Richard Cantu

What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this position?

I am a 30+ year Public Servant with executive management experience in local government and in education, specializing in Youth Development and Community Revitalization. I've had extensive training and experience in public budgeting, program development and management, organizational development, early childhood education, adult education, and board governance. I have been an effective steward of our county's tax dollars and always look for ways to improve service efficiency and effectiveness.

What are the most pressing educational issues in Harris County and how do you plan to develop policies that address them?

One third of Harris County's 4.5 million residents are functionally illiterate. By addressing the educational needs of this segment of our community, our local economy can benefit greatly and the quality of life of our families will also improve. Harris County families also struggle to access affordable quality childcare/early education. We need to invest more in early childhood education so that we have a solid foundation for our future in Harris County. I will continue to advocate for both

How will you allocate resources so that early education, adult education, and special education services will all be successful?

I will continue to be a vocal leader in advocating for more resources for Early Childhood Education, Adult Education and Special Education. By finding efficiencies and budgeting judiciously, we will be able to invest in these important programs to benefit our community. Adequately funding these (3) three initiatives is a wise investment in the future success of Harris County.