Education Will Be A Huge Issue In Texas’ Next Elections

If there’s one thing former San Antonio City Councilman Philip Cortez is passionate about, it’s education. Not only does he say so, but recently NewsTaco had a chance to chat with him about the issue, and he lives it, too. Cortez is currently a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin in Educational Administration Policy and Planning. And, he previously earned a Master’s degree from UT-San Antonio.

Cortez told us that his own journey, from the southwest part of the city to a community college student, to working in the mayor’s office, then serving as a councilman, was attributable to his education that began at home, with his parents. And, in light of budget cuts in Texas that have decimated public education Cortez’s run for state representative of District 117, largely encompassing his old neighborhood, will largely focus on education.

“I truly believe in helping to improve the side of town that gave me these opportunities,” he told us. “Recent cuts to education, $5.4 billion this past session — $4 billion to public schools and $1.4 billion in higher education, grants and financial aid — is a great concern to me. There’s something terribly wrong with that, we’re going backwards.”

These cuts represent a regression of Texas and for Texans, Cortez explained, because a community that’s educated benefits in so many other ways. It’s not just education for education’s sake, he said, but good schools help home values, for example, which affects the way a community thrives. Ultimately, these cuts will affect schools that had little to begin with, such as those in District 117, he told us. Had these cuts been made when he was in school, utilizing tutors and grants, he told us he never would have made it to graduate school.

That’s how education becomes a big issue in Texas, because it’s about enabling current students, and their communities, to thrive in the future. Cortez recalls his own upbringing, watching his mother and father work hard as public employees, and wants to be able to continue to serve the public as a state representative. “Having both of my parents serving in those capacities really instilled a sense of, ‘Well, what am I going to do to give back?’” he asked.

Education will be Cortez’s primary issue, but as a current Captain in the Air Force Reserve, and in a city with a large military presence, veteran’s assistance programs and economic development are also important issues, he said. For more information about Cortez visit his website.