I am a software developer who brings my STEM expertise and data‑driven judgment to the table to support strong schools, improve student outcomes, and advocate policies that reflect classroom needs.
Social studies should balance state, national, and world history. Giving younger students a broad historical picture and revisiting topics in later grades allows them to recontextualize events to understand how previous actions shape future decisions and events. This leads to the development of civic identity and global awareness.
Texas faces significant teacher attrition. One way to alleviate this is to advocate the state for higher minimum salaries and ensuring the state funds them through teacher incentive allotment (TIA). Certifications costs can also be cheaper and the process of certification can be improved while maintaining its high quality.
Physical books, paper, and pencils should be all that is needed for younger students to understand how to do math, write complete sentences, and understand concepts before technology is introduced to them. As they get older, use of a computer to type papers and research can be used but a reliance on technology without the foundations leads to less understanding and reduced critical thinking.
Public schools should not promote or teach any specific religion, including Christianity. Religion should only be discussed objectively in the context of history or culture to understand its impact on civilizations. Religious belief and doctrine are personal choices and should be taught by families and religious institutions, not public schools.
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I am a dedicated and passionate educator with nearly 20 years of experience. I have worked in K-12 education and now enjoy working with Texas youth as a community college professor and administrator.
Social studies education is essential in preparing the next generation to be engaged citizens and responsible community members. We owe it to our children to ensure that history is accurately taught in schools and that all high school graduates leave school with a firm understanding of civics, governance, and economics. Texas youth are the global workers of tomorrow—they should be well-rounded.
The State Board of Ed has great power and great responsibility. We need to ensure that teaching positions are filled with qualified candidates, while also acknowledging that there is a teacher shortage. We need to reassess teacher pay and benefits, routes to alternate certification that actually work, and methods to retain veteran teachers. Professional development is critical in this mission.
I’m not writing responses with generative AI, but I could be. We now live in a reality where we can fear technology or use it to our benefit. Understanding the complexities of technology is something that I’m deeply interested in and on day one, I would prioritize ways to train teacher in digital instruction and new learning technologies (while also dedicating time to be understand tech ethics).
Religion has no place in our public schools. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion (including none). Christian ideology or curriculum in TX schools is an assault to this constitutional right. As educators, we can respect a student’s individual right to freedom of religion while also maintaining the core belief of separation of church and state.
In addition to the issues above, I am deeply committed to the following: Ending school vouchers (which weaken our public school system), improving statewide math and literacy standards, making higher education more affordable (along with strengthening programs to prepare students for college, military, or career), and ensuring equal access to education for ALL Texans, regardless of status.
