David Spiller

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Survey Responses

HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE 2026 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY.
 

Did not respond to the 2024 or 2022 candidate survey.

BELOW ARE THE CANDIDATE'S RESPONSES TO THE 2020 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY:

1. If elected, what will be your top priorities for public education?
 
In no particular order, I want to make sure that any financial commitments are sustainable; that teachers and other stakeholders have the freedom to find creative solutions in their classrooms and school districts; and that our high school and community college offerings are suitably preparing our young people for the current job market.

 
2. What are your recommendations for funding public education, including securing the necessary revenue to sustain the improvements made by House Bill 3 in 2019? Do you believe additional funding is needed?
 
The legislature should thoroughly study this issue and determine the appropriate “cost of excellent education” for our kid. Then we need to work towards that goal. We should at least ensure the state’s portion of the public education funding remains the same.
Currently, I am very concerned the state won’t be able to sustain the additional $11 billion it put into the public education funding expansion last session. As a school board member, my number one priority is public education. We must continue to increase the State’s proportional share of funding until we reach parity with the school districts.
 
 
3. How would you address the challenge of rising healthcare costs facing Texas educators and ensure that active and retired educators have access to affordable healthcare?

I want to see improved benefits and lowered prescription drug costs. This is something we need to have the State revisit annually due to the ever-changing nature of the healthcare industry.

 
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 support keeping a defined benefit plan so that our retired teachers know what they can count on and what they can expect.
 
 
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.?
 
As a Jacksboro ISD School Board Trustee, I saw first-hand the pressure put on principals, teachers, and students to perform on standardized testing. At times this pressure caused negative side effects to the student’s educational development. There are lots of issues with the current process that need to be addressed. In general, I prefer testing that measures the individual’s progress based on an initial diagnostic that would allow us to measure student achievement over a period of time. 
 

6. To what extent should student performance determine teacher pay?
 
I do not support the idea that STARR scores should be use to determine teacher pay.
 
 
7. 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?

I do not support legislation that takes funds away from public education.
 
 
8. State law allows educators and other public employees to voluntarily choose to join professional associations such as ATPE and have membership dues deducted from their paychecks at no cost to taxpayers. Do you support or oppose letting all public employees continue to exercise this right?
 
I support public employees having the voluntary choice to join professional associations.

 
9. What role, if any, should charter schools have in the public education system, and do you feel the number of charter schools operating in Texas should be reduced or expanded?
 
I’m a public-school board member and a product of our local public schools.  And I’m proud that my two sons also attended public school.  Public schools are the glue of many rural communities.  However, I can understand the strain put on financially disadvantaged families, stuck attending failing public schools. I support the idea of parent choice, and providing options for families who are underserved by their public schools, but not at the expense of taking money away from our public schools.
 
 
10. Recent legislation has made it possible for school districts to exempt themselves from many state laws (e.g., class-size limits, requirements for hiring certified teachers, minimum salary schedules, school calendar restrictions, etc.) by partnering with outside entities, allowing campuses to be managed by a charter school operator, or becoming part of a District of Innovation, for example. Do you agree with this type of deregulation of public schools, and how should such non-traditional schools be governed?
 
I believe in empowering our teachers and administrators to make the best decisions for their school and students. Each district and school face its own set of issues and should be able to request waivers when necessary.