Amy Taylor

Amy Taylor earned a bachelor's degree from Kalamazoo College in 1993, a graduate degree from the University of Houston in 1995, and a degree from the University of North Texas in 2012. Her career experience includes working as a public school teacher.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My mother was the daughter of immigrants. My grandfather had a third-grade education, but public schools meant his children had access to the best public education in the world. My mom became a chemist — a dream her immigrant parents could never have imagined for a daughter graduating high school in 1965.

Education has shaped every generation of my family since. I've spent 16 years as a public school teacher, working mostly with middle school students. I hold a Post-Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate from UNT and an MA from the University of Houston. My husband of 31 years is a UNT professor, and our daughter is a Ph.D. student.

Public school is a promise to every child that the American dream is a real possibility for them. That promise can only be honored if we fund and support rigor and excellence in public education.

Right now, Republican leadership on the SBOE is breaking that promise. Instead of trusting educators to build accurate, rigorous curriculum, the board has mandated Bible readings in classrooms and pushed a politically curated reading list — prioritizing an outside agenda over the judgment of teachers who actually know their students. Every child deserves a public school that keeps its promise to them, not one hijacked for politics.

I'm running for SBOE District 14 because Texas classrooms deserve curriculum standards written by educators and grounded in accuracy — because every child, like my mother once was, deserves that chance.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Accountability for every school receiving taxpayer dollars. The SBOE directly approves new charter schools, and Texas has allowed charter expansion without enough oversight — diverting resources and scrutiny away from the traditional public schools serving most families. I will hold every school receiving public funds, charter or traditional, to the same standards of academic performance and fiscal transparency.Honest, rigorous curriculum free of political interference. The SBOE's recent vote mandating Bible readings and its push toward a narrow "approved" reading list are not about academic rigor — they're about importing an outside political agenda into Texas classrooms. Curriculum standards should be written by educators and subject-matter experts, grounded in accurate history and science, not shaped by ideology. Parents control what their own child reads — not what all children are permitted to read.Keep experienced teachers in the classroom. Texas is losing veteran teachers to burnout, low pay, and a testing system that prioritizes compliance over learning. I support reevaluating the EOC exam structure, reducing the administrative burden on classroom teachers, and strengthening teacher certification and preparation standards — which fall squarely within the SBOE's authority — so teaching is sustainable as a career, not just survivable year to year.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm a 16-year classroom teacher working with gifted, general education, and English language learner students at a Title I IB school. My policy focus comes from what I see every day in the classroom.

Curriculum integrity: Texas classrooms should be grounded in accurate history and real science, not a politically curated reading list.

Teacher retention: The SBOE sets certification and preparation standards. Those standards should reflect real classroom demands so teaching stays sustainable as a career.

Charter accountability: The SBOE approves charter applications directly. Every school receiving public dollars, charter or traditional, should meet the same standards of performance and transparency.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Agricultural Teachers Association of Texas, Asian American Democrats of Texas, Lantana Area Democrats, Mothers Against Greg Abbott PAC

Campaign websiteTaylor's campaign website stated the following:Amy Taylor’s Priorities for SBOE:● real experts making decisions, not the Heritage Foundation ● rigorous, differentiated and non-religious textbooks and materials● public school funding for public school students● high quality teachers ● a reevaluation of End of Course exams for graduation— Amy Taylor's campaign website (January 16, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.