Ken King

Branch: Texas House District: 88 Status: incumbent

Additional Information from ATPE

First elected to the Texas House in 2012. Current term expires January 2027. Running for re-election in 2026; won the Republican primary and will be on the November 2026 general election ballot.

Chair of House State Affairs committee, where he successfully held several payroll deduction bills from advancing and hurting organizations like ATPE as well as police and fire organizations.

Former member of the House Public Education Committee.

King was a guest panelist for ATPE at the Capitol in 2023.

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

Being targeted in the 2024 Republican primary election by one or more anti-public education organizations.

Endorsed in the 2022 primary 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. King also received the group's endorsement in the 2018 primary and general elections.

King ran unopposed for re-election in 2020.

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

Voting records currently not available. Please check back later.

Survey Responses

HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE 2026 ATPE CANDIDATE SURVEY.

DID NOT RESPOND TO THE 2024 OR 2022 CANDIDATE SURVEY. Ran unopposed in 2020.

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


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

I want to continue the work to reform school finance. Starting with recapture, because every kid deserves an equal educational opportunity.

 

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?

The first thing we need to do under the current system is to make sure recapture dollars actually go to pub ed! We have to create an equal opportunity environment before we can put a dollar amount on education. That being said Im not opposed to increased spending but I certainly want to know where the money is going and how it will be used!

 

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?

I have always voted for benefits going to teacher both active and retired. I think we need to give serious consideration to a meaningful cola for our retirees. As for active teachers the state has to first prioritize public ed as a whole. Once that happens I believe teacher pay will go up. The rising cost of insurance is largely a Federal issue. I hope to see a full repeal of Obamacare, once that happens more companies will come back to the Texas market. When we have more competition we will see costs go down for everyone.

 

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 think your benefit should stay a benefit.

 

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.?

I think standardized testing should count for as little as possible in the accountability system.

 

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

I would

 

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

I think growth is the most important. Not all student performance can be measured by the same standard, that's why I think local control on accountability is the best way to measure teacher performance.

 

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!!!!!!!!!

 

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?

Support

 

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?

No. Because DOI's have not been around long enough for us to know what if anything needs to be changed.

 

Ken King
Ken King