Endorsement Spotlight: State Board of Education Races

Dr. Raquel Saenz Ortiz, the Democrat challenger in District 10, has a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction and currently teaches pre-service teacher candidates at Southwestern University. The daughter of Latin American immigrants, she has spent over 15 years in the field as a middle and high school history teacher, dual language elementary teacher, and guidance counselor. Dr. Saenz Ortiz is particularly passionate about inclusive curriculum and has worked extensively on ethnic studies courses.

Rayna Glasser has served in North Texas schools for 18 years and is currently the lead intervention specialist over math and science in Crowley ISD. She recently completed her master's in education and is currently working toward Principal certification. A single mom to a recent high school graduate, Ms. Glasser knows the value of targeted student supports and their alignment to realistic yet comprehensive curriculum standards and assessments. She is running as a Democrat in District 11.

A recent retiree from the Plano ISD in District 12, George King served over 40 years in Texas schools primarily as a secondary campus principal. As a student and former teacher of history and government, he believes in the critical partnership between elected bodies and their constituents. Mr. King would bring his ample experience in meeting the needs of diverse communities to the SBOE and help ensure all are seen and heard.

Morgan Kirkpatrick, the Democrat in District 15, is a native of West Texas. For 14 years she lived her childhood dream of being a teacher, serving as a middle school English language arts educator. She saw firsthand the negative impacts of high stakes standardized testing and lack of funding on education. Though the pandemic hastened her exit from the classroom, she hopes to return to service in this role to ensure all kids have access to a high-quality education.

Our endorsed candidate from District 1 in far West Texas, Gustavo Reveles, worked as a journalist covering education for 10 years before joining Canutillo ISD as their director of communications. As an emergent bilingual student, he knows the impact of having equitable access in our classrooms. Mr. Reveles is staunchly against any attempts to privatize schools, including through the charter approval process.

Dr. Tiffany Clark is coming to the November ballot under unusual circumstances. Aicha Davis, SBOE District 13, won the March 2024 primary for House District 109 and chose to resign her position on the SBOE early so that a candidate could be nominated to the ballot to succeed her rather than risk a gubernatorial appointment for the remainder of the term. Dr. Clark, who is a former school counselor and De Soto ISD school board member, focused her dissertation on teacher retention. She works in student advocacy and is an adjunct professor in educator preparation at the University of North Texas.

Finally, we are proud to once again endorse Marisa Pérez-Diaz in District 3. First elected to the SBOE in 2012, she is the senior Democrat on the board. In her tenure, she has served on every board committee and is currently the vice chair of the Committee on School Finance and a member of the PSF board. Pérez-Diaz has been a relentless champion for ethnic studies in our schools and is a consistent progressive voice on the board. We are grateful she has chosen to serve another term so that we continue to benefit from her experience and commitment to Texas students.