SBEC: Off-cycle meeting Recap

Texas Education Agency staff showcased the new and publicly available Educator Misconduct Dashboard. We have written extensively about Senate Bill (SB) 571--its reporting requirements and misconduct consequences. One feature of the bill was a requirement to establish an internet portal that aggregates this information. Broadly, the portal exhibits the number and types of reports (violence, inappropriate relationships, etc.), progress on investigations, and sanctions imposed. Texas AFT was pleased that uncertified teachers are included in the reporting. While this level of transparency is much appreciated, there are some opportunities to drill further into the data, and we will seek opportunities to give feedback for a future version of the dashboard.

Board Vice Chair Julia Dvorak, who also leads the temporary suspension committee, will be enjoying parental leave soon and so nominated Tara Turk-Zaafran as Vice Chair to conduct committee meetings in her temporary absence. Chair Courtney McDonald had been serving on the committee but with her election to the top seat and those attendant new duties, she recused herself from the committee, and the newest member of the board, Jomeka Gray will take her place on the committee.