Thomas Garcia

Thomas is an educator who has dedicated his life to filling in education gaps for high school students applying to college. As a first-generation, low-income student, Thomas has never forgotten his community in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. Since age 19, he has transformed his curriculum on college access from a summer institute to a high school course to a nonprofit organization. He trains young adults to become near-peer mentors to help high school students go to and through college.

He's running for the open seat on the Texas State Board of Education, District 2 because he has taught in the classroom throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and sees the change we need from the top. He wants to close the gaps in our K-12 education system by expanding mental health resources, moving away from high-stakes testing, and reducing administrative workload on educators and counselors. Thomas wants to enhance Texas' learning standards for 21st-century skills like digital literacy, computer science, dual language programs, ethnic studies, and service learning.