April 2025 Committee on School Initiatives
THURSDAY
April 10, 2025
8:00 a.m.
COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL INITIATIVES – Room 2.027 (Barbara Jordan Building)
Members: LJ Francis, chair; Julie Pickren, vice chair; Staci Childs; Tiffany Clark, and Brandon Hall. A quorum of the State Board of Education may attend the committee meeting and discuss items on the committee agenda.
Public testimony – Individual testimony will be taken at the time the related item comes up for committee discussion or action. The procedures for public testimony at State Board of Education committee meetings and general board meetings are provided in SBOE Operating Rules.
1. Open-Enrollment Charter School Generation 30 Application and Texas Charter School Portfolio Updates
This item provides an opportunity for the committee to receive updates regarding the Generation 30 Open-Enrollment Charter Application cycle. Statutory authority is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §12.101.COMMITTEE – DISCUSSION
SBOE – NO ACTION
2. Approval of 2025-2029 Rule Review Plan for State Board of Education Rules
This item presents for approval the Proposed 2025-2029 Rule Review Plan for State Board of Education (SBOE) Rules. Texas Government Code, §2001.039, requires an ongoing four-year rule review of existing state agency rules, including SBOE rules. The rule review requirement is designed to ensure that the reason for initially adopting or readopting a rule continues to exist. Statutory authority is the Texas Government Code (TGC), §2001.039.
COMMITTEE – ACTION
SBOE – CONSENT
This item provides the State Board of Education (SBOE) an opportunity to review the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rule actions that would adopt the proposed amendments to 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 249, Disciplinary Proceedings, Sanctions, and Contested Cases. The proposed amendments reflect the results of prior discussions on Chapter 249 by the SBEC, as well as multiple stakeholder engagement sessions. The proposed amendments would amend the contract abandonment mitigating factors; amend the definition of solicitation to add grooming behaviors; update the SBEC’s mandatory minimum sanctions; update the SBEC’s mailing procedures to allow original petitions and default petitions to be sent via electronic mail; clarify that all notices sent to comply with Texas Government Code, §2001.054, will be sent via certified or registered mail, remove the requirement that exceptions must be filed or an issue is waived; clarify the erroneously issued certificate section to explicitly state that the cancellation of a certificate issued as the result of a Texas Education Agency (TEA) information technology (IT) error will not result in a contested case; and amend the SBEC’s definition of abuse to mirror the definition of abuse found in Texas Family Code, Chapter 261, as well as make additional technical edits. The statutory authority for the SBOE to review rules that the SBEC proposes to adopt is Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.042. Statutory authority for 19 TAC Chapter 249, Subchapters A, B, C, and E, is TEC, §§21.006(a), (b), (b-1), (b-2), (c), (c-1), (c-2), (f), (g), (g-1), and (i); 21.0062; 21.007; 21.009(e); 21.031(a); 21.035; 21.041(a) and (b)(1), (4), (7), and (8); 21.044(a), 21.058; 21.0581; 21.060; 21.065; 21.105(c); 21.160(c); 21.210(c); 22.082; 22.0831; 22.085; 22.087; 22.092; and 22.093; Texas Government Code (TGC), §§411.090, 2001.054(c), 2001.058(e), and 2001.142(a); Texas Family Code (TFC), §261.308(d) and (e) and §261.406(a) and (b); Texas Occupations Code (TOC), §§53.021(a), 53.022–53.025, 53.051, 53.052 and 56.003; and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 20 United States Code (U.S.C.) §7926.
COMMITTEE – ACTION
SBOE – ACTION
This item provides the State Board of Education (SBOE) an opportunity to review the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rule actions that would adopt the proposed revisions to 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 235, Classroom Teacher Certification Standards, Subchapter A, General Provisions, Subchapter B, Elementary School Certificate Standards, Subchapter C, Middle School Certificate Standards, and Subchapter D, Secondary School Certificate Standards. The proposed revisions would repeal the current grade-banded classroom teacher pedagogy standards and replace them with the new Classroom Teacher Pedagogy standards. Statutory authority for the SBOE to review rules that the SBEC proposes to adopt is Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.042. Statutory authority for the classroom teacher class certificate structure is TEC, §§21.003(a), 21.031, and 21.041(b)(1), (2), and (4).
COMMITTEE – ACTION
SBOE – ACTION
This item provides the State Board of Education (SBOE) an opportunity to review the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rule actions that would adopt the proposed revisions to 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 231, Requirements for Public School Personnel Assignments, Subchapter F, Special Education-Related Services Personnel Assignments. The proposed revisions would provide requirements for school districts to make personnel assignment decisions based on the correlating certification and demonstration of content proficiency requirements. The proposed revisions would also expand the list of certificates appropriate for personnel serving in special education-related assignments and include a section dedicated to requirements for an assignment of Teachers of Students who are Deafblind. Statutory authority for the SBOE to review rules that the SBEC proposes to adopt is Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.042. The statutory authority for 19 TAC Chapter 231, Subchapter F, is TEC, §§21.003(a), 21.031(a), 21.041(b)(1) and (2), and 21.064.
COMMITTEE – ACTION
SBOE – ACTION
6. Discussion of Ongoing State Board for Educator Certification Activities
This item provides an opportunity for the committee to receive updates on current and upcoming State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) activities and proposed SBEC rules and amendments. Statutory authority is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §§21.031, 21.035, 21.041, and 21.042.
COMMITTEE – DISCUSSION
SBOE – NO ACTION
7. Report by the Texas School Safety Center Related to the Statutorily Required Biennial Report
This item provides an opportunity for the committee to receive statutorily required biennial report that includes any findings made by the center regarding school safety and security and the center's functions, budget information, and strategic planning initiatives. Statutory authority is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §§37.2121(e), 37.216, and 37.2161.
COMMITTEE – DISCUSSION
SBOE – NO ACTION
8. Update by the Texas Education Agency Office of School Safety and Security
This item provides an opportunity for the committee to receive updates on current issues related to the safety and security of public schools. Statutory authority is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §37.1083, and §37.1084.
COMMITTEE – DISCUSSION
SBOE – NO ACTION
This item provides an opportunity for the committee to amend the “Framework for Governance Leadership” required to be adopted under Texas Education Code § 11.159, Member Training and Orientation, and 19 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 61, School Districts, Subchapter A, Board of Trustees Relationship, § 61.1, Continuing Education for School Board Members. Statutory authority is the Texas Education Code (TEC), §11.159.
COMMITTEE – ACTION
SBOE – CONSENT