The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met Dec. 4–5 for its final meeting in 2025. The agenda included: 

• Election of new board officers 
• Appointment of a committee to investigate use of National Board Certification in Texas  
• Proposed language to amend 19 TAC Ch. 247/249, regarding the Educator Code of Ethics and teacher disciplinary standards, in order to align them with recently passed legislation  
• Reopening 19 TAC Ch. 228, requirements for educator preparation programs; 19 TAC Ch. 227, provisions for educator preparation candidates; and 19 TAC Ch. 230, professional educator preparation and certification, to align them with HB 2, passed earlier this year 
• An update on development of the Texas Test of Teacher Proficiency, or T-TEP, which will replace the PPR exam 

Board officer elections 

The board began its meeting by naming new officers for the next two years. Courtney McDonald will serve as chair, replacing Jean Streepey who, despite her recent reappointment, has decided to step off the board. The board named Julia Dvorak as vice chair and Bena Glasscock as secretary. Bios for all board members are available here. 

National Board Certification and TIA 

The board appointed a subcommittee to consider whether National Board Certification materials align with the requirements of Texas law. Board members Bena Glasscock, Tara Turk-Zaafran, Dr. Veronica Galvan, and ATPE member and National Board certified teacher Bobbie Lynn Weir volunteered to serve on the committee, with Weir appointed to chair the committee. The purpose of the committee is to comply with a section of House Bill (HB) 2 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado) that requires SBEC to review certificates issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to determine whether to reauthorize or revoke teachers’ Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) designation. The board must make this decision by Dec. 31, 2026. The committee will work between now and April on a report to the full board detailing whether National Board Certification materials: 

• Allow for teaching of state standards (TEKS) without the use of Common Core 
• Allow for teaching of phonics without the use of three-cueing (an approach to teaching literacy banned in Texas) 
• Ensure teachers are complying with prohibitions under state law 
• Align with criteria established by the State Board of Education (SBOE) for approval of instructional materials (Instructional Material Review and Approval suitability rubrics) 

ATPE member and 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year Christine Mihealsick testified on her own experience as a National Board Certified Teacher and the ways it has informed her teaching and improved outcomes for her students. She told the board the process to become National Board Certified was the most rigorous training she had ever received; that is her experience the program, which emphasizes use of the teacher’s resident state standards, was TEKS-aligned; and that there was no question that it had helped her better meet the needs of all of her students. 

The committee will present its findings to the board in April. Once SBEC determines whether the National Board curriculum meets those standards, the board will decide whether to renew or revoke the ability of educators to receive a TIA designation through National Board Certification. SBEC must make this decision by December 2026 or the designations will be automatically revoked. 

Updates to the Educator Code of Ethics and discipline procedures  

SBEC must reopen 19 TAC Ch. 247 and 249, the Educator Code of Ethics and educator discipline procedures, respectively, in order to implement Senate Bill (SB) 12 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe) and SB 571 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston). 

The board discussed the two situations that allow for temporary suspension of an educator’s certificate under HB 571: arrest and “imminent threat.” SB 571 charges the board with deciding what constitutes an “immediate threat,” stating action is required only if the alleged offense “presents a risk to the health, safety, or welfare of a student or minor as determined by the board.” TEA staff presented information gathered through a recent stakeholder meeting with the board, including feedback about the definitions of “inappropriate communication,” “appropriate boundaries,” and “imminent threat,” as well as what behaviors should result in a temporary suspension and how often the SBEC subcommittee that will review those suspensions will meet. 

TEA staff also presented suggested language to the board not previously been seen by any stakeholders. The suggested definition of “inappropriate communication” includes updates such as whether an educator attempted to conceal the communication and the use of electronic communication, such as apps like Snapchat, that may violate board policy. The proposed definition of “appropriate boundaries” includes a section about physical proximity to a student that makes the student uncomfortable; contacting, meeting, or transporting a student outside the bounds of a professional role; and taking or possessing photos of a student beyond the professional role.  

The board then discussed a proposed new change to the Educator Code of Conduct, which would add a new standard that states: “The educator shall not promote, celebrate, or encourage illegal content.” TEA staff discussed this change as a response to increased reports on educator speech following the killing of Charlie Kirk. While staff told the board that most of the reports about educator speech related to the Kirk assassination turned out to be unfounded, TEA believes this change is necessary to prevent similar situations in the future.  

ATPE submitted written testimony focusing on general concerns and best practices because draft language was not available for review prior to the meeting. We asked that SBEC proceed cautiously with regard to temporary suspensions and limit them only to instances where immediate action could prevent further harm and clear evidence exists. We also asked for clear rules to ensure due process and that SBEC not attempt to redefine terms already clearly defined within existing code. 

The suggested language for Ch. 247 and 249 is set to go to proposal in February. ATPE will continue to engage in stakeholder feedback and will provide updates as they are available.  

Updates to educator preparation program (EPP) requirements due to HB 2 

The board had a lengthy discussion over implementation of the PREP program and allotment as prescribed in HB 2. This will require the board to reopen 19 TAC Ch. 228, which underwent lengthy revisions in 2023 and early 2024. The PREP allotment is intended to help EPPs and districts better train and prepare educators for the classroom through a variety of certification pathways, including traditional and alternative programs as well as programs that include a residency component. The board discussed recommended requirements for districts and EPPs to qualify for PREP allotment money in each pathway, as well as developing training content and guidelines for standards in each pathway.  

Some items ATPE is continuing to monitor and provide stakeholder feedback on as this chapter is revised include: 

• A reduction in the total number of observations for intern candidates from five to four. This was just increased to five less than two years ago, and educator preparation programs (EPPs) have spent a lot of time and money implementing the changes. The reduction is not required by the legislation (HB 2) and is not aligned with stakeholder feedback. ATPE and our partners in the Texas Coalition for Educator Preparation are asking the board to keep the number of observations at five. 
• Clarification on the “designated pre-clinical portion” of the Texas Reading and Mathematics Achievement Academies. While both academies are required in HB 2 as a requirement to receive PREP allotment funds, it is unclear how much of the trainings must be completed prior to beginning clinical teaching, which could further discourage candidates to enter the field. 
• Changes to rules regarding which programs can offer synchronous vs. asynchronous learning. This creates unnecessary limitations on programs that are already having asynchronous courses approved through Quality Matters.  

Discussion over Ch. 228 took so long, in fact (eight hours over two days), that board discussion for posted agenda items for Ch. 227, admission requirements for teacher programs, and Ch. 230, educator certification requirements, was skipped and only public testimony on these items was taken.  

Items ATPE is monitoring during the 227 and 230 discussion include: 

• Broadening of the late hire program in Ch. 230, leading to a potential loophole in the provision of HB 2 requiring all core teachers to be certified by 2030 
• Addition of a two-year intern certification with no requirement for any testing before candidates enter the classroom (a concern because these candidates will not demonstrate content knowledge before entering the classroom) 
• Removal of the ability of alternative certification programs to offer clinical teaching 
• Change to criteria for program acceptance that includes requiring normed criteria, potentially leading to a decrease in accepted candidates 
• A 5% limitation on late hires for programs that could create problems with their district partnerships at a time when districts seek certification for uncertified teachers in compliance with HB 2 

Updates on the Texas Test of Educator Proficiency (T-TEP) 

The final item discussed in the two-day hearing was an update from TEA staff on the development of the Texas Test of Educator Proficiency (T-TEP). Committee members working to develop the test updated the board on the timeline and their work. The committee intends to have four development meetings in 2026, as well as engage in rulemaking ahead of 2027 field training and launch of the exam. This exam will replace the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam. 

The board will meet again Feb. 13, 2026, and is expected to adopt changes to 227, 228, 230, 247, and 249. ATPE will continue to engage in stakeholder discussions and keep you updated on Teach the Vote.