Dr. Fatima La'Juan Muse

Voting records currently not available. Please check back later.

Survey Responses

RESPONSES TO THE 2026 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

1. If elected, what are your top priorities for Texas public education?

Please describe any specific goals or legislative initiatives you would pursue to strengthen the state’s public education system.

Public education is the foundation of strong communities and a thriving Texas economy. My priorities are to fully fund our public schools, improve teacher recruitment and retention, expand access to mental health services for students, reduce the overreliance on standardized testing, modernize aging school facilities, and ensure every child regardless of zip code has access to a high-quality education. I will advocate for increased classroom resources, stronger career and technical education programs, early childhood education, and partnerships with colleges and employers that prepare students for success after graduation.

2. Public Education Funding:

The 89th Legislature passed an $8 billion school funding bill, HB 2. However, despite years of unanswered “inflationary challenges, a large majority of that funding was earmarked to specific programs and did not supply districts with significant flexible funding, leaving the majority of Texas students in districts with deficit budgets and other significant funding challenges. Do you believe Texas public schools should receive additional funding? If so, how should the state pay for it, and should that funding be earmarked at the state level or provide districts with flexible dollars?

Yes. Texas must provide additional funding for public education to address years of inflation, enrollment growth, and rising operational costs. The state has a constitutional responsibility to adequately fund public schools. Funding should prioritize increasing the Basic Allotment and providing districts with flexible dollars so local leaders can meet the unique needs of their communities rather than relying primarily on narrowly targeted programs. Texas has sufficient resources to strengthen public education through responsible budgeting and by making public education a higher legislative priority.

3. ESA Vouchers:

Education savings accounts (ESAs) redirect public funds to private or home schools. How do you believe Texas should fund public schools, traditional and charter, alongside ESA vouchers? How should ESA spending be held accountable to taxpayers?

Public tax dollars should first and foremost support Texas public schools, which educate the overwhelming majority of our children and serve every student regardless of background or ability.

I oppose diverting public education funding into voucher programs that reduce resources available to neighborhood public schools. Any publicly funded educational program should meet the same standards of financial transparency, academic accountability, nondiscrimination, and public oversight required of traditional public schools.

4. Teacher Recruitment and Retention:

Under HB 2, passed in 2025, all educators in core content courses (math, English, science, and social studies) must be certified by 2030. While this is a good start, more can and should be done to ensure high-quality teachers continue to enter the classroom. What are your suggestions to improve the quality of the new teacher pipeline?

Texas must make teaching a profession that talented individuals want to enter and remain in throughout their careers.

I support:

• Competitive salaries beginning with first-year educators.
• Expanded teacher residency and mentorship programs.
• Affordable educator preparation pathways.
• Loan forgiveness and scholarship opportunities.
• Reduced unnecessary paperwork and administrative burdens.
• Increased classroom support.
• Expanded opportunities for continuing professional development.
• Strong investments in school leadership and positive campus culture.

5. Educator Pay and Benefits:

The 89th Legislature passed legislation creating a new mechanism to provide only classroom teachers with tiered raises based on early years of service and their district’s student enrollment. While the raises were significant, they did not apply to all campus educators, and the program created a significant negative funding stream at the district level due to unfunded increased costs for non-salary compensation tied to payroll, such as TRS retirement contributions. Do you support a state-funded across-the-board pay raise for all Texas educators? How would you ensure that compensation keeps pace with inflation and remains competitive with other professions?

Texas must make teaching a profession that talented individuals want to enter and remain in throughout their careers. I support: Competitive salaries beginning with first-year educators. Expanded teacher residency and mentorship programs. Affordable educator preparation pathways. Loan forgiveness and scholarship opportunities. Reduced unnecessary paperwork and administrative burdens. Increased classroom support. Expanded opportunities for continuing professional development. Strong investments in school leadership and positive campus culture. Yes. Every educator contributes to student success—not only classroom teachers. I support a fully state-funded across-the-board salary increase for teachers, counselors, librarians, nurses, instructional aides, diagnosticians, and support personnel. Future compensation should include automatic cost-of-living adjustments that help educator salaries keep pace with inflation and remain competitive with other professions requiring similar education and expertise.

6. Educator Health Care:

The high cost of health insurance for active and retired educators continues to reduce take-home pay, with educators shouldering the vast majority of their ever-increasing heath care costs. How would you address the affordability and sustainability of educator health care, particularly the TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care programs?

Texas must make educator healthcare affordable.

I support increasing the state's contribution to TRS-Active Care and TRS-Care, reducing out-of-pocket costs, expanding plan options, improving preventive care coverage, strengthening mental health benefits, and ensuring retirees are not forced to choose between healthcare and basic living expenses.

7. Retirement Security:

Do you believe the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) should remain a defined-benefit pension plan for all current and future members? If not, what is your plan to provide a secure retirement for Texas educators, particularly considering that state law has been set up such that most districts do not participate in Social Security?

I fully support maintaining TRS as a defined-benefit pension system for current and future educators. Since many Texas educators do not participate in Social Security, protecting the integrity and long-term sustainability of TRS is essential.

Texas should continue making responsible contributions to ensure retirement benefits remain secure while also addressing inflation and the financial realities facing retirees.

8. Accountability and Assessment Reform:

The Legislature has passed a new “through-year” multi-test model under HB 8. What role should standardized testing play in evaluating students, teachers, and schools? Should test results continue to determine A–F accountability ratings or teacher pay?

Standardized assessments should be one tool—not the primary measure—used to evaluate student learning.

Student growth, classroom performance, educator observations, graduation rates, career readiness, attendance, and other meaningful indicators should all play a role in accountability.

I do not believe standardized test scores alone should determine educator compensation or define a school's overall quality.

9. Parental Rights and Community Voice:

Recent legislative debates have focused on “parental rights” in education. In your view, what is the appropriate balance between accommodating the often conflicting wishes of individual parents while maintaining policies that reflect the broader community’s educational priorities and still providing consistency and an appropriate level of professional deference to educators?

Parents are essential partners in education and deserve meaningful involvement in their children's education.

At the same time, educators deserve professional respect and the ability to use their expertise to meet educational standards. Successful schools require collaboration among parents, educators, local school boards, and communities while maintaining consistency in curriculum and ensuring every student receives a quality education.

10. School Safety:

HB 3 (2023) imposed new school safety requirements but did not fully fund them. Although the 89th Legislature increased the School Safety Allotment, many districts continue to face substantial unfunded staffing and facility costs associated with school safety laws. How would you make schools safer and ensure the state provides adequate funding to meet safety mandates?

Safe schools require more than physical security.

I support fully funding every school safety mandate imposed by the Legislature so districts are not forced to divert instructional dollars.

School safety should include:

• Campus security improvements
• Mental health professionals
• Threat assessment teams
• Bullying prevention
• Crisis intervention services
• Emergency preparedness
• Partnerships with local law enforcement
• Violence prevention programs

Every mandate should come with sufficient state funding.

11. Curriculum and Local Control:

What do you believe is the proper role of the State Board of Education, the Texas Education Agency, and local school districts in setting curriculum standards and selecting instructional materials?

The State Board of Education should establish broad academic standards.

The Texas Education Agency should provide oversight, accountability, and technical support.

Local school boards and educators should retain meaningful flexibility in curriculum implementation and instructional materials while ensuring all students meet statewide academic expectations.

Educational decisions should be guided by educators, evidence, and student needs rather than partisan politics.

12. Educator Rights and Professional Associations:

State law allows educators and other public employees to voluntarily join professional associations such as ATPE and have membership dues deducted from their paychecks at no cost to taxpayers. Do you support or oppose allowing public employees to continue exercising this right? Why or why not?

Yes.

I strongly support educators' right to voluntarily join professional organizations such as ATPE and have dues deducted through payroll. Professional associations provide educators with legal support, professional development, advocacy, leadership opportunities, and a collective voice on issues affecting public education. Protecting freedom of association is an important workplace right.