As a recently retired educator of 36 years, I am very aware of what is happening in the classroom. Learning should be an enjoyable experience and teachers should be able to teach with creativity and enjoy teaching. Students and teachers need and want to be accountable for what goes on in the classroom, but, don’t need to be shouldered with all of the extra testing and requirements that they must meet. I believe that decisions made concerning what happens in the classroom should be made by educators who have been in the classroom and know what our children and teachers need.
As a 4th generation Texan I have deep roots in our state and a strong foundation in traditional Texas values. A successful small business owner, my father taught me the value of hard work, determination and creativity while my mother instilled in me a love of learning and the value of education.
I’ve known that it was my passion to help children learn and discover the world around them from an early age. My first experiences teaching were in my local church congregation working with children during Vacation Bible School and in the church day care. After receiving a strong education from my local public school system, I went on to receive a degree from Baylor University’s School of Education.
Upon graduating from Baylor my formal career in education began and I quickly realized that there is a lot to learn about being a successful educator. More than 36 years later, my passion for educating the next generation of Texans has brought me a wonderful career and many opportunities to ensure that my students received the best education possible. During my years in the classroom I was honored to be the recipient of the Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence and to be twice named to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.
As I became a more seasoned classroom veteran, I also gained a deeper appreciation for the need to cultivate and nurture the atmosphere of professionalism in the teaching profession. This led me to serve on many local, regional and state level education committees. It also propelled me to become the state president of the largest non-union group of professional educators in the nation. While serving as state president, I worked directly with many policy makers and interest groups whose focus is education and helping Texas students achieve academic success, including the State Board of Education, TEA and the Texas Legislature.
Currently I am serving as the Worship Leader at Primrose Drive Baptist Church in my hometown of Waco and continue to remain active in the education community as a member of the Waco-McLennan County Retired Teachers Association. If elected, I intend to further act on the belief that has driven me for the past four decades, that our children are our most precious resource and our future and deserve the best education that we can provide.