Dear Friends,

I am humbled and honored to have your support and another term of service on the State Board of Education, representing citizens in 27 central and east Texas counties. Thank you to our county Republican chairs, precinct chair and countless volunteers and partners who made it possible. Thank you to all those who wrote checks, so we could pay the campaign bills.

Every elected official must stand for election or re-election, making his or her case to the citizens, and the citizens choose their representatives by casting votes. It sounds like a simple process, but it is anything but simple. It is an arduous, exhausting path and not for the faint of heart, but it is necessary. The campaign crucible forges the candidate into a hardened, formidable warrior office-holder, prepared for the battles ahead. And certainly, there are battles on the horizon. However, together we will meet those challenges with peace and joy in our hearts and with the wisdom, courage and strength that can only come by casting our cares into the hands of the Almighty who knows our every need. We will prevail.

I am also amazed and humbled when I reflect upon the notion that a fatherless kid, the son of a high school dropout, who grew up in a boys home in the Texas Panhandle called Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, could be elected to the State Board of Education. Texas remains a land of opportunities and possibilities. Circumstance is not destiny. Boys Ranch founder Cal Farley noted, “It’s not who you are or where you’ve been, it’s where you’re going that counts.” And that remains our vision for 5.5 million young Texans in our classrooms: it is where they are going that counts, and I remain committed to working alongside local schools to help them make Texas education great and getting the next generation to excellence.

Sincerely,

Tom

Tom Maynard
Member, State Board of Education
Chairman, School Finance/Permanent School Fund Committee
Chairman, Permanent School Fund Corporation