Burnt Orange Report

Donna Howard- HD 48- Hat in the Ring

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

It's official. From the press release...

DONNA HOWARD TO RUN FOR TEXAS HOUSE 'DO-NOTHING' LEGISLATURE NEEDS 'CAN-DO' SPIRIT

(AUSTIN) -- Austin public education advocate Donna Howard today confirmed reports that she is planning to run for Texas House District 48 and will formally announce her campaign next month.

"This "do-nothing" Legislature has let our public schools slip to the brink of bankruptcy," Howard said. "I will be offering voters a "can-do" spirit to solve the real problems our communities face."

A former Eanes ISD board member, Howard was born and raised in Austin, graduated from Reagan High, and has spent her adult life working to help strengthen the community. She was a co-founder of Advocates for Eanes Schools, a parent organization that monitors the activities of the school board, and helped start the Texas Education Crisis Coalition, a grassroots group of parents and community leaders.

Certified as a Master School Trustee by the Texas Association of School Boards, Howard has previously run as a Democratic candidate for the State Board of Education.

"Partisanship and special-interest pandering aren¹t getting the job done," Howard said. "I will push for a united effort across party lines and ideologies to fix our public schools."

Howard earned a bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's in health education, both from the University of Texas. She has worked as a critical care nurse at Brackenridge and Seton hospitals, served as the first hospital-based Patient Education Coordinator in Austin history, and helped get the Seton Good Health School off the ground. She has also been president of the Texas Nurses' Association (District 5) and a Health Education instructor at UT.

Married to Austin attorney Derek Howard, the couple has three children, all educated in Austin public schools. Howard and her family are active in their neighborhood and in their church, where she has served on the board.

So it will be a primary between Donna Howard and Andy Brown (assuming no one else jumps in). I've been impressed with both candidates though Donna holds a special place for me as she was one of the candidates that was running in a SBOE District that included Fredericksburg four years ago when I came politically aware and active with the first John Courage campaign. My only hope is that this will primary will raise awareness of our candidate in HD 48, battle test them, and will be one that's clean and not down on the level of Rick v. Carol.