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State Board for Educator Certification rule changes under review; committee endorses TEA9s proposals by taking no action
Summary
TEA and SBEC staff briefed the State Board of Education9s Committee on School Initiatives on Jan. 31, 2025, about multiple teacher-certification and educator-preparation rulemaking efforts, and the committee voted to take no action so the SBEC proposals can proceed on schedule.
State Board for Educator Certification staff briefed the Committee on School Initiatives on Jan. 31, 2025, about several rulemaking items that affect teacher preparation, discipline and special-education assignments; the committee voted to take no action on proposed amendments so they may proceed to the board for final consideration.
Jessica McLaughlin, Associate Commissioner of Educator Preparation, Certification and Enforcement at the Texas Education Agency, told the committee that the SBEC is actively engaged in rulemaking across multiple chapters. The board9s recent December meeting produced adoption-level actions for some chapters and proposal-level drafts for others. "The board will hold their next meeting on Friday, Feb. 14," McLaughlin said, and listed items SBEC would consider at that meeting, including teacher pedagogy standards and educator-discipline rules.
Staff described three prominent proposal items posted for public comment: chapter 249 (educator discipline) with changes such as a requirement for medical documentation to justify contract-abandonment claims and clearer definitions for early grooming behavior; chapter 235 (classroom teacher certification standards) which proposes new pedagogy standards and an increased emphasis on high-quality instructional materials and science-of-learning concepts; and chapter 231(f) (special-education personnel assignment), which staff said updates the criteria by which special-education teachers demonstrate content competency to align with federal requirements.
Marilyn Cook, TEA9s senior director for educator preparation and certification, summarized an extensive stakeholder engagement process on proposed amendments to 19 TAC 92.28 (requirements for educator preparation programs). The committee heard support testimony from Kelsey Kling of the Texas AFT, who praised SBEC for continuing stakeholder engagement and urged the committee to permit the revised rules to proceed.
On procedural items, the committee adopted the periodic review of 19 TAC chapter 30 (SBOE petition process) after a notice-and-comment period that produced no public comments; staff explained the review is required under state law and does not, by itself, amend substantive rules.
Committee members asked how educator-preparation programs are reviewed every five years; staff said TEA conducts a continuing-approval review and recommends reauthorization where programs meet statutory and code requirements. Members also asked about public-comment timing in the rulemaking process; staff explained that initial stakeholder discussions precede a proposal and that a 30-day public-comment period follows proposal, after which SBEC can adopt or repropose rules if public comments require substantive changes.
The committee voted to take no action on the proposed amendments to 19 TAC chapters 2.28 and 2.34 so the SBEC can proceed with its rulemaking calendar and bring recommended adoption items to the full board for final action.
Ending: SBEC staff and TEA will continue stakeholder engagement and return proposed and adoption rule texts to the board according to the SBEC rulemaking schedule (next SBEC meeting Feb. 14); members asked staff to provide materials and stakeholder lists on educator-preparation engagement sessions.
