A champion for education, Florence Shapiro began her life of service as an English and Speech teacher at Richardson High School. Decades later, following six terms on the Plano City Council, and after serving as Mayor of Plano and President of the Texas Municipal League, Shapiro was elected to the Texas Senate and began serving in 1993. She currently serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Education and is a former Chair of the Senate’s State Affairs Committee. Her series of bills known as Ashley’s Laws have become model legislation nationally for protecting children against sexual predators.

Personal

As a first generation American, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, Shapiro was the first in her family to attend college. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. Shapiro is a former small business owner and lives in Plano with her husband Howard, who is an attorney and native of San Saba, Texas. They have three children and eight grandchildren living in the DFW Metroplex and Houston areas

Leadership

Chair, Senate Committee on Education • Member, Senate Committee on Finance • Member, Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security  • Chaired the Senate State Affairs Committee • President Pro Tempore, 2005 • Governor for a Day, 2005 • Chaired the Texas Senate Republican Caucus and was the first female to lead a majority caucus in either party or either chamber of the Texas legislature • Past President, Texas Municipal League • Namesake of the Florence Shapiro High School in McKinney, Texas • Paul Harris Rotary Fellow • Past President, North Central Texas Council of Governments • U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Presidential Appointee • Co-Chair, Study Commission on Region C Water Supply •  “Legislator of the Year Award” from The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, 2008 • “Jack Lowe Award for Community Leadership in Education” from The Dallas Bar Association, 2008 • "Champion for Social Change Award" from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, 2008 • “Outstanding Legislator Award" from the Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas, 2007 • “Fighter for Free Enterprise Award” from the Texas Association of Business, 2007, 2005, 2003 • “Legislative Honor Roll” from the Texas Association of Realtors, 2007, 2005 • “Guardian of Free Enterprise” from the National Federation of Independent Business • “Property Rights Protector” from the Texas Builders Association • “Legislator of the Year” from the Texas Association of College Teachers • “Law and Order Award” from the Texas District and County Attorneys Association • “Legislative Star Award” from the Texas Classroom Teachers Association • “Distinguished Service Award” from the American Public Works Association

Results Through Leadership

Ashley’s Laws, a series of bills that protect children against sex offenders and provide punishment to those who prey on children • Legislation to phase out the TAKS test and replace it with end-of-course exams so teachers are not forced to teach to the test • Created the first Texas Mobility Fund so Texas could bond for road building • Created the Emerging Technology Fund, which offers funding for new innovative technologies to help promote business growth in Texas • Carried Texas’ first homeland security legislation to coordinate communication and develop strategies to ensure effective response in the event of a terrorist attack • Helped pass the largest school property tax cut in Texas history while providing more money for classrooms and teachers.