Dennis Paul

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Survey Responses

HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE 2026 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY.


Did not respond to the 2024, 2022, 2020, or 2018 ATPE Candidate Survey. 

Below are the candidate's responses to the 2014 ATPE Candidate Survey:

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

I do not think we need more funding just more appropriate spending at the local level. The state could also cut out many requirements it has for the school district by reducing many restrictions and requirements for special teachers or special programs and let the local school boards decide those options.

 

2. Regardless of the level of funding, do you believe that Texas public education dollars are being spent in an appropriate manner, or should the funds be reallocated and spent in different ways?

I think there are areas of wasteful spending at the local level and probably at the state level on oversight of the schools. The state should also eliminate any unfunded mandates it puts out to the schools as well. Let's have local control of the schools and let local officials run their districts.

 

3. Would you vote to spend public tax dollars on a voucher, tax credit or scholarship that allows students to attend non-public schools in grades K–12? Why or why not?

I would definitely be interested in studying a voucher program for Texas' schools. I would not like to see to many government strings attached to any school taking the vouchers so that the school can operate the way it wants to operate so that would be the highest priority with the program.

 

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 would you vote to convert TRS to a defined contribution plan that is more like a 401(k), in which future benefits are not guaranteed? Why?

I definitely would not change anything to an existing employee of a school district that is participating in or had participated in this retirement plan. Obligations to them are guaranteed and must be upheld. If future teachers wish to get out of it and want to participate in a defined contribution plan they should be allowed to.

 

5. Local decisions on whether to continue a teacher's employment and how much to pay each teacher are often based on evaluations. To what extent, if any, should a teacher's evaluation be based on his students' scores on state standardized tests? If you believe student test scores should factor into a teacher's evaluation, how would you recommend evaluating teachers in grades or subjects for which there are no state standardized tests?

I think evaluations should be left up to the local school administration and school board. The district administration and school board should then be held accountable to the voters in their district so if they have teachers not performing they should be able to remove them and get better teachers in there. Advancement and job security should be results based and not on seniority.

 

6. Would you vote to maintain a hard cap on the number of students per class, or should school administrators be given more flexibility to increase class sizes? (Currently, the law imposes a cap of 22:1 in grades K–4 but allows schools to obtain a waiver, a step many of them routinely take.)

I would be OK with granting some flexibility.

 

7. If a public school in your district failed to meet state accountability standards for two or more consecutive years, would you support allowing a private entity to take over the management of that school, essentially converting it to a charter school?

This is a local problem and should be handled in a local manner by that district's school board. If the school is so bad it should be absorbed into another school and if the district as a whole cannot operate acceptable it should be dissolved and incorporated into another school district.

 

8. Do you believe charter schools in Texas have been largely successful? Should their presence be expanded? Why or why not?

I do not think they have been that successful and should be watched and monitored to evaluate their progress.