Jessica McLaughlin, associate commissioner for educator preparation, certification and enforcement at the Texas Education Agency, told the board the SBEC is implementing several post‑legislative changes and will conduct additional rulemaking and operational rollout this year.

McLaughlin said the SBEC has been directed by statute to implement a temporary suspension procedure for educator certificates in two narrow circumstances: arrests for certain crimes and where a certificate holder presents an “imminent threat to the public welfare.” She told the board that "that committee will actually hold its first committee hearing on, Thursday, September 18," and that the SBEC chair appointed an eight‑member temporary suspension committee with Julia Dvorak serving as presiding officer.

McLaughlin said the imminent‑threat standard will require the SBEC to adopt rules to define its scope; arrests for listed crimes are already codified in statute. She described the temporary suspension as distinct from the agency’s investigative‑flag process: investigative flags notify employers and the public that an educator is under investigation but do not automatically bar classroom service. Temporary suspension, by contrast, makes a certificate temporarily ineligible to be used in a placement while due process proceeds.

The SBEC also intends to phase in a student‑growth indicator in the educator‑preparation accountability system. "The indicator that will be included within the accountability system has been in a report only state as we've collected baseline data," McLaughlin said, and the board plans a multi‑year runway with a phased performance threshold over three years before full enforcement.

On assessment development, the board is moving forward with a Texas Test for Educator Proficiency. Marco Petrie, director of educator standards and test development, said the agency selected an educator preparation content team to help develop a Texas‑owned replacement for the current Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility (PPR) exam; the SBEC will later consider rulemaking steps to implement the new assessment.

Board members also discussed other legislative directives from the 89th Legislature, including House Bill 2 provisions that create a preparation allotment and new mentorship requirements, and a requirement that the SBEC review National Board Certification materials for continued inclusion in the teacher incentive allotment. McLaughlin said the statute sets specific review criteria and that, unless the board acts, National Board certification would be removed from the allotment automatically by December 2026.

McLaughlin urged the board that the temporary suspension committee will meet more frequently than only at scheduled SBEC meetings and that the agency flags certificates under investigation while a temporary suspension matter is being prepared to shorten the time a potentially risky educator might stay in the classroom. Board members asked for follow‑up on complaint processing timelines and how school districts can access investigative statuses.

Actions recorded in the meeting included SBEC’s appointment of the temporary suspension committee (eight members; Julia Dvorak presiding) and scheduling the committee’s first hearing for the posted date. The board also advanced multiple rule proposals and adoptions in July and expects further proposals and adoptions at its September meeting as it implements statute.

Sources: Testimony and Q&A with Jessica McLaughlin and Marco Petrie during the State Board of Education meeting.