2026 Texas General Election

Joseph Ferguson

What's your family's background in Tomball ISD?
I began my journey in Tomball ISD as a student at Tomball Elementary School, but it didn't end when I graduated from Tomball High School in 1995. I've been a Tomball ISD substitute teacher, assistant principal, and parent to my son and two exchange students.

Joseph Ferguson for Tomball ISD School Board Position #3

My wife was a student at Lakewood Elementary School and later graduated from Tomball High School in 1997. After college, she was a teacher at Northpointe Intermediate School for 7 years, later choosing to stay home when our son was born.

Joseph Ferguson graduated from Tomball High School in 1995. He is married and has a son.

What’s your experience in public education?

I have served as a substitute teacher in Tomball ISD and Spring ISD, a classroom teacher in Spring ISD, an assistant principal in Tomball ISD, and a professor of education at Lone Star College.
I've been a professional educator for over 20 years.

What is your current employment situation?
I proudly serve as a professor of education at Lone Star College - Montgomery (LSC-M) where I teach future teachers working towards their degrees in education, as well as a college success course for incoming freshmen.

I enlisted in the U.S. Army during Thanksgiving break of my senior year of high school and shipped to Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, soon after graduation. I served 4 years of active duty which included a deployment to Bosnia in 1998 where I was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal as a corporal.

I was enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard while in college, and commissioned into the Texas State Guard as a second lieutenant after graduating from Texas A&M, where I served for an additional 15 years and retired at the rank of colonel.

Joseph currently works as a professor of education at Lone Star College–Montgomery. He previously worked as a substitute teacher in Tomball and Spring ISDs, a classroom teacher in Spring ISD, and an assistant principal in Tomball ISD. He served four years of active duty in the U.S. Army, including as a corporal, and later served 15 years in the Texas State Guard, retiring as a colonel.

In an emailed statement Nov. 4, Position 6 candidate Joseph Ferguson—who trailed in the three-way race with 24.94% of votes against opponent Ursula Gassaway and incumbent Justin Unser, who appears the likely winner—said he was encouraged by the great voter interest in the TISD races this time around.

Snapshot: First contested mayoral election in a decade sees 243% more voters; Tomball ISD turnout nearly doubles

Joseph previously ran for Tomball ISD Position 6 and trailed in a three-way race.

Meet the candidates for Tomball ISD position 3 - Community Impact

Screen time in the classroom is like any new technology that has been or will be introduced into our lives. Instead of a hard stance on either to not ever use screens or using screens all the time for everything, I believe it'll come down to teachers using data based on student success and parent input to decide which degree of use is best for each lesson and each assessment.

Believes teachers should use student-success data and parent input to determine classroom screen use for each lesson and assessment.

- Believes teachers should use student-success data and parent input to determine classroom screen use for each lesson and assessment.

What are the biggest challenges facing this district?
Rapid growth can lead to issues related to boundary realignments, capacity crunches, constant facility expansion, and operational bottlenecks. Proactive planning, maximum transparency, and open two-way communication with the community and district employees are some ways to support everyone working together to meet these challenges.

Meet the candidates for Tomball ISD Position 3

### Priority #3

Call for increased fiscal responsibility and accountability, such as having safeguards in place to guard against fraud, waste, and abuse of district resources or any additional theft of taxpayer funds

To the question of funding, some ways to increase revenue without raising taxes and ensure all students’ needs are properly funded include:

* Administrative audits: Audit administrative and central office efficiency annually.

To the question of funding, some ways to increase revenue without raising taxes and ensure all students’ needs are properly funded include:

* Vendor efficiency: Frequently assess vendor and software consolidation options.

To the question of funding, some ways to increase revenue without raising taxes and ensure all students’ needs are properly funded include:

* Resource conservation: Practice facilities and energy conservation programs.

To the question of funding, some ways to increase revenue without raising taxes and ensure all students’ needs are properly funded include:

* Transportation logistics: Use bus route and fleet optimization strategies to reduce route redundancy and fuel consumption.

To the question of funding, some ways to increase revenue without raising taxes and ensure all students’ needs are properly funded include:

* Asset monetization: Expand rental opportunities for high-end athletic, performing arts, and CTE facilities to external groups during non-school hours.

To the question of funding, some ways to increase revenue without raising taxes and ensure all students’ needs are properly funded include:

* Grant acquisition: Task current staff members with increased competitive grant writing efforts.

Prioritizes direct classroom spending over “vanity spending.”

Proposes attendance-recovery campaigns to capture additional state revenue.

Calls for proactive planning, transparency, and two-way communication to manage growth-related capacity, facility, and operational challenges.

Calls for fiscal safeguards against fraud, waste, abuse of district resources, and theft of taxpayer funds.

Proposes annual audits of administrative and central-office efficiency.

Proposes regularly assessing options for vendor and software consolidation.

Proposes facilities and energy-conservation programs.

Proposes bus-route and fleet optimization to reduce redundant routes and fuel use.

Proposes renting athletic, performing-arts, and career and technical education facilities to outside groups during non-school hours.

Proposes assigning current staff additional competitive grant-writing responsibilities.

- Calls for proactive planning, transparency, and two-way communication to manage growth-related capacity, facility, and operational challenges.
- Calls for fiscal safeguards against fraud, waste, abuse of district resources, and theft of taxpayer funds.
- Proposes annual audits of administrative and central-office efficiency.
- Proposes regularly assessing options for vendor and software consolidation.
- Proposes facilities and energy-conservation programs.
- Proposes bus-route and fleet optimization to reduce redundant routes and fuel use.
- Proposes renting athletic, performing-arts, and career and technical education facilities to outside groups during non-school hours.
- Proposes assigning current staff additional competitive grant-writing responsibilities.

Beyond funding, improving outcomes for our special education students comes down to structural alignment, instructional capacity, and intentional school culture:

* Peer-mediated support networks: Foster structured peer buddy and mentor models in unified electives and clubs to drive social-emotional growth and campus-wide inclusion.

As a former classroom teacher and assistant principal, I understand how important a safe and orderly classroom learning environment is on both student success and student emotional wellbeing. Administrators need to be more concerned with protecting the learning environment than with having discipline numbers that look good on paper, or avoiding potential conflict with the parents of disruptive students. In my experience, addressing discipline issues early and consistently had the primary benefit of restoring order to the classroom while establishing trust with the parents early on, and secondary benefit of reducing the long-term numbers reported to central office administration.

Supports structured peer-buddy and mentoring models in electives and clubs to promote inclusion and social-emotional growth.

Said administrators should prioritize protecting the learning environment over maintaining favorable discipline statistics or avoiding conflict with parents.

- Supports structured peer-buddy and mentoring models in electives and clubs to promote inclusion and social-emotional growth.
- Said administrators should prioritize protecting the learning environment over maintaining favorable discipline statistics or avoiding conflict with parents.

What can the district do to support teachers both in and outside the classroom?

Inside the classroom, we can ensure that clearly defined strategies are in place with measurable goals that focus on safety in classrooms, administrative support when students become disruptive, and how campus administration should be fierce guardians of teachers' instructional time.

What can the district do to support teachers both in and outside the classroom?

Outside of the classroom, we should ensure that our teachers are empowered to have a healthy work/life balance as a part of the District’s culture, and that the administration doesn’t create policies or expectations that infringe on that.

Supports measurable strategies for classroom safety, administrator support during student disruptions, and protecting teachers’ instructional time.

Supports a district culture that promotes teachers’ work-life balance and avoids policies or expectations that infringe on it.

- Supports measurable strategies for classroom safety, administrator support during student disruptions, and protecting teachers’ instructional time.
- Supports a district culture that promotes teachers’ work-life balance and avoids policies or expectations that infringe on it.

Beyond funding, improving outcomes for our special education students comes down to structural alignment, instructional capacity, and intentional school culture:

* High-leverage co-teaching models: Implement parallel, station, and alternative teaching models that fully leverage the specialized expertise of both general and special educators.

Beyond funding, improving outcomes for our special education students comes down to structural alignment, instructional capacity, and intentional school culture:

* Robust secondary transition pipelines: Expand vertical alignment with Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways, local work-based learning, and life-skills programs to build practical post-graduation independence early.

Supports using Universal Design for Learning in general-education classrooms to build accessibility into instruction.

Proposes collaborative admission, review, and dismissal meetings centered on parent input, student strengths, and postsecondary goals.

Supports parallel, station, and alternative co-teaching models involving general and special educators.

Proposes aligning career and technical education, work-based learning, and life-skills programs to support special-education students after graduation.

- Supports parallel, station, and alternative co-teaching models involving general and special educators.
- Proposes aligning career and technical education, work-based learning, and life-skills programs to support special-education students after graduation.

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Joseph Ferguson
Professional educator for over 20 years, having worked as a classroom teacher and campus administrator.

Joseph Ferguson has worked as an educator for more than 20 years, including as a classroom teacher and campus administrator.

Ferguson was a candidate for the Position 1 seat in 2014. He was defeated by incumbent Kathy Handler in the general election on November 4, 2014.

Joseph Ferguson was a candidate for the District 5 seat on the Tomball Independent School District school board in Texas. Ferguson was defeated in the by-district general election on November 8, 2016.

Joseph Ferguson - Ballotpedia

Joseph previously ran for the Position 1 seat in 2014 but did not win. He later ran for the Tomball Independent School District school board's District 5 seat in 2016 but did not win.

As of September 25, 2026, Joseph Ferguson’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Calls for proactive planning, transparency, and two-way communication with the community and district employees to address growth-related capacity and facility challenges.

Calls for clearly defined classroom-safety policies and administrative support when students become disruptive.

Calls for classroom-safety policies, administrative support for disruptive students, protection of instructional time, and a district culture that supports teachers' work-life balance.

Proposes Universal Design for Learning, general and special education co-teaching, and collaborative meetings centered on parent input, student strengths, and measurable goals.

Buket Urgen

What experience do you have that would help you in this role?

I have a master's degree in Educational Administration from SHSU. I have worked in local public schools as a substitute teacher, classroom teacher and assistant principal. I am currently a professor of education where I am the faculty lead for the teacher education courses on my campus.

Q&A: Meet the candidates running for Tomball ISD Position 5 | The Woodlands | Community Impact

Joseph Ferguson earned a master's degree in educational administration from SHSU.

What is your current employment situation?

I proudly serve as a professor of education at Lone Star College - Montgomery (LSC-M) where I teach future teachers working towards their degrees in education, as well as a college success course for incoming freshmen.

What’s your experience in public education?

I have served as a substitute teacher in Tomball ISD and Spring ISD, a classroom teacher in Spring ISD, an assistant principal in Tomball ISD, and a professor of education at Lone Star College. I've been a professional educator for over 20 years.

I enlisted in the U.S. Army during Thanksgiving break of my senior year of high school and shipped to Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, soon after graduation.

I served 4 years of active duty which included a deployment to Bosnia in 1998 where I was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal as a corporal.

Joseph Ferguson currently works as a professor of education at Lone Star College-Montgomery. He previously worked as a substitute teacher in Tomball ISD and Spring ISD, a classroom teacher in Spring ISD, and an assistant principal in Tomball ISD. He served four years of active duty in the U.S. Army, including as a corporal, and served 15 years in the Texas State Guard, retiring as a colonel.

Snapshot: First contested mayoral election in a decade sees 243% more voters; Tomball ISD turnout nearly doubles | Community Impact

In the race for Position 1, for which there is no incumbent as board President Kathy Handler did not file for re-election, Salem won with 40.1% of the vote while Joseph Ferguson and Jim Engelke trailed with 36.64% and 23.26% of the vote, respectively.

Update: Incumbents, Tina Salem win in Tomball ISD races | Community Impact

Joseph previously ran for Tomball ISD Position 6. He also ran for Tomball ISD Position 1, where he trailed the winner.

Screen time in the classroom is like any new technology that has been or will be introduced into our lives. There is usually an initial period of experimentation that looks like the swinging of a pendulum, sometimes starting with underuse followed by overuse, or the opposite. Usually after a few swings, we land on the proper balance, and I think we are still in that process when it comes to screen time in class.

Instead of a hard stance on either to not ever use screens or using screens all the time for everything, I believe it'll come down to teachers using data based on student success and parent input to decide which degree of use is best for each lesson and each assessment.

Supports teachers using student-success data and parent input to determine appropriate classroom screen use for each lesson and assessment.

- Supports teachers using student-success data and parent input to determine appropriate classroom screen use for each lesson and assessment.

School Curriculum

### Priority #3
Call for increased fiscal responsibility and accountability, such as having safeguards in place to guard against fraud, waste, and abuse of district resources or any additional theft of taxpayer funds

Calls for proactive academic and logistical planning to accommodate the district's rapid growth.

How do you plan to address the growth coming to the district?

The district's rapid growth brings the welcome challenges that result from many new neighbors joining our community and our schools. We must be excessively proactive rather than constantly reactive in planning for how to adequately care for all of the new students both academically and logistically to ensure success.

Calls for fiscal safeguards against fraud, waste, abuse, and theft of district resources and taxpayer funds.

- Calls for fiscal safeguards against fraud, waste, abuse, and theft of district resources and taxpayer funds.

School Facilities & Resources

### Priority #1
Protecting Students, Teachers, and Parental Rights: Prioritizing classroom safety, backing teachers against classroom disruptions, and ensuring parents maintain an inalienable voice in their children's education.

Calls for reviewing district transportation safety, including bus overcrowding that leaves students sitting three or four to a seat or on floors.

What is your top priority, if elected?

Student safety. Not only vestibules and resource officers, but also the way district transportation operates needs a hard look, as there are currently serious safety concerns about students sitting three or four to a seat, or on the bus floors. Followed closely by high academic standards and financial responsibility.

Prioritizes classroom safety and backs teachers against classroom disruptions.

- Prioritizes classroom safety and backs teachers against classroom disruptions.

Student Wellbeing

Inside the classroom, we can ensure that clearly defined strategies are in place with measurable goals that focus on safety in classrooms, administrative support when students become disruptive, and how campus administration should be fierce guardians of teachers' instructional time.

Outside of the classroom, we should ensure that our teachers are empowered to have a healthy work/life balance as a part of the District’s culture, and that the administration doesn’t create policies or expectations that infringe on that. This way teachers can thrive in both arenas.

Prioritizes recruiting, training, and retaining teachers and treating them as valued, supported professionals.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Tomball ISD?

Recruiting, training and retaining the best teachers so that our students can benefit from their knowledge and skills. Caring for our teachers and treating them with the respect that experienced professionals deserve is a top priority. Teachers need to feel valued and supported if we hope to accomplish these goals.

Supports strategies that protect teachers' instructional time and provide administrative support when students disrupt classrooms.

Supports a district culture that promotes teachers' work-life balance and avoids policies or expectations that infringe on it.

- Supports strategies that protect teachers' instructional time and provide administrative support when students disrupt classrooms.
- Supports a district culture that promotes teachers' work-life balance and avoids policies or expectations that infringe on it.

Teachers

* Collaborative ARD meetings: Shift from compliance-driven checklists to genuine partnerships centered on parent input, student strengths, and concrete post-secondary goals.

* Robust secondary transition pipelines: Expand vertical alignment with Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways, local work-based learning, and life-skills programs to build practical post-graduation independence early.

* Peer-mediated support networks: Foster structured peer buddy and mentor models in unified electives and clubs to drive social-emotional growth and campus-wide inclusion.

Proposes using Universal Design for Learning in general education classrooms to build accessibility into instruction.

Beyond funding, improving outcomes for our special education students comes down to structural alignment, instructional capacity, and intentional school culture:
* Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Utilize Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in general education classrooms, so that general education teachers design instruction with built-in accessibility rather than treating accommodations as retrofits.

Proposes parallel, station, and alternative co-teaching models that use the expertise of general and special educators.

* High-leverage co-teaching models: Implement parallel, station, and alternative teaching models that fully leverage the specialized expertise of both general and special educators.

Proposes meetings centered on parent input, student strengths, and post-secondary goals instead of compliance-driven checklists.

Proposes aligning Career and Technical Education pathways, local work-based learning, and life-skills programs to support post-graduation independence.

Proposes structured peer buddy and mentor models in electives and clubs to promote inclusion and social-emotional growth.

- Proposes meetings centered on parent input, student strengths, and post-secondary goals instead of compliance-driven checklists.
- Proposes aligning Career and Technical Education pathways, local work-based learning, and life-skills programs to support post-graduation independence.
- Proposes structured peer buddy and mentor models in electives and clubs to promote inclusion and social-emotional growth.

Access to Education

John E. McStravick

- A trustee is an elected member of a local school board who helps govern a public school district.

- Trustees represent community interests and are responsible for setting policies that guide how the school district operates.

- The board of trustees hires and evaluates the superintendent, who manages the day-to-day operations of the district.

- Trustees approve the district’s budget, monitor spending, and may set the local tax rate or call for bond elections to fund schools.

- The board also oversees educational programs, district goals, and overall performance.

- In Texas, trustees are elected to four-year terms, often on a rotating basis, so not all seats are elected at the same time.

- Trustees serve without financial compensation.

An official who sets policy for a local school district. 