Garcia: Why I am running for Texas State Board of Education, District 2

MCALLEN, Texas - Democrat Thomas Garcia says he is the “choice for change” in the race to become the Texas State Board of Education member for District 2.Voters will elect a new member for the District 2 slot because incumbent Ruben Cortez is running in another election in 2022. In an in-depth interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Garcia points out he taught in schools throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. He also points out he founded a college access program at PSJA ISD at the age of 19. And he incorporated this program into a nonprofit organization servicing Rio Grande Valley schools.He graduated from Princeton University as a first-generation college student.Garcia provided four bullet points in his interview:He is FOR expanding mental health resources and reducing the workload on teachers and counselors.He is FOR expanding ethnic studies and dual language programs.He is FOR expanding digital literacy and computer science programs.He is FOR increased transparency and oversight of taxpayer funds in schools.In his interview, Garcia said he hopes to get more young people involved in the political process.“I am excited to meet a lot of young people. A lot of people want to get into the political process. For many years I have been working on college access, getting high school seniors into college. And for so long I have seen young people who want to do good in their community. They just don’t know how. They don’t have the platform. Throughout this campaign I hope I can give them that platform to get more civically engaged.”Editor’s Note: The attached podcast is the first in a two-part series on SBOE District 2 candidate Thomas Garcia. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.