The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met in Austin on July 23 and 24 to discuss their pending work and take up a few action items.
Each July, the SBEC conducts a work session to preview their workstreams and rulemaking duties for the coming year. After a legislative session, this includes an update on new statute and any impacts the laws have on those duties. Thursday was spent discussing legislation that impacts SBEC rulemaking with the following House (HB) and Senate (SB) Bills:
- HB 2 requires the formation of some new (really, re-imagined) educator certificates and requires the board to adopt rules for these certificates, as well as for educator preparation programs (EPPs) to participate in a new and optional Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership (PREP) Allotment program.
- HB 1178 relates to the creation of a temporary educator certificate for educators certified by other states.
- SB 12, primarily messaged as a “parental rights bill,” contains strong language against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and carries disciplinary consequences for teachers.
- SB 127 relates to the failure to report child abuse or neglect by certain professionals and the statute of limitations for that offense. There are implications for educator discipline rules.
- SB 571 is a substantial educator misconduct and disciplinary reform bill. It expands the Do Not Hire registry to include any school personnel, including all contractors and volunteers. It requires additional reporting of misconduct to the board and shortens the timeline for such reporting. It also authorizes the board to temporarily suspend certificates during a Texas Education Agency investigation. The bill also gives TEA oversight into district investigations to ensure those are properly conducted.
Staff spent time laying out the bills and requirements, giving the board an opportunity for questions. While no action was taken at this meeting, there is substantial rulemaking required from these new laws and will command significant attention at the September meeting of the SBEC, which the board mentioned would be a rare two-day meeting.
Friday’s Regular Meeting
After the avalanche of new information and discussion on Thursday, the Friday agenda proved relatively light. This was also the first official meeting for new board members Latisha D. Andrews (superintendent/CEO, Beta Academy charter) and Tara Turk-Turk Zafraan (citizen, not present).
Staff provided an overview of proposed changes to the Accountability System for Educator Preparation (ASEP) program and received an update on the Texas Test of Educator Proficiency (T-TEP) EPP Development Team and development process. According to a requirement established in SB 571, the board designated a five-person committee who will meet and vote on temporary suspension matters as needed.
T-TESS Stakeholder Advisory Committee
While stakeholders wait for the wave of rulemaking that is set to begin in earnest in September, there is an opportunity now to help shape additional policy changes.
Hotline readers will remember the extensive advocacy work undertaken by Texas AFT and our partners in the Texas Coalition for Educator Certification (TCEP) on the Educator Standards in SBEC rules. The adopted standards in the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 235 have since carried over into the creation and adoption of Chapter 149, the commissioner’s rules concerning teacher standards. These changes were substantial and now the agency must begin the work of revising the Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) to reflect these new expectations.
As TEA updates T-TESS to align with new educator standards, your voice is essential. Join the statewide Stakeholder Advisory Committee to share feedback, elevate real-world perspectives, and help shape clear, effective communication across Texas education. Remember: if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.