Q&A: Meet the candidates running for the State Board of Education, District 14 seat

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

What are the biggest challenges facing District 14?

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

How do you plan to involve residents and local school districts in the decision-making process?

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

What will be your top priorities if you are elected?

Curriculum standards should be written by educators, not politicians. I'll push to roll back politically shaped TEKS and reading lists, hold publicly funded charter schools accountable to the public and protect students' freedom to read. Parents control what their own child reads, not what all children are permitted to read.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

I'm in my 17th year teaching in Title I public schools, working with gifted, general education and English language learners. I see every day what happens when standards are written by people who will never see the consequences. I'll bring classroom reality to the board, not a political agenda.

What are the biggest challenges facing District 14?

Texas spent 30 years underfunding public schools and complaining they aren't working. It's like not filling your car's gas tank and calling it a lemon when it won't start. Then Austin makes it worse with curriculum shaped by politicians, not educators. No wonder District 14 struggles to keep experienced teachers.

How do you plan to involve residents and local school districts in the decision-making process?

I'll keep explaining what the SBOE actually does in plain language so residents know how to weigh in. I'll seek out teachers, parents and district leaders before major votes and trust local districts with decisions that belong to them. I'll show up like I do every day for my students.