Cody Harris

Branch: Texas House District: 8

Additional Information from ATPE

First elected to the Texas House in 2018. Current term expires January 2027. Running for re-election in 2026.

Member of the House Public Education Committee.

Supported by one or more anti-public education organizations or individuals in the 2024 Texas primaries.

Endorsed in the 2024 Republican primary election by Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott endorsed incumbents who supported his voucher bill, HB 1, in the fourth special session of the 88th Legislature.

Endorsed in the 2022 general election and Republican primary election by the Texas Home School Coalition, which supports using public funds for private and home-schools, giving private and home-schooled students greater access to public education services, and limiting state oversight of private and home schools. 

In the 2018 election, Harris was recommended favorably by Texans for Public Education, a grassroots educators' group that has researched and rated candidates in the 2018 election based on their stances toward public schools.

Endorsed in the 2018 general election by Texas Parent PAC, a pro-public education organization that advocates for adequate and equitable funding of public schools, local control, teacher quality, and the prevention of private school vouchers. Cody also received the group's endorsement in the 2018 primary runoff election. 
 

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Survey Responses

HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE 2026 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY.

Did not respond to the 2024, 2022, or 2020 ATPE Candidate Survey.
 

Below are the candidate's responses to the 2018 ATPE Candidate Survey:


1. If elected, what will your top priorities for public education be?

My top priorities for public education will be to bring an end to the unfunded mandates sent from Austin to our local ISD's; reforming the education structure which now requires our educators to teach to a test; and bringing more local control back to our schools.

 

2. Is there a need to increase state funding to meet the needs of our student population? If so, how would you recommend securing more revenue for public education?

Yes, the State's share of school funding has drastically decreased in recent years, putting the majority of the funding burden on local property taxpayers. It starts by making sure the money allocated is being spent wisely and actually on education in the classroom.

 

3. Healthcare costs for educators have increased dramatically and outpaced the state's contributions, with many current and retired educators now paying more out of pocket than their counterparts in other states or in other professions. As a legislator, how would you address this crisis to ensure that active and retired educators have access to affordable healthcare?

Healthcare costs have skyrocketed for everyone across the board. The most effective way to bring down the cost of healthcare is for the State of Texas to put increased pressure on the federal government to repeal the ACA/Obamacare and open up the insurance markets across state lines.

 

4. Do you believe the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) should be maintained as a traditional defined benefit pension plan for all future, current, and retired educators, or do you support converting TRS to a defined contribution plan that is more like a 401(k) plan, in which future benefits are not guaranteed?

I view the TRS as a promise that we as a state have made to our educators, and we must uphold that promise. The average return on investment that the TRS system currently receives is good, which is why I don't support moving to a 401K style plan.

 

5. What do you feel is the proper role of standardized testing in Texas's public education system? For instance, should student test scores be used for school accountability purposes, for evaluating teachers, for measuring student progress, etc.?

Standardized tests are a good tool to use for determining student progress, but our reliance on them has gone too far. We need to get back to letting teachers do what they do best instead of teaching to a test all year long.

 

6. Would you support a state-funded across-the-board pay raise for all Texas classroom teachers?

Yes.

 

7. To what extent should student performance determine teacher pay?

I believe a teacher's pay should be determined based on merit. Student performance is part of this, but this determination should be made at the local level.

 

8. Would you vote to create any type of voucher, tax credit, scholarship, education savings account, or other program aimed at paying for students, including any subpopulation of students, to attend non-public K-12 schools, such as private or home schools?

No, a state-wide voucher program will only hurt local rural property taxpayers and public schools.

 

9. State law allows educators and other public employees to voluntarily choose to join professional associations like ATPE and have membership dues deducted from their paychecks at no cost to taxpayers. Do you support or oppose letting all public employees use payroll deduction for their membership dues?

Voluntary automatic payroll deduction is a practice that has been going on in Texas since 1991. As long as it is a strictly voluntary option, I do not see a need to repeal it.

 

10. Current law allows school districts with accountability ratings of "C" or better to become Districts of Innovation (DOIs) and exempt themselves from many state statutes, such as elementary school class-size limits, requirements for hiring certified teachers, and more. Would you recommend any changes to the criteria for becoming a DOI? Would you place any limitations on the state laws that can be waived by DOIs?

While I support DOI's as they put decision making back at the local level, I would not support relaxing the requirements any further than they are.

 

Cody Harris
Cody Harris