John Courage

John Courage’s name embodies what Texans in District 25 are looking for in a new State Senator- the courage to insist that their mainstream values, and not just the interests of a privilaged few, be represented in Austin; the courage to stand with ordinary Texas families and small businesses against the corporate special interests; the courage to rekindle that faith they once had in government to be a force for positive change in their daily lives.

Courage came to San Antonio for basic training after enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in 1971. He was honorably discharged four years later and enrolled in the University of Texas at San Antonio, working his way through with jobs in a local children’s home and the Bexar County Mental Health and Retardation Department. He earned a BA in American Studies at UTSA.

In 1980, Courage won election to the Alamo Community College District Board of Trustees in San Antonio in a hotly contested county-wide race. He quickly established a reputation as a fierce defender of access and accountability in our higher education system and helped create Palo Alto Community College to expand higher education opportunities to an area of town that lacked them. Returning to UTSA to earn a teacher’s certification, Courage has been a classroom teacher for the past decade-and-a-half, primarily serving special education students in inner-city public schools, most recently teaching at Thomas Jefferson High School in the San Antonio Independent School District.

Courage has served on the San Antonio Teachers’ Council Board, been a delegate to the National Education Association’s convention for many years, and testified before the Texas House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and the State Board of Education. He was appointed to the San Antonio Literacy Commission.

In 2007 John established the True Courage Action Network (TCAN), a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy group educating central Texans on issues like public financing of elections, legislative redistricting and how the Texas legislature operates. He has been an active member of the Texas Common Cause board of directors.

A married father of four, Courage and his wife are active members of their community. He has served as a Boy Scout troop leader and a sponsor of the Reconciliation Episcopal Church Youth Group, as well as a volunteer coach for community soccer and baseball leagues. In John Courage, the voters of District 25 have the opportunity to elect a leader with deep roots in the community and a proven record on the number one issue affecting the futue of our children and Texas– education. Courage is a working example of the mainstream Texas values of family, faith, freedom, and fairness.