending must be accompanied by increased economic efficiency and innovative strategies to decrease costs.
3. How would you address the challenge of rising health care costs facing Texas educators and ensure that active and retired educators have access to affordable health care?
We need a better long term plan for TRS, with benefits based on actual healthcare costs.
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 do you support converting TRS to a defined contribution plan that is more like a 401(k) plan, in which future benefits are not guaranteed?
I support keeping TRS as a defined benefit plan. I have talked to many teachers, both active and retired, and they almost unanimously prefer the defined benefit plan. Teachers seem to be more risk averse and schools are not corporations.
5. 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 for teacher pay, school accountability ratings, evaluating teachers, measuring student progress, etc.?
We need to stop designing programs geared toward the average. Improvement in a lower socio economic school in an inner city school should be just as important as lofty accomplishments in a wealthy school.
Evaluations need to look at a collection of students work and how they evolve over time rather than one test point in time. By reducing assessment and accountability to a single standardized test we are basing everything about the individual student and school on one point in time rather than the whole learning experience. This is an event we are training our children to dread.
Teaching to a standardized test has made our public school students less ready for college because of the decrease in productive learning and teaching time this practice creates.
No private schools (which have the advantage of cherry picking the best students) use standardized testing, like the STAAR test. Universities do not care about STAAR test results.
6. Would you vote to create any type of voucher, tax credit, scholarship, education savings account, or other program aimed at paying for students, including any subpopulation of students, to attend non-public K-12 schools, such as private or home schools?
I am opposed to vouchers (and synonyms for vouchers).
The message to those that support vouchers: “Once you accept vouchers (state money), it’s only a matter of time before you’ll have the STAAR test required in home and private schools. Is that what you want?”
7. 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?
Support
8. What role, if any, should charter schools have in the public education system, and do you feel the number of charter schools operating in Texas should be reduced or expanded?
I would only consider supporting a charter school when there is a well defined need to augment a low performing public school.
I believe local school boards should determine whether a charter school can be established within their district and have jurisdiction over the public charter school. This is the model in some other states.
The number of charter schools operating in Texas should be reduced.
9. How much freedom should school districts have to make decisions during disease outbreaks, such as requiring face coverings and immunizations or transitioning to remote instruction?
Our elected school boards need to have as much local control as possible, but it should not come at the expense of parental rights. Parents are responsible for their children, and must have the ability to make medical decisions for their children. It is important that we let data and not politics guide decision-making. In disease outbreaks or where other safety concerns are present, remote learning should be an option, but that should be a discussion between the parent, student, and teacher. It is also critical that we do all we can to protect our teachers in the classroom. Their safety and health is of the utmost importance and we should also consider their needs.
10. What do you believe is the proper role of virtual education within the public education system? Do you believe full-time virtual education should be expanded, and if so, under what circumstances?
Virtual education is a remarkable tool for augmenting in-person learning. It should never be used as a substitute for in-person learning.
In-person learning is unequivocally superior and our students deserve the in-person learning experience.. With that said, virtual education provides an alternative in many temporary scenarios (pandemics, travel, etc.). We need to continue to have optional virtual education in appropriate circumstances, but never let it take the place of the traditional personal-interaction teaching model.
11. What do you feel should be the state’s role (versus the role of school districts or individual educators) in decisions about public school curriculum and instructional materials?
I am a strong supporter of more local control of governmental entities and school districts. However, there is a difference in local control and "outta control." Punitive measures against a small number of failing public schools that are "outta control" should not apply to the overwhelming number of local school districts that are doing an exceptional job and perform admirably for the local community.
There needs to be more local control and ability to make local decisions on school boards. Community standards differ and there should be more flexibility to adapt curricula and criteria that match local community standards. The standard in Austin may not fit Gordon, Texas.
12. The COVID-19 pandemic and additional instructional support needed to remediate students’ learning losses have placed additional strain on public schools’ staffing needs. How would you work to ensure classrooms are appropriately staffed, teachers’ workloads are manageable, and planning time is not sacrificed amid these challenges?
I would support ongoing "hold harmless" attendance requirements. Overhead expenses continue despite reduced attendance from medical or weather situations.
There needs to be more flexibility in crisis situations where regulations regarding teacher certification and student:teacher ratios be relaxed as determined necessary by the local district.
Additional Comments from Candidate on Survey
COMMENTS SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO 2024 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF TEXAS PUBLIC EDUCATION! THE 16 Republicans that stood in the gap for public education must get re-elected! RESULTS WILL DEPEND ON A LARGE TEACHER VOTE!
COMMENTS SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO 2022 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:
Stop state overreach (this is not conservative). Develop an accreditation system like we have for colleges and universities that does not directly pit school versus school. Public universities are not graded by the state and neither should public K-12 schools be graded by the state.I do not support the current A-F grading system. It is clear that this is largely a measure of the socioeconomic status of the student population. A school district with 80% on free and reduced lunch should not be compared to a wealthy district. The state has created a game of “winners and losers” with lots of wasted energy going toward “playing the game” rather than teaching children.
Grading schools, primarily on test scores, harms real estate values in certain areas, further contributing to the cycle of poverty.
This is fundamentally unfair. Group comparisons of students in the same socioeconomic class would be more fair, if the A-F system continues.