Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today the launch of the Texas Gateway, a project of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) described as a free online resource library for educators and parents. The online site expands educators’ and parents’ access to resources aimed at supporting classroom instruction. “The Texas Gateway reflects many months of work and collaboration with our educators who asked TEA for an avenue that promotes a Texas-specific approach to online resources,” said Commissioner Morath in a press release distributed by TEA today. “And while teachers will no doubt find the resources on this site to be valuable tools, items found on the Texas Gateway are also available to parents, students, and all Texans at no cost.” The site is intended to offer educators instant and free access to a variety of resources searchable by grade level, subject, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and keywords. The site offers videos, interactives, assessments, lessons, and other materials that are aligned with the TEKS. In addition, educators may access professional development resources. The site’s continuing professional education (CPE) offerings are currently limited to two courses, but additional courses are expected to be added. While a username and password is not required to gain access to the site or the materials within, visitors to the site are able to create an account that allows for saving relevant resources and sharing those resources with teachers, parents, or students. The TEA press release said that the resources available will continue to grow and that TEA will work with the education service centers (ESCs) and school districts in the coming months to promote and gather feedback on the Texas Gateway. To learn more about the Texas Gateway or explore the available resources, visit www.texasgateway.org.