During my 16 years as superintendent of Sunnyvale ISD, I believed it was my responsibility to be involved with the legislative process. Public schools are directly affected by actions taken by our lawmakers in Austin, so I took the time to stay informed on key issues and get to know these legislators that impact the 5.5 million students in Texas public education. It was my honor to work with Representative Keith Bell over the last 8 years of my career. While he never represented Sunnyvale where I live, in my ways I counted him as my representative.
I first met Representative Bell at a candidate forum for area superintendents. He impressed me as someone that understood the needs and operations of school districts based on his experience as President of the Forney ISD Board. I believed he would serve the residents of Kaufman and Henderson counties with conviction and work to improve public education.
On that election night, it was with excitement that I saw he would be headed to Austin. Andevenmoreexcitement when he was appointed to the House Public Education Committee. Representative Bell served on that committee during the landmark session of 2019 when House Bill 3 was authored by that committee and then passed in the Texas House and Senate. This legislation created school finance reform and led to property tax reform in the next session. That reform does not take place without legislators such as Keith Bell and his continuous efforts.
One of Representative Bell’s more admirable traits is that he seeks counsel from his constituents on their needs, and then takes the important steps to work on legislation that will address those concerns. He responded to the needs of schools to be innovative in their approach to virtual learning and authored legislation to enhance that method of instruction to students. He listened when school administrators and teachers shared how the bill passed to provide remediation to struggling students was not practical for implementation. He authored HB 1416 that provided a mechanism to offer needed remediation that made more sense for schools, and more importantly, students.
Representative Bell is now seeking a return to Austin as your representative. The process starts in the upcoming primary set for Tuesday, March 5th with early voting slated to begin February 20th. As you cast your vote, I encourage you to support a legislator who truly serves his people and will continue to put the interests of the citizens of Kaufman and Henderson counties first. Our public schools, and the students we educate, need a man like that at the Capitol!
Doug Williams, Retired Superintendent, Sunnyvale ISD 356 Marble Creek Ct Sunnyvale, TX 75182
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