TJ Baker

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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.

My legislative commitment is clear and enforceable:

No child invisible. No educator unsupported. No district: especially District 131 left waiting for justice already written into law.  I personally know, I’m a proud 7th grade Texas History Teacher, Alief ISD. Therefore, I’m not reading data, I’m living it! Seven days a week, from the classroom and home, because the love of teaching and advocating for continuous supports never stops.

I seek office to legislate with precision, enforce with resolve, and serve with moral clarity. Legislative Agenda to Strengthen Texas Public Education.

As the former and first Black woman… President of the Fort Bend Education Association (FBEA), where I served two terms totaling eight years, I bring direct experience navigating the Texas Education Code, labor protections, and statewide education policy. FBEA is a local affiliate of the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA), aligned with the National Education Association (NEA). My work has always focused on ensuring that law, once written, reaches the child it was meant to serve.

Once elected, I will advance the following statutory initiatives, with immediate attention to the unmet needs of District 131.
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1. District Equity in Education Funding Act
Texas Education Code: §§ 48.001–48.315 (Foundation School Program)
Legislative Action:

• Amend TEC §48.051 (Basic Allotment) to require automatic biennial adjustments tied to inflation and regional cost-of-living indices
• Strengthen TEC §48.102–48.105 to expand weighted funding for economically disadvantaged students, English Language Learners, and students in concentrated poverty
• Prohibit unfunded mandates under TEC §48.001(b) by requiring fiscal impact statements and appropriations for all new education requirements

District 131 Impact: Chronic underfunding, overcrowded classrooms, and aging facilities demand a funding model rooted in present realities not outdated formulas.
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2. Fully Funded Special Education Compliance & Support Act
Texas Education Code: Chapter 29, Subchapter A (§§29.001–29.015)
Legislative Action:

• Amend TEC §29.003 to mandate 100% state funding of special education services
• Establish enforceable caseload limits and staffing ratios under TEC §29.006
• Create an independent Special Education Compliance Office with audit and enforcement authority, aligned with IDEA and reported annually to the Legislature

District 131 Impact: Families should not litigate for federally guaranteed services. Compliance must be enforced, not assumed.
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3. Early Literacy & Intervention Guarantee Act
Texas Education Code: §§28.006, 28.021, 21.044
Legislative Action:

• Expand TEC §28.006 to require funded literacy intervention timelines—not just early identification
• Codify statewide implementation of Science of Teaching Reading requirements under TEC §21.044 with sustained professional development funding
• Fund bilingual literacy, dyslexia services, and family literacy partnerships

District 131 Impact: Literacy gaps formed early become inequities carried for life. Early intervention must be guaranteed, not optional.
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4. Educator Retention, Protection & Pay Act
Texas Education Code: Chapters 21 & 22
Legislative Action:

• Amend TEC §21.402 to establish minimum statewide salary increases indexed to experience and certification
• Protect planning and preparation time under TEC §21.404
• Expand loan forgiveness and housing assistance programs for educators serving in high-need districts

District 131 Impact: Teacher turnover destabilizes classrooms and erodes trust. Retention is a legislative responsibility.
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5. Safe Schools & Modern Facilities Act
Texas Education Code: Chapter 46
Legislative Action:

• Require statewide audits of campuses older than 25 years under TEC §46.001
• Prioritize grants under TEC §46.032 for districts with deferred maintenance, flooding, or safety hazards
• Mandate ADA compliance, safe sidewalks, drainage, and access routes surrounding school campuses

District 131 Impact: Students cannot thrive where infrastructure fails. Safety is foundational, not decorative.
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6. Community Schools & Wraparound Services Act
Texas Education Code: §§33.001–33.008
Legislative Action:

• Expand funding for counselors, social workers, and mental health professionals under TEC §33.002
• Codify community school models that integrate after-school programs, nutrition access, and family services
• Formalize partnerships with higher education pipelines and community organizations

District 131 Impact: Education does not end at the classroom door, and neither do students’ needs.
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For more than 20 years, my constituents have seen my service in practice not as rhetoric, but as sustained presence: advocating for special education, supporting Upward Bound, creating children’s libraries for survivors of domestic violence, organizing 'Free Lunch Pails' Back 2 School Drive, and investing personal resources where policy lagged behind need. I do not keep a ledger of what I have given. A public servant is a vessel!  Ms. Tj Baker 4 State Representative: District 131

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?

Very effective question: Texas public schools require additional funding. Not symbolic funding. Not carefully labeled funding that looks generous on paper but fails in practice. Real funding, flexible, inflation-aware, and equitable funding.

HB 2 acknowledged a truth this chamber can no longer deny: Texas schools have been asked to absorb years of inflation with flat resources. But let us be honest with ourselves—the structure of that $8 billion investment missed the mark for most districts, especially Title I districts like District 131.

The majority of HB 2 dollars were earmarked, not foundational. They did not meaningfully increase the Basic Allotment, nor did they give districts flexibility to address deficit budgets, staffing shortages, or rising operational costs. As a result, most districts serving most Texas students remain in financial distress. 
Members, Title I districts feel inflation first and recover last.

In District 131, schools serve high concentrations of economically disadvantaged students, English learners, and students receiving special education services. These districts are not mismanaged; they are underfunded by design. When the state ties funding to narrow programs without strengthening the foundation, we force districts to choose between keeping teachers, repairing campuses, or meeting student needs. That is not fiscal responsibility that is policy neglect.

So let me be clear:

Yes, we must invest more in public education and we must do it differently.

First, we must increase the Basic Allotment and index it to inflation. Until we do that, every funding bill we pass will be outdated the moment it is signed.

Second, Texas can afford this, and if we choose our priorities wisely. We can:

• Responsibly, use our budget surpluses
• Close outdated corporate tax loopholes that no longer serve the public interest
• Modernize a recapture system that too often penalizes high-need districts

Public education is not a discretionary expense. It is the infrastructure of our democracy.

Now, on the question of earmarked versus flexible funding?  The answer is balance, but with a course correction.

Earmarked funding has its place: special education, school safety, and early literacy areas where compliance and equity must be guaranteed. But Texas has leaned too far into restriction and not far enough into trust.
Flexible funding must be restored.

Local school boards, educators, and administrators are closest to the students. They know whether the immediate need is teachers, buses, counselors, air conditioning, or mental health services. Micromanaging districts from this chamber does not improve outcomes it delays them.

Members, flexible funding is not a blank check. It comes with transparency, reporting, and accountability. But it also comes with respect.

For District 131, flexibility means:

• Retaining experienced teachers
• Reducing class sizes
• Keeping campuses safe and functional
• Providing wraparound services so children are ready to learn

We cannot continue to praise resilience while legislating scarcity. Title I districts should not have to survive on creativity alone.

If we believe every child matters then our funding system must reflect that belief, not contradict it.  Ms. Tj Baker 4 State Representative: District 131

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?

This question really hits home for me! I approach this question not from ideology, but from experience as a student, an educator, a taxpayer, and a parent.

I am a proud graduate of Texas public schools, and I also received part of my early educational foundation in a public charter school during my elementary years. It was there that my parents learned an essential truth: a child with ADHD ‘A child like me’ does not lack the ability to learn but learns differently and on her own time. When a learning plan is supportive from every angle, learning becomes possible, confidence grows, and dignity is preserved.

That experience shapes my position today.

I became a taxpayer long before I became a parent, and one persistent misconception in this debate is that tax dollars do not support charter schools. They do explicitly and under Texas Education Code Chapter 12, and they have for decades, particularly in Title I communities like District 131, where charter schools often serve the same high-need populations as traditional public schools.

Parents absolutely have the right to seek a safe and supportive learning environment for their children. No family should be ashamed for advocating for what works best for their child. But public dollars require public accountability, regardless of the setting.
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How Texas Should Fund Public Schools Alongside ESAs

First and foremost, Texas must fully fund public education before expanding or diverting funds through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).

Traditional public schools and public charter schools educate more than 90% of Texas students and are governed under:

• TEC Chapters 12 (Charters), 29 (Special Education), 33 (Student Services), and 48 (School Finance)

Any ESA framework must be:

• Additive, not extractive, so Title I districts like District 131 are not financially destabilized
• Paired with a meaningful increase to the Basic Allotment under TEC §48.051, indexed to inflation
• Structured so that districts are not left with fixed costs and reduced funding

Choice cannot come at the cost of equity.
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Honesty About Classroom Impact

As educators, we have long raised concerns about overcrowded classrooms. Quietly often only in teacher lounges; many teachers have acknowledged that enrollment shifts related to vouchers have slightly eased classroom loads.

That reality deserves honesty.

But relief without reform is temporary. Without addressing inflation, staffing, facilities, and student services, ESAs become a pressure valve not a permanent solution.
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Accountability Gaps That Must Be Addressed

Another misconception is that charter schools operate without regulation. They do not. Charter schools must comply with TEA oversight under TEC Chapter 12 to receive and retain public funding.

However, accountability gaps remain, particularly in labor protections and enforcement.

Note: I have worked in two charter schools. I have seen innovation and commitment. I have also witnessed:

• Educators without collective bargaining protections
• Inconsistent application of due process
• Limited transparency in employment practices
• No independent agency dedicated to educator grievances

If Texas expands ESAs, these gaps cannot widen.
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How ESA Spending Must Be Held Accountable to Taxpayers

If public dollars follow a child, then those dollars must follow the law.

I support the following statutory guardrails:

1. Financial Audits

• Mandatory annual audits conducted by the State Auditor’s Office, aligned with TEC §44.008
• Public disclosure of ESA expenditures, vendors, and service categories
• Immediate claw back authority for misuse of funds

2. Academic & Civil Rights Compliance
•    ESA-receiving entities must comply with:

• IDEA and TEC Chapter 29 (Special Education)
• Federal civil rights protections
• Nondiscrimination statutes applicable to publicly funded programs

•    Academic outcome reporting to TEA not curriculum control, but performance transparency
3. Educator Protections

• Minimum due process standards for educators in ESA-receiving and charter settings
• Whistleblower protections aligned with Texas Government Code Chapter 554
• Clear grievance pathways with TEA oversight

4. Program Evaluation & Sunset Review

• ESA programs subject to regular Sunset-style legislative review
• Mandatory data reporting on student outcomes, fiscal impact on districts, and Title I displacement

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Advocating for the Bottom Line...

School choice should expand opportunity, not erode the public trust.

Texas must:
•    Fully fund traditional public schools and public charters first
•    Ensure ESAs do not drain Title I districts like District 131
•    Apply equal accountability standards to every recipient of public funds
•    Protect students and educators under any publicly funded education model

Choice without accountability is not freedom it is abandonment!

Public education whether traditional or charter must remain public in purpose, public in funding, and public in accountability.  Ms. Tj Baker 4 State Representative: District 131

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?

As a current 7th-grade Texas History teacher in Alief ISD and a 29-year veteran educator, I answer this question from the classroom floor not from theory, but from truth!

I have taught in traditional public schools and charter schools. I have watched education reform come and go in cycles, often repackaged, rarely resolved. Across every system and setting, one principle remains constant: an effective teacher is not created by paperwork alone, but paperwork still matters.

Certification is not optional. It is essential.

Under Texas Education Code Chapter 21, educator certification exists for a reason. To teach knowledge, one must already possess that knowledge. Content mastery, pedagogical grounding, and legal responsibility to children demand preparation and accountability. Certification is the state’s assurance to parents and taxpayers that a teacher meets a professional threshold, ethically, academically, and legally.

But let us be honest. Shall we? 

Certification alone does not make a teacher effective. It never has. It never will!

What certification cannot grant what no statute can manufacture is the love for student learning, the patience to meet children where they are, and the calling to serve even when the system does not serve you back. That is not taught in coursework; it is bred into you. It is vocation, not transaction is what I share with new teachers that I mentored.  

The mythology of the effective teacher across cultures, across time, across every “color” of community is universal:

The effective teacher:

• Knows their content (TEC §21.401)
• Knows their students (TEC §29, §33)
• Knows their community
• And teaches with both rigor and mercy

I learned early in life through my own educational journey as a student with ADHD that learning is not one-size-fits-all. Children do not fail because they cannot learn; they struggle because systems refuse to adapt. An effective teacher understands this instinctively. They differentiate before it is mandated. They scaffold before it is required. They see potential before data confirms it.

Texas law recognizes pieces of this truth. TEC §21.351 speaks to teacher appraisal and growth. TEC §29 mandates support for students with disabilities. TEC §28 outlines curriculum standards. But the law still relies on one irreplaceable human element: the teacher’s heart and commitment.

I have seen certified teachers burn out because they were never supported.

I have seen uncertified but passionate individuals struggle because passion without preparation can still harm. And I have seen extraordinary educators often in Title I districts carry entire campuses on their backs because teaching was not a job to them, but a calling. Which has been me, switching roles from a librarian and now back into the role as a classroom teacher, and loving every bit of it, because it’s still under education.  

That is why my position is clear and balanced:

• Certification must remain a requirement, not weakened or bypassed
• Mentorship and residency models must be strengthened, especially for new teachers
• Experience must be valued, not dismissed in favor of shortcuts
• Love for learning must be protected, not crushed by over-testing and under-support

An effective teacher is not born the day they receive a certificate, but neither should they be thrown into classrooms without preparation, protection, or purpose.

Teaching is both professional and promise.

In District 131 and districts like it… Title I districts rich in culture, resilience, and complexity. Please understand… We do not need less professionalism. We need more respect for the full humanity of teaching. We need policies that honor both the science of education and the soul of it.

Certification proves readiness.
Experience refines skill.
Love sustains impact.

Remove any one of these, and the system collapses on the children we claim to serve.

That is the mythology and the reality of an effective teacher.   Ms. Tj Baker 4 State Representative: District 131

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?

Very much indeed, I support a state-funded, across-the-board pay raise for all Texas educators, not just classroom teachers, and I believe compensation must be structured to keep pace with inflation and remain competitive with other professions.

The 89th Legislature’s action to provide tiered raises for classroom teachers acknowledged a long-overdue truth: educators are underpaid. However, the structure of that legislation exposed a critical flaw in Texas education finance. By limiting raises to a narrow category of employees and failing to fully fund the associated payroll costs, the state shifted a significant financial burden onto districts particularly Title I districts like District 131.

Educators do not work in isolation.

Schools function as ecosystems. Classroom teachers rely daily on counselors, librarians, instructional aides, nurses, diagnosticians, campus administrators, support staff as well as for the housekeeping staff and landscapers.  Excluding these professionals from compensation increases morale, weakens retention, and undermines student outcomes.

The Problem with the Current Structure

Under Texas Education Code §21.402 (Minimum Salary Schedule), educator pay is already tightly constrained. When the Legislature creates salary increases without fully funding:

• TRS retirement contributions (Texas Government Code §825),
• health insurance and benefits (TEC §22.004),
• and other payroll-linked obligations,

districts are forced to absorb unfunded costs. This results in budget deficits, hiring freezes, or cuts to essential programs particularly in high-need districts.

That is not fiscal responsibility. It is cost-shifting.

My Legislative Position with the constituents from District 131 support as 'WE' lead together... 

1. Establish Across-the-Board Raises for All Campus Educators
Amend TEC §21.402 to provide state-funded salary increases that apply to:

• Classroom teachers
• Counselors and librarians (TEC Chapter 33)
• Instructional aides and SPED staff (TEC Chapter 29)
• Campus-based professional and paraprofessional staff

Public education succeeds when the entire team is valued not just a single role.

2. Fully Fund Associated Payroll Costs
Require the state not districts to cover:

• Increased TRS employer contribution rates (Texas Government Code §825.404)
• Benefit and insurance cost increases under TEC §22.004
• Any additional payroll-related obligations tied to legislated raises

If the state mandates compensation increases, the state must fund the true cost, not just the headline number.

3. Index Educator Compensation to Inflation
Texas must stop treating raises as one-time political gestures.
I support indexing:

• The Minimum Salary Schedule (TEC §21.402)
• And the Basic Allotment (TEC §48.051)

to inflation or a regional cost-of-living adjustment, reviewed biennially. Without this, educators receive “raises” that disappear under rising housing, healthcare, and transportation costs.

4. Ensure Competitiveness with Other Professions
To remain competitive, Texas must:

• Expand loan forgiveness and housing assistance for educators in high-need districts
• Protect planning time and workload limits under TEC §21.404
• Value experience and longevity not penalize veteran educators

Retention is as important as recruitment. Losing experienced educators costs districts more than retaining them.

Why This Matters for District 131

District 131 serves students with significant academic, social, and economic needs. These campuses depend on stable, experienced teams, not revolving doors. When compensation systems pit educators against one another or leave districts holding unfunded liabilities, students pay the price.

An across-the-board, fully funded pay raise is not just fair it is strategic.

Absolute Bottom Line
I support:

• Across-the-board, state-funded pay raises for all educators
• Full funding of TRS and benefit-related costs
• Inflation-indexed compensation structures
• Policies that respect education as a profession not charity work

Texas cannot continue to praise educators while legislating scarcity.

Respect is not symbolic it is written into statute and funded in full.   Ms. Tj Baker 4 State Representative: District 131

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?

The rising cost of health insurance is quietly eroding educator paychecks and retiree security. That is unacceptable.

I remember having to pay for COBRA insurance when switching to another school district. At the time, I was also dealing with fibroids and could not afford to go without health coverage, so I had no choice but to pay COBRA’s extremely high premiums. That experience permanently changed my perspective.

Since then, I have been a strong advocate for strengthening TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care by increasing the state’s contribution, rather than shifting costs onto educators. Under Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1575 and Texas Government Code §§1551 and 825, the state has both the authority and the responsibility to stabilize premiums, expand plan options, and ensure long-term sustainability.

I will advocate for:

• Increased state funding to reduce educator and retiree premium costs
• Regular legislative review of TRS health plans to prevent cost-shifting
• Transparency and oversight to protect both active and retired educators

Health care is part of compensation. If Texas truly values educators, it must fund their health care accordingly during their careers and in retirement.

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 firmly believe the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) must remain a defined-benefit pension plan for all current and future members.  And let me be clear this should not even be framed as a favor to educators.

Frankly, this question burns me up, because this is not the state’s money. TRS represents our deferred compensation, earned paycheck by paycheck. When the state stretches or withholds those funds, it is not generosity it is policy failure!

From day one long before I became a librarian and classroom teacher, when I was a Teacher Aide (TA), I marched alongside FBEA, TSTA, AFT, and NEA to protect this promise. I have said it once, I have said it twice, and I will keep saying it until this government changes a deeply flawed policy that treats educators as if secure retirement is a gift rather than a right.

Texas law has intentionally structured the system so that most school districts do not participate in Social Security. That makes TRS not optional it makes it essential. Weakening TRS or shifting educators into risk-based or defined-contribution models would jeopardize the retirement security of hundreds of thousands of educators who have no Social Security safety net to fall back on.

With the continued support of educators and staff across District 131, The constituents of District 131 will keep championing policies that protect and strengthen TRS so that educators can retire with dignity and financial stability after a lifetime of service.

A defined-benefit pension is not outdated it is responsible.

It is not charity it is earned.

And it must remain protected for every educator who comes after us.  Ms. Tj Baker 4 State Representative: District 131

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?

Carefully answering this question as an educator with Alief ISD and political advocate.  Standardized testing should serve as one diagnostic tool, not the defining measure of a child’s worth, a teacher’s effectiveness, or a school’s success.

The Legislature’s passage of HB 8 and its “Through-Year” multi-test model reflects a growing recognition that high-stakes, single-test accountability has failed Texas students particularly those in Title I districts like District 131. While assessments can provide useful data on learning trends and instructional gaps, they must never replace professional judgment, classroom observation, or holistic evaluation.

As a current educator, I listen closely to teachers, students, and administrators alike. But there is a critical voice still missing from this equation: parents. Too often, policy debates exclude the very stakeholders most responsible for a child’s long-term success. When I was growing up, educators were partners not scapegoats and parents were fully engaged and accountable. That balance has been lost.

Test results should not determine:

• A–F accountability ratings in isolation
• Teacher pay or job security
• Campus labels that stigmatize communities

High-stakes testing has been disproportionately harmful in Title I schools, where data is often used to justify excessive interventions, staff turnover, or grant-driven decision-making rather than genuine student support. I have seen Title I policies misused, abused, and supplemented without meaningful oversight, ultimately making children especially those in District 131 less successful, all in the name of chasing grant funding and political optics.

District 131 does not need business interests passing the baton, board members focused on personal advancement, or political hoppers treating education as a stepping stone. District 131 needs authentic advocacy leadership grounded in service, consistency, and accountability.

That is who I am! This is why I am championing for District 131! And we will win together! 

Successively I do not need to “get ready.” My constituents have already seen me at work. They have seen my visibility, my commitment, and my love for District 131. I will continue to hold systems accountable not for ratings or rankings, but for whether children are truly learning, supported, and thriving.

Testing should inform instruction does not define futures.

Accountability should uplift not punish.

And parents must be restored as full partners in their children’s education.

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 a child’s education, and their voices must be respected but public education must serve the entire community, not individual demands at the expense of consistency, equity, or professional judgment.

The appropriate balance is collaboration, not control. Parents should be informed, engaged, and heard, while educators who are trained, certified, and accountable under Texas law must retain professional deference in curriculum, instruction, and student support.

Strong schools are built when parents, educators, and communities work together with mutual respect. When policy elevates one voice above all others, it undermines trust and stability. Public education succeeds when it reflects shared values, clear standards, and respect for professional expertise. Ms. Tj Baker 4 State Representative: District 131

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?

School safety mandates must be fully funded, not passed down as unfunded obligations.

HB 3 expanded safety requirements under Texas Education Code §§37.081 and 48.115, but many districts especially Title I districts like District 131 are still absorbing unfunded costs for staffing, training, and facility upgrades. I support increasing and fully funding the School Safety Allotment (TEC §48.115) so districts can meet requirements without cutting academic or student support services.

Safety must be comprehensive covering trained personnel, mental health supports, and secure facilities and when the state mandates it, the state must pay the full cost. Accountability and safety should never come at the expense of classroom learning.  Ms. Tj Baker for State Represenative: District 131

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?

This debate has existed for as long as public education itself across Title I districts, charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling alike. The problem is not disagreement; the problem is lack of communication, transparency, and following through.

The proper roles are clearly defined in Texas law and must be respected.

• The State Board of Education (SBOE) sets statewide curriculum standards, including the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), under Texas Education Code §§7.102 and 28.002. Their role is to establish broad academic expectations not to micromanage classrooms.
• The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is responsible for implementation, compliance, and accountability under TEC §7.021, ensuring districts follow state standards while providing guidance and oversight.
• Local school districts, under TEC §§11.151–11.154, are best positioned to select instructional materials and make curriculum decisions that reflect their students, families, and communities within the state framework.

The breakdown happens when these entities stop communicating effectively. Too often, we listen to concerns but fail to act on real, workable solutions, backed by transparent plans and measurable outcomes.

As an educator and advocate for District 131, I believe curriculum decisions must be balanced:

• Statewide consistency
• Local community voice
• Professional educator expertise

With the constituents of District 131 standing beside me, we will restore trust through collaboration, transparency, and accountability and finally move from endless debate to meaningful action.

Curriculum should educate, not divide.

And leadership should solve problems, not pass them along.  Ms. Tj Baker 4 State Representative: District 131

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?

I fully support the right of educators and all public employees to voluntarily join professional associations and to have their membership dues deducted from their paychecks at no cost to taxpayers. This is not a privilege; it is a matter of professional dignity and freedom of association.

I speak from lived experience. I am a former president of the Fort Bend Education Association (FBEA), an affiliate of TSTA under the broader umbrella of the NEA. I also stand proudly with educator advocacy organizations such as ATPE, founded by educators, for educators. It is no small achievement that ATPE is now the leading educators’ association in Texas and the largest independent educators’ association in the nation.
What I admire most is the transparency, the integrity, and the quiet strength of those magnetic success stories that show how ATPE exists to serve teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, and all public education employees. 

Effective associations like your agency do not take from the public; they give back to it, fighting for strong schools, fair working conditions, and the mental wellness of those entrusted with our children.

I will always support effective educator unions and professional associations for the greater good of humanity, for wellness, and for the future of public education.

District 131 and I stand with you.

Count on our continued support, steadfast, visible, and unwavering.  Ms. Tj Baker for State Representative:  District 131