Thomas Garcia (Texas)
Thomas Garcia (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Texas State Board of Education to represent District 2. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
Garcia completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Thomas Garcia was born in McAllen, Texas. He graduated from Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North High School. Garcia earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 2016, a graduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles in 2020, and a graduate degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2023. His career experience includes founding the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program (CSLAP) and working as its executive director, as an instructor at the University of California at Los Angeles, and a high school teacher at the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) Independent School District.[1][2]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas State Board of Education election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Texas State Board of Education District 2
Thomas Garcia (D) is running in the Democratic primary for Texas State Board of Education District 2 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Thomas Garcia  | |
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Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for Texas State Board of Education District 2
Incumbent LJ Francis (R), Victoria Hinojosa (R), and Carrie Moore (R) are running in the Republican primary for Texas State Board of Education District 2 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | LJ Francis | |
 | Victoria Hinojosa | |
 | Carrie Moore | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2022
See also: Texas State Board of Education election, 2022
General election
General election for Texas State Board of Education District 2
LJ Francis defeated Victor Perez in the general election for Texas State Board of Education District 2 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | LJ Francis (R) | 50.2 | 194,976 |
 | Victor Perez (D) | 49.8 | 193,578 | |
| Total votes: 388,554 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for Texas State Board of Education District 2
Victor Perez defeated Pete Garcia in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas State Board of Education District 2 on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Victor Perez | 56.1 | 20,769 |
 | Pete Garcia | 43.9 | 16,252 | |
| Total votes: 37,021 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Texas State Board of Education District 2
Victor Perez and Pete Garcia advanced to a runoff. They defeated Thomas Garcia, Michael Vargas, and Wayne Raasch in the Democratic primary for Texas State Board of Education District 2 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Victor Perez | 29.6 | 21,702 |
| ✔ | | Pete Garcia | 24.3 | 17,856 |
| Thomas Garcia | 20.9 | 15,331 | |
 | Michael Vargas | 19.8 | 14,510 | |
| Wayne Raasch | 5.4 | 3,974 | ||
| Total votes: 73,373 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Texas State Board of Education District 2
LJ Francis defeated Hilda Garza-DeShazo in the Republican primary for Texas State Board of Education District 2 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | LJ Francis | 57.5 | 38,009 |
 | Hilda Garza-DeShazo | 42.5 | 28,105 | |
| Total votes: 66,114 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
Campaign themes
2026
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released September 7, 2025 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Thomas Garcia completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Garcia's responses.
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At age 19, Thomas founded the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program. CSLAP offers courses and services on college readiness, financial aid, and leadership development for high school students. Through CSLAP’s near-peer mentor initiatives, Thomas empowered high school graduates to give back to their schools by providing students support on the college application process.
After incorporating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, CSLAP introduced scholarship programs, expanded mentorship initiatives, and launched a five-figure community aid fund during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2025, CSLAP has directly impacted more than 2,000 students.
As a high school teacher, Thomas developed and taught lessons on critical writing, college readiness, and service learning. Aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), these lesson plans continue to form CSLAP’s curriculum.
Currently, Thomas is an English professor at South Texas College, where he teaches both dual enrollment high schoolers and adult learners. As a community college professor, Thomas provides his students the guidance he once needed as a first-generation college student from a single-parent household.- Thomas Ray Garcia will fight for public schools. At the State Board of Education, he will improve statewide learning standards, approve high-quality instructional materials, and guide the Texas Education Agency on policies & procedures. Beyond his primary duties, he pledges to work with our state lawmakers and school board members to improve our public schools. He supports funding increases to Texas public schools by increasing the basic allotment. He supports pay increases for school workers. He supports investing in 21st-century safety measures. He supports enhancing family engagement programs. He supports expanding access to licensed mental health professionals. He supports improving the quality of early childhood programming.
- Thomas Ray Garcia wants to make Texas the nation's leader in math and reading. He will focus on K-5 math instruction that focuses on the basics: number sense, place value, fact fluency, patterns, and problem-solving. He will work to move our learning standards away from rote memorization and toward bringing math to life with practical and purposeful learning experiences. He will improve the way our schools teach phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. He supports more early childhood reading resources for students with disabilities, including dyslexia. He believes our statewide learning standards and textbooks should rely on research-based practices, not on political or religious beliefs.
- Thomas Ray Garcia believes we should be preparing our high school graduates for the 21st-century workforce. He supports moving away from high-stakes testing and toward integrating more 21st-century knowledge and skills into our core academic subjects. He categorizes 21st-century knowledge and skills into 4 pillars: Life Readiness Skills: soft skills, financial literacy, and digital literacy & safety. Mental Health & Wellness: mental health literacy, emotional intelligence, and digital media & wellness. Global Competitiveness: artificial intelligence readiness, service learning, and critical thinking. Creativity and Innovation: creative expression, practical innovation, and digital production.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Garcia's campaign website stated the following:
Our Platform
Fight For Public Schools
From my seat at the State Board of Education, I can improve statewide learning standards, approve instructional materials, and guide the Texas Education Agency on policies & procedures. Beyond my primary duties, I pledge to work with our state lawmakers and school board members to improve our public schools.
You deserve to know where I stand: I am against our state's school voucher program. I am against the state-developed Bluebonnet Learning curriculum. I am against using the STAAR to grade public schools’ accountability scores.
I support funding increases to Texas public schools, especially for school safety and literacy initiatives. I support pay increases for school workers. I support enhancing and expanding family engagement programs. I support expanding access to licensed mental health professionals in public schools. I support improving the quality of early childhood programming.
At its core, our campaign stands on these 4 pillars in our fight for public schools: empowering parents, uplifting students, improving public schools, and protecting public education.
Empowering Parents
Empower parents through programs and projects
As the son of a single mother, I know the power of family engagement. That’s why
I support programs that truly empower parents, such as Dallas ISD’s “Parent University.” I also support volunteer projects that empower parents to read to students, talk about their jobs, and mentor children at school.
Communication is key to empowering parents. School districts should ensure they are reaching out to families consistently, not just during emergencies. Text messages, emails, phone calls, and parent portals all help to reach families with different needs. Bilingual communication should also be offered so no parent is excluded.
I believe parents’ voices should matter in the decision-making process at local schools. When students enroll in a school district, families should receive clear information on how to get involved with student initiatives and how to give feedback to school leaders.
The problem isn’t the book on the shelf. It’s the supercomputer in our pockets.
As an author and a publisher, I understand parents’ concerns about age-inappropriate books in school libraries. I believe these concerns should be addressed to their school librarians, principals, and board members. I believe local communities should have the freedom to decide what books belong in their own school libraries. Parent empowerment happens through local power.
I’m more concerned about the supercomputer in our pockets. Smartphone addiction, social media, and online safety are much more pressing issues. These problems are linked to rising mental health problems and shortening attention spans. If the federal government isn’t going to stand up against Big Tech, we need to step up at the state and local levels.
Public schools must work with parents to protect our students from excessive screentime, inappropriate social media content, and online predators. Digital literacy should be taught in more classrooms. I also believe reading programs should help students strengthen their focus by practicing deep, distraction-free reading. Our family engagement programs should raise awareness about the mental health impacts of social media and provide families strategies to reduce screentime at home.
Uplifting Students
College for all? No. College access for all? Yes.
After 12 years of helping students apply to college, I know a simple truth: College is not for all students. However, I do believe in college access for all.
I believe in college access for all because every student deserves a fair shot. That means every student deserves the chance to apply to college, which means receiving high-quality counseling and resources no matter their income level or zip code. That’s why I support programs that raise awareness about college, navigate students through the application process, and support students through college.
Promote the trades
College isn’t the only path to a fulfilling life. I believe in promoting career and technical education (CTE) programs and destigmatizing the trades. All students should understand that these careers are crucial to our country.
I support CTE programs that enable high school students to gain internships and apprenticeships with local industries. This hands-on experience is key to ensuring our students are truly prepared for the workforce.
With the rise of artificial intelligence, our CTE programs must teach the skills our students need to work and compete with AI technologies. I support forming partnerships between public schools, community colleges, and employers to ensure our learning standards are meeting 21st-century workforce demands.
Stand against bullying
As a former high school teacher, I understand the importance of receiving clear guidelines and rules for preventing bullying at school. The anti-bullying language in our legislation and administrative code must be followed by clear and effective implementation.
I will approve instructional materials and learning standards that educate students on bullying prevention. I will work with state lawmakers to strengthen anti-bullying standards, including cyberbullying, in the Texas Education Code. I will advocate to the Commissioner of Education to adopt rules and policies that implement these anti-bullying standards.
Improving Public Schools
Prioritize school safety
I will work with our Texas Education Agency personnel and state lawmakers to ensure school safety is a priority. School safety standards must be backed up with clear guidelines from the Texas Education Agency and funding from the Texas Legislature. These safety standards must be communicated effectively to school district leaders, and I intend on serving as the leader school board trustees can turn to for guidance and clarity from the Texas Education Agency.
Bring the community into the classroom
I support programs that enable parents and community leaders to give back to local schools. I believe bringing the community into the classroom would enable students to receive mentorship, wraparound services, and extracurricular experiences that enhance their education. From mental health services to career talks, these programs improve our public schools.
Treat school workers like heroes
Our public schools are run by community heroes: teachers, counselors, librarians, paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers, nurses, bus drivers, and so many more people. Yet, so many of our school workers are not treated like heroes.
I will work with our state lawmakers to stand up for our school workers. These community heroes deserve higher pay, better working conditions, fewer administrative tasks, and more respect from our elected officials.
Make Health class a high school graduation requirement
Statewide, health courses are considered optional for graduation. I support legislation that would require make Health a mandatory credit for high school students. These health courses should contain at least one unit on mental health.
Make Ethnic Studies courses count as Social Studies credits
Mexican American Studies, African American Studies, and Native Studies help students achieve a more complete history education. However, they are only considered elective credits. I support legislation that would make Ethnic Studies courses count toward the Social Studies credits required for high school graduation.
Protecting Public Education
Reject school vouchers
I do not support Governor Abbott’s school voucher program. This voucher program does not have enough guardrails to ensure students are receiving a high-quality education. I support school choice in the form of open-enrollment public schools.
Rural schools across Texas can struggle with implementing open-enrollment policies for a range of reasons, from transportation to staffing. These are the challenges we should be addressing. The solution to improving our public schools is to invest more, not to defund them through voucher programs.
Make The Texas Miracle A Reality
In Texas, too many students fall behind in math and struggle to read at grade level. It’s time to change that. Other states like Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi have made reforms. And they worked.
In 2022, Alabama passed a new law focused on improving math instruction. The state trained K–5 teachers on best math practices, approved high-quality instructional materials, and funded math coaches for schools. The result? Alabama significantly improved in 4th grade math on the Nation’s Report Card.
In 2025, Louisiana received national attention for improving reading scores after the pandemic. How did they do it? Louisiana used reading programs based on the science of reading. Educators practiced phonics skills, helped students in differentiated groups, and worked together each week by sharing student data.
Starting in 2013, Mississippi went from close to the bottom in reading to one of the top states in the nation. How? They focused on training educators in the science of reading and approved learning tools that are proven to work. Their success has been called the "Mississippi Miracle."
Texas can do the same. It’s time for our Texas Miracle. Here's my plan to help make that happen.
Focus On Foundational Math Skills
Our students need a strong foundation in math to succeed in the 21st century. Our approaching to teaching math should be based on bringing math to life with practical and purposeful learning experiences.
That's why I'll ensure K-5 math instruction focuses on the basics: number sense, place value, fact fluency, patterns, and problem-solving. I'll support learning tools that make math come alive to students through touching objects and visualizing concepts. I'll work to move our learning standards away from rote memorization and toward applying math to real-world situations.
Prioritize Early Reading Success For All Students
We need to teach our students to read at grade level. Our approach to teaching reading should be based on what works, not on political or religious beliefs. Our students have different learning needs, and our efforts must help all students succeed at reading.
That's why I’ll ensure our learning standards and textbooks rely on research-based practices. I'll focus on improving the way we teach phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. I’ll fight for more reading resources for students with disabilities, including dyslexia.
I’ll support early screening and extra help for students struggling with reading. I’ll ensure training is appropriate for each grade level. I’ll advocate for training that supports students who speak more than one language.
Reform Reading Academies
Our reading training should help educators teach effectively, not just raise STAAR scores.
That's why I’ll fight to reform the Reading Academies so they actually help educators improve reading outcomes. I’ll advocate for better training rooted in real coaching and useful resources. I’ll support phasing out online-only modules in favor of skilled trainers who can work directly with educators across the state. I’ll also support training that helps educators to become master teachers.
Engage With Families
When elected to the State Board of Education, I intend on spearheading projects and programs in District 2 year-round. Just as I have done throughout my career in education, I will involve families in my efforts to increase math and reading proficiency.
That's why I’ll work with schools and community groups to give families access to math and reading resources at school and at home. I'll partner with nonprofit organizations to host math and reading workshops for the entire family. I’ll collaborate with community groups to place more books in households.
Advocate For Funding At The Legislature
My work at the State Board of Education will include working with state legislators on meaningful reforms and funding to make the Texas Miracle a reality. I believe the role of Member is more than showing up at board meetings; it's about showing up for District 2 at the Texas Legislature.
That's why I’ll advocate for funding for math and literacy coaches, math and literacy training for teachers, and high-quality instructional materials rooted in what works.
Teach For Tomorrow, Not To The Test
“I wish I had learned this in school.” I hear people say this all the time, and I bet you do, too. So why aren’t our students gaining the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the workforce, in college, or in the military?
Because our schools are teaching to the test. STAAR scores heavily influence how the Texas Education Agency grades public schools. As a result, our learning standards and instructional materials are focused on helping students raise their STAAR scores.
I believe we need to stop teaching to the test. But it’s not enough to move away from STAAR. I have a vision for what knowledge and skills our students should learn to succeed in the 21st century.
Here are my 4 pillars of knowledge and skills that I will advocate for while updating our Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and approving instructional materials: Life Readiness, Mental Health and Wellness, Global Competitiveness, and Creativity & Innovation.
Life Readiness
No matter their life paths, students need a core set of skills to thrive in the 21st century. The good news? These skills can be taught in public schools. The bad news? They are taught inconsistently across academic subjects, and educators lack support from the state to teach them effectively. It’s time to set learning standards and approve instructional materials that focus on life readiness.
Soft Skills: Enhancing conversational skills, maintaining eye contact, communicating across varying mediums to diverse audiences, and managing time and deadlines.
Financial Literacy: Simulating budgeting scenarios, comparing loans with varying interest rates, understanding credit scores, and learning about stocks and investing.
Digital Literacy & Safety: Monitoring screentime, identifying factual vs. biased information, understanding algorithms, and practicing online safety.
Mental Health and Wellness
Mental health education is often vague, unhelpful, and optional at many Texas public schools. Mental health is mentioned throughout our statewide learning standards, but we need more detailed and grade-appropriate instruction. It’s time to integrate more mental health topics into our academic subjects and help students improve their wellbeing.
Mental Health Literacy: Understanding depression & anxiety, learning how to prevent suicide, and reviewing how drugs and alcohol affect mental health.
Emotional Intelligence: Regulating emotions & learning coping strategies, reducing stigma & developing empathy, and managing conflict.
Digital Media and Wellness: Understanding social media’s impact on mental health, protecting attention spans, and reducing digital distractions.
Global Competitiveness
Our Texas students are competing for jobs not only nationally, but also globally. We need to update our learning standards and transform our instructional materials to prepare our middle school and high school students for global competition. It’s time to teach 21st-century skills in the classroom.
Artificial Intelligence: Using AI tools ethically & responsibly, practicing prompt engineering to improve learning, and identifying AI hallucinations.
Service Learning: Connecting classroom lessons to issues in local communities, learning about local community service organizations & initiatives, measuring qualitative and quantitative impact, and presenting on impact & reflections to a general audience.
Critical Thinking: Practicing perspective-taking skills, analyzing information from varying sources, and identifying & overcoming cultural barriers.
Creativity and Innovation
The ultimate goal of public education is not to produce good students and workers; it’s to produce good learners and human beings. Teaching students to love learning must be our top priority. It’s time to prioritize creativity and innovation in our teaching and learning.
Creative Expression: Writing across genres, producing visual narratives, and performing narratives.
Innovation: Designing projects to address school or local issues, practicing design thinking and prototyping solutions in STEM, and producing business or product plans.
Digital Production: Storytelling through multimedia formats, producing digital artifacts like websites or podcasts, and coding to create games or animations.
— Thomas Garcia's campaign website (January 16, 2026)
2022
Thomas Garcia completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Garcia's responses.
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I grew up in a single-parent household. Through many financial hardships, my mother and I persevered by believing there was a brighter future we could work toward. My mother believed the pathway out of poverty was education, so she instilled in me a passion for learning at a young age. Despite being a first-generation college student who struggled during college applications, I worked hard to get accepted into Princeton University on a full-ride financial aid package.
After graduating from Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North High School in 2012 as class valedictorian, I felt a strong desire to give back to my community. I didn't want to wait until after college to make a difference. After meeting with PSJA ISD administrators, I founded CSLAP in 2013 at age 19. It all began with a group of PSJA alumni who wanted to give back to their schools - all on a volunteer basis.
With over 6 years of teaching experience, I have now incorporated CSLAP as a 501(c)3 nonprofit to teach college access lessons at Rio Grande Valley high schools and connect students to near-peer mentors from the region.- 21st Century Learning Standards: To truly prepare our students for the 21st century, we must expand curricula and programs involving digital literacy, computer science, dual language, ethnic studies, and service learning. On the SBOE, I will advocate for updated TEKS, practical implementation plans, and funding that will allow school districts to introduce and/or expand these initiatives.
- Mental Health and School Safety: The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of our students, families, teachers, and staff. On the SBOE, I will be a vocal advocate on this issue by soliciting input from school districts to ascertain which resources are necessary and fight to secure them. In addition, I support funding initiatives that reduce the administrative workload of teachers and counselors, many of whom are experiencing burnout, leaving the profession, or retiring early.
- Transparency and Oversight: We need more transparency on how tax dollars are spent in our public education system and easier accessibility to this information. Families need to be engaged by the state on bureaucratic decisions involving school funding and academic standards. Families must be provided more relevant, accessible information on what these standards mean for their children. I will work hard to do so on the SBOE.
Since age 19, I have learned pedagogical methods involving reading and writing, creative writing, and service learning through my college access nonprofit. Near-peer mentorship is central to my work; I believe in high school graduates mentoring high school students so more post-secondary pathways can be made available to our young people. I believe in college access for all, which means I will work hard to ensure college is an option for all students no matter their background; college access for all means a student's choice not to attend college would not result from a lack of resources, but rather the student making an informed choice based on quality mentorship.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Garcia's campaign website stated the following:[3]
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MENTAL HEALTH The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of our students, families, teachers, and staff. I believe the Texas Education Agency must do more to address this growing mental health crisis in our schools by granting more financial, educational, and professional resources. On the SBOE, I will be a vocal advocate on this issue by soliciting input from school districts to ascertain which resources are necessary and fight to secure them. In addition, I support funding initiatives that reduce the administrative workload of teachers, many of whom are experiencing burnout, leaving the profession, or retiring early. In November 2021, the SBOE approved instructional materials by QuaverEd that include mental health instruction for K-5 students. I support this, and I believe such initiatives must be expanded and cultivated. Mental health should be taught in schools, period. SCHOOL SAFETY Students, teachers, and staff must feel safe at school in order to learn and work. That is why I support adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required school immunizations, just like polio and tetanus, with medical and religious exemptions permitting. On the SBOE, I will advocate to the state health officials to make this a reality so we can save lives and finally live in a post-pandemic world. More information on currently required immunizations can be found on the Department of State Health Services website. Find a vaccine provider near you here. TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT We need more transparency on how tax dollars are spent in our public education system and easier accessibility to this information. A prime example of this issue occurred in October 2021, when the Texas Education Agency opened testimony for revising the Charter School Performance Framework. The SBOE and Texas education organizations should have been more than advocates in this process. The elected SBOE should have had a hand in revising this framework from the beginning, and the education organizations should have been more involved. Moreover, families need to be engaged by the state on these bureaucratic decisions. Families must be provided more relevant, accessible information on what decisions like these mean for their children. I will work hard to do so on the SBOE. 21ST CENTURY LEARNING STANDARDS: DUAL LANGUAGE As a graduate and former teacher of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, I have seen first-hand the power and impact of dual language instruction. I support the expansion of dual language programs throughout the state of Texas so our students can graduate from high school prepared to participate in an increasingly globalized society. The bilingual student will have greater career opportunities, enhanced cognitive functions, and more cultural awareness. We need more bilingual students. 21ST CENTURY LEARNING STANDARDS: DIGITAL LITERACY To truly prepare our students for the 21st century, we must actively teach our students how to discern facts from fake information on the internet. This is a crucial skill that should be taught in all core courses. From statistics on websites to misleading news articles, the digital age requires students to understand objectivity and truth. In addition, teaching our students to identify bias in online spaces, such as social media headlines or editorial blogs, is necessary to understand our overflow of information online. On the SBOE, I aim to implement these curricular standards into core courses. 21ST CENTURY LEARNING STANDARDS: COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES Programming languages like JavaScript and Python are becoming increasingly necessary to learn. As our society becomes more reliant on the internet, our students must get ahead so they can fully participate in the 21st century and achieve high-paying jobs. I support expanding computer science courses to more middle schools throughout the state. Moreover, it is not enough to merely offer computer science courses. Texas needs a plan for K-12 computer science that clearly outlines learning outcomes, course goals, and implementation strategies for making computer science truly an essential and effective course. I will be a vocal advocate on this issue. 21ST CENTURY LEARNING STANDARDS: ETHNIC STUDIES I am a vocal supporter of ethnic studies, and I will continue to be so on the SBOE. I support expanding Mexican-American Studies and African American Studies to more schools. I support adding Asian American Studies to our state's ethnic studies offerings. I also support making ethnic studies courses eligible for social studies credits, not just elective credits. I am against Texas SB3, which removes requirements to study specific works by minorities and women. This bill is a step backwards on all fronts, but particularly for ethnic studies. We should be encouraging more, not less, studies of minorities and women. 21ST CENTURY LEARNING STANDARDS: SERVICE LEARNING We should attach our learning standards not merely to scores on a test, but to projects that actually make a difference in the world. That's why I will advocate for service learning curriculum development at any grade level and in any subject. My PSJA ISD course was founded on a "Change Agent" project that involved students researching an issue in their communities, gathering the data and means to address it, measuring the impact, reflecting on the impact in writing, and then advertising the impact to the community. The learning outcomes that emerged from this course are why are I support integrating service learning projects into our curriculum standards. 21ST CENTURY LEARNING STANDARDS: FINANCIAL LITERACY Texas needs to do better than offer "Personal Financial Literacy" as an elective course. The curriculum for PFL should be integrated into high school math courses so all students can be prepared to enter society with financial literacy. In their core math courses, students should learn the basics of budgeting, loans, and interest rates before graduating high school. I support implementing curricular standards in high school math courses focused on real-world applications of interest rates, such as comparing subsidized and unsubsidized student loans. MOVING AWAY FROM HIGH-STAKES TESTING High-stakes testing is counterproductive for students and educators alike. I support shifting educational accountability standards away from test scores and toward concrete learning outcomes based on Texas HB5 endorsements. For example, students in the public services endorsement should be doing service learning projects, not being subjected to drill-and-kill learning. Moreover, I support implementing research "capstone" projects in the arts & humanities endorsement courses. The learning outcomes from activities like these should reflect our true accountability standards, and tests like the STAAR should be used merely for diagnostic purposes. SUPPORTING OUR LGBTQ+ STUDENTS I am a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community. No student should fear going to school and being harassed or bullied, especially our LGBTQ+ youth. That's why I support teaching students about topics such as sexual orientation and gender identity in health and science classes. Moreover, middle school students should learn about how to prevent forms of bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. In doing so, our students will learn tolerance and respect during a crucial period of growth and development. SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Too often, we hear of miscommunication and lack of cooperation between school districts and families of students with special needs. The State Board of Education should serve a more active role in filling in these communication gaps by providing statewide resources in English and Spanish for families wishing to enroll students in special education. Moreover, the SBOE should establish guidance standards to school districts on how to provide recovery services for students previously denied access to special education. TEACHER EVALUATIONS AND T-TESS Since the 2016-2017 school year, T-TESS has served as the standard evaluation system for teachers in Texas public schools. T-TESS was developed by a committee of teachers, principals, and representatives from higher education and educator organizations. I believe the SBOE should be granted greater oversight and authority over the T-TESS so revisions can be implemented via an open and democratic process. When teachers are evaluated, their evaluator should always be a qualified individual in the subject matter. Moreover, the evaluation rubric should be focused on what the teachers have in their control; the T-TESS domains currently do not separate between teacher and student performances. Furthermore, teachers should not be penalized for low "school community involvement" if they cannot participate in school outreach activities because of disabilities, parental responsibilities, or other legitimate reasons. MR. MATT KRAUSE'S BANNED BOOK LIST I am an educator and a writer. I believe in freedom of speech and intellectual freedom. That is why I am wholly against state investigations into school districts' library books and subsequent book bans. There are far more pressing issues facing our state's educational system than which books occupy our libraries. Instead, we should be focused on increasing reading competencies and developing critical thinking skills.[4] |
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| —Thomas Garcia's campaign website (2022)[5] | ||
Campaign finance summary
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See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate Texas State Board of Education District 2 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on December 21, 2021
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 10, 2025
- ↑ Thomas Garcia for State Board of Education, "On The Issues," archived November 8, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Thomas Garcia for SBOE, “On The Issues,” accessed January 22, 2022
