Published: December 21, 2005 08:46 am      

Democratic candidate for state representative touts education

Palestine educator Sharon Cade Davis is taking on a challenge ... two-term Republican incumbent Byron Cook of Corsicana.

Davis is presently unopposed in the Democratic Party in seeking the State Representative District 8 seat in Austin.

District 8 consists of Anderson, Freestone, Limestone and Navarro counties.

“I am dedicated to cutting property taxes while establishing an equitable system of funding that adequately supports quality education for all Texas children,” Davis said. “I also support guaranteeing access to quality health care, promoting economic development, providing sufficient resources to maintain our infrastructure and protecting public safety.”

She said children’s issues and education interests are leading areas for her campaign.

Davis admitted that Cook would be a formidable opponent come November but seemed undaunted by challenge.

“I feel like it’s a winnable race,” she said. “I’ve looked at the statistics and these counties have voted Democrat in the past.”

Davis and her husband Larry, a retired psychotherapist, have one daughter, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. She began her teaching career with the Galveston Independent School District and has taught at various schools in the East Texas area, including Westwood ISD, Palestine ISD, and Elkhart ISD.

She has served as a pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and special education teacher.

Davis has been the director of an infant development program for the Texas Office of Early Childhood Development and spent 11 years as adjunct instructor in Early Childhood Education at the Palestine campus of Trinity Valley Community College.

She has recently participated as “a member of a statewide collaborative of researchers, educators and business leaders led by the Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition and the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University,” according to background information provided by her campaign. The group worked to draft a comprehensive state plan for an “Early Education and Development System,” according to the information.

Davis is currently employed by the state’s Region VII Education Service Center as education coordinator for the Head Start Program. She said she works with 12 counties and 48 public school districts.

During her Monday interview with the Daily Sun, Davis noted many of the unfavorable statistics associated with Texas education.

“As a teacher, I’m held responsible for many educational outcomes ... I think it’s time to hold our legislators responsible as well,” she said. “I know the names and faces of a lot of kids that are in those statistics and that’s the key reason I’m in the race.”

“I believe in the American Dream; that our generation should live a better and richer life than that of our parents and that our children should live a better and richer life than we have,” Davis added. “In the past few months, I have talked to many Texans who are concerned our children might not realize that dream.

“Public education in Texas is under-funded and lags behind most other states. Working families are struggling to meet rising health care costs. Our jobs are being out-sourced and off-shored. It is time for new leadership.”

She said quality education and good economic development are key ways to improve the future for all Texans.

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Loyd Cook may be reached via e-mail at loydcook@corsicanadailysun.com.