Senator Judith Zaffirini advocates for access, affordability and transparency in Texas colleges and universities—without sacrificing excellence. Having supported herself since she was 17 and married at 18, she knows firsthand the crushing burden of student loan debt. She earned B.S., M.A. and PhD degrees at UT-Austin and held as many as three part-time jobs simultaneously. Later, she commuted to Austin while teaching full-time at Laredo Junior College. Her strategies for reducing the costs of higher education include accelerating the expansion of tuition-free universities, instituting student loan forgiveness programs, and supporting workforce education programs. 

As a former educator with 13 years of teaching experience, including at the college and university levels, and a member of the Senate Higher Education Committee, Senator Zaffirini supports full funding of teachers’ salaries; retirement benefits, including “13th checks”; and ongoing training programs. She has long opposed voucher and for-profit charter school schemes that drain taxpayer dollars from public education.

Because she believes every child has the right to receive an excellent education, Senator Zaffirini strongly supports expanded internet broadband, free meals for low-income students, increased childcare options for parents, and universal pre-kindergarten programs for a firm educational foundation. She also champions issues for students with disabilities as one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s appointees to the Texas Commission for Special Education Funding. 

Senator Zaffirini has long enjoyed a working partnership with Texas parents, school superintendents, and teachers in furtherance of public education. A supporter of groups such as Raise Your Hand Texas and Pastors for Texas Kids, she looks forward to working with these and other groups from Senate District 21 in the next legislative session.