Rodolfo Reyes

Rodolfo Reyes

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Rodolfo "Rudy" Reyes was a candidate for District III representative on the Houston Independent School District Board of Education in Texas. Reyes was defeated in the by-district general election on November 7, 2017.

Reyes was previously a 2013 Democratic candidate for District 6 of the Texas State Senate.

Biography

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Reyes received a bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies and Spanish from St. Mary's University in San Antonio. He became eligible to teach in the state of Texas in 2016, after being a professional contract negotiator for 35 years. Reyes has been associated with the Harris County Child Abuse Task Force, the Gulf Coast Community Services Association (GCCSA), and the Gulfgate Redevelopment Authority – Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 8.

Elections

2017

See also: Houston Independent School District elections (2017)

Six of the nine seats on the Houston Independent School District Board of Education in Texas were up for by-district general election on November 7, 2017. Candidates in Districts I and III advanced to a runoff election scheduled for December 9, 2017, after no candidate received a majority of the vote. The District III seat was up for special election to fill an unexpired term following the death of Manuel Rodriguez Jr. The incumbents in Districts VI, VIII, and IX filed for re-election, while the incumbents in Districts I and V opted not to seek additional terms.

In District I, newcomer Elizabeth Santos defeated fellow newcomer Gretchen Himsl. They defeated Monica Richart in the general election. In District III, newcomer Sergio Lira won against Jesse Rodriguez in the runoff election. They defeated Carlos Perrett and Rodolfo Reyes in the general election.

Newcomer Sue Deigaard defeated three other newcomers—Kara DeRocha, Sean Cheben, and Susan Shafer—for the open District V seat. District VI incumbent Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca defeated challengers Daniel Albert and Robert Lundin for the seat with 50.42 percent of the vote. Incumbent Anne Sung defeated challenger John Luman in the District VII election. District IX incumbent Wanda Adams defeated challengers Karla Brown and Gerry Monroe.

Results

Houston Independent School District, District III Special Election, 2-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jesse Rodriguez	39.92%	1,247
Sergio Lira	33.74%	1,054
Rodolfo Reyes	14.05%	439
Carlos Perrett	12.29%	384
Total Votes		3,124
Source: Harris County, Texas, "Cumulative Report - Official," accessed November 22, 2017

Funding

Reyes reported $2,150.00 in contributions and $2,819.65 in expenditures to the Houston Independent School District as of October 30, 2017.

2013

See also: State legislative special elections, 2013

Reyes ran for election in the special election for Texas State Senate District 6. The seat was vacant following Mario Gallegos's death in October 2012. Reyes lost facing Carol Alvarado (D), Sylvia Garcia (D), Susan Delgado (D), Joaquin Martinez (D), R.W. Bray (R), Dorothy Marie Olmos (R) and Maria Selva (G) in the special election on January 26, 2013. The top two vote-getters, Alvarado and Garcia, went to a runoff.

Texas State Senate, District 6, Special Election, 2013
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Sylvia Garcia	45.4%	7,424
	Democratic	Carol Alvarado	41.6%	6,813
	Democratic	Susan Delgado	0.3%	53
	Democratic	Joaquin Martinez	2.5%	405
	Democratic	Rodolfo M. Reyes	0.8%	125
	Republican	R.W. Bray	6.2%	1,015
	Republican	Dorothy Olmos	2.8%	461
	Green	Maria Selva	0.4%	73
Total Votes				16,369

Campaign themes

2017

Reyes listed the following issues on his website:

“	Not increasing property taxes Our current tax rate is $1.21 per $100 of taxable property value. The legislature is slowly placing the burden on taxpayers to pay for schools. The state used to pay more than half the cost of education. Now, they pay approximately 38% with the difference paid by property taxpayers. Yet, the legislature demands our schools to do more and more with less dollars. Homeowners are not the only ones affected. Multifamily and single-family rental housing, and businesses are affected, too. There’s too much money wasted and we need to be watchful, such as in the area of construction projects and programs that do not give us a good return for our dollars. The school board needs to be very transparent to the public. As a board member, I will seek a position on the audit committee to serve as a watchdog on expenditures. Retention of teachers / Teacher salary increases “To recruit and retain great teachers, HISD must change its attitude about how it pays its teachers. Treat teachers as the professional they are and allow them to continue their passion on a livable, competitive wage.” Jennalee Kwezi, Houston Chronicle, Tuesday, May 9, 2017. Nowadays, our teachers have so many responsibilities. In addition to preparing students for testing (one test after another test), they are parents, counselors, nurses, tutors, and many other things to our children. Their duties and responsibilities are endless. HISD cannot function without teachers. Yet, when its time for salary increases, board members debate and argue about a 2% increase. If we want to keep our good teachers in this district, let’s be fair and recognize them for their hard work and dedication. It’s an investment in our children’s future education. Yes, we need to change HISD attitude on how we evaluate teachers’ performance, not by using test scores, but how well they teach in the classroom. Blended learning with laptop computer Blended learning is an educational program that combines online digital media with traditional classroom methods. While students still attend schools with a teacher present, face-to-face classroom practices are combine with computer-mediated activities regarding content and delivery. This is a very good approach in preparing our students for college, and teaches them to venture into educational programs not necessarily available in the classroom. I support this approach of learning. Dual-credit programs This program is in collaboration between a high school and a community college. A dual credit course is a college course taken by a high school student where the student earns both college and high school credit. Eligible students may take two courses each semester which save money and time toward college degrees before they finish high school. I support these programs. Credit recovery The Credit Recovery Program allows students to regain credit for previously failed courses by completing an additional 30 hours of coursework in the subject. The program’s primary focus is to assist students in graduating from high school. I support this program for the benefit of our children. Increasing career, Technology & Trade Opportunities This is an area that many of our children can benefit immensely. Being exposed to present and future careers in industry, agriculture, government and international. The age of technology continues to open many opportunities and by preparing our children for these jobs, is a step in the right direction. I’m also a strong proponent of bringing back the trade classes into our schools, for example, wood shop, automobile mechanic, welding, plumbing, etc. These are trades that our children can benefit immensely, if they chose not to go to college. Special Needs Programs We need to continue our strong focus and funding when it comes to children with special needs. We need to continue building the foundation for inclusive instructions, state of the art facilities, equipment, transportation, and experienced personnel. Remember that the state legislature is slowly forgetting to adequately fund special needs programs. Let continue moving forward recognizing these are beautiful children and they too, deserve a good education. Continue funding Pre-kinder programs As a strong supporter of Pre-kinder programs, I will support the following programs: Schools Based Prekindergarten Early Childhood Centers Partnerships Montessori Continuing Funding of the Fine Arts Programs Part of a child’s well-rounded education is the participation in music, visual arts, theater, dance, writing, and more. These are essential components that cultivates and nurtures a child’s spirit in life. Therefore, I’m a strong supporter of the Fine Arts programs. At present, the following Fine Arts Magnet Programs are offered at the following schools in district III: Crespo Elementary – Fine Arts Garden Villas Elementary – Music Patterson Elementary – Literature Ortiz Middle School – Performing and Visual Arts	”
—Rodolfo Reyes (2017)

Recent news

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Rodolfo Reyes - Google News

See also

• Houston Independent School District, Texas
• Houston Independent School District elections (2017)

External links

Suggest a link

• Houston Independent School District
• Campaign website