Investing in Our Children: Building the Ladder to the Middle Class

Lessons from a Special Needs Teacher and an FFA Kid

My wife teaches special needs students. Every day, she sees children who could thrive with the right support, and others failed by a system designed for Austin, not HD-59. I raised livestock through FFA and the American Angus Association, learning that you invest in what you want to grow. Texas is investing in corporate giveaways while our teachers buy classroom supplies out-of-pocket. That ends now.

Smart Investments, Local Control

    • 100% property tax exemption for all public educators (340,000 statewide)

    • Saves teachers: $2,400-$3,200 annually, money that stays in our local economy

    • Program cost: $680M-$850M, funded through corporate loophole closure

    • No new family taxes- this is paid for by making corporations pay their fair share in property taxes

    • As a Tarleton State graduate (B.S. Health Management, M.S. Engineering Management), I've seen how Austin micromanagement stifles innovation

    • Restore autonomy to university boards to hire top faculty and compete for research dollars

    • Projected outcome: Capture $400M-$500M more annually in federal research grants

    • Keep Texas talent in Texas—stop the brain drain to out-of-state schools

    • Full accountability: Public dashboards with spending, outcomes, and retention rates

    • Partner with local nonprofits and churches—the same folks who fed my troops when the state failed

    • Invest in job training, apprenticeships, and vocational programs (like FFA taught me)

    • Data-driven approach: Fund what works, cut what doesn't

    • Quarterly public reports showing results per dollar spent

  • Every education dollar tracked online. Every outcome measured. Every quarter, you see the results.