ÌÇÐĶ̾ç

The State Board for Educator Certification was created by the Texas Legislature in 1995 to recognize public school educators as professionals and grant educators the authority to govern the standards of their profession. The Board oversees all aspects of the preparation, certification and standards of conduct of public school educators.

Governor's Appointments to the State Board for Educator Certification

The Texas Education Code requires that the governor appoint the following 11 voting members of the SBEC board, for six-year terms: four classroom teachers, one counselor, two administrators, and four citizens. Four non-voting members also serve on the board: the governor appoints a dean of a college of education and a person who has experience working for and knowledge of an alternative certification preparation program, the Commissioner of Education appoints a staff member of the Texas Education Agency, and the Commissioner of Higher Education appoints a staff member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Classroom Teachers

Bobbie Lynn Weir, NBCT, of Dallas is a former private sector business executive and a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher for Richardson High School. As the Hotel Internship Practicum Coordinator, her visionary educational and entrepreneurial approach led to the creation of a new "Hotel Lobby Area Learning Center" providing Workforce Development opportunities to students. This new Center was recognized by Governor Proclamation as a state-of-the art learning center and the first of its kind in North Texas. Ms. Weir is a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) with a certificate focus of Career and Technical Education in the discipline area of Leisure and Recreation Services. She was the first person to receive this designation in Texas. Ms. Weir is the former board president of the Hospitality Education Association of Texas (HEAT), advisory board member of The Educator Collective, education committee member of the Hotel Association of North Texas (HANTX), Teach Plus Texas Policy Fellow, and a Teach Plus national policy advisory board member. Ms. Weir received the Junior Achievement teacher of the year award, Richardson Independent School District (ISD) CTE career connector award, Richardson ISD CTE outstanding educator award, HEAT hospitality teacher of the year award, and the HANTX hotel teacher of the year award. Ms. Weir received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Abilene Christian University. Her term expires February 1, 2027

JoMeka Gray of Belton is a teacher at Kennedy-Powell Elementary School in Temple ISD, Temple, Texas, with over 13 years of experience teaching a variety of student populations, including high-poverty, English Language Learners, military families, and STEM Academy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana Tech University and National Board Certification in Early Childhood. JoMeka has received multiple accolades, including Campus Rookie of the Year, Temple ISD’s Campus and District Teacher of the Year (2020, 2024), and the 2024 Elementary Teacher of Region 12. She was also named a 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year finalist and 2026 Horace Mann Awardee. Her dedication to student achievement earned her a top 5% Master designation through the Texas Education Agency’s Teacher Incentive Allotment. A leader in education, JoMeka has hosted professional development across multiple states and served on several district, state, and national committees, including the ÌÇÐĶ̾ç Math Curriculum and Texas Teach Plus Advocacy. Beyond education, JoMeka is an active community member. Her dedication to her students and community reflects her passion for creating accessible education for all.

Counselor

Bena Glasscock, Board Secretary, of Adrian is the Child Services Coordinator for Hereford Independent School District and serves as the campus coordinator for the Hereford Center for Accelerated Learning, the alternative high school program. She is a member and former president of the Texas School Counselor Association and a member of the Texas Counseling Association, Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, American School Counselor Association, Lone Star State School Counselor Association, and former campus coordinator for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Ms. Glasscock received a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics, as Master of Education in Counseling from Tarleton Sate University, and a Principal Certification from West Texas A&M University. Her term expires February 1, 2027.

Administrators

Michael D. McFarland, Ed.D. of Crowley has 30 years of experience in public education and is currently the Superintendent of Schools for Crowley Independent School District, where he has served since 2017. Previously, he served as the Superintendent of Schools for Lancaster Independent School District, Assistant Superintendent of Achievement and Pupil Services for Champaign Public Schools in Champaign, Illinois, and Principal for John Tyler High School in Tyler and Foster Middle School in Longview. He is the past President of the National Alliance of Black School Educators, a member and past President of the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators, and a former board member of the Texas Association of School Boards Risk Management Fund. He is a member of the American and Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), Association for Supervision of Curriculum Development, Association of School Business Officials, TASA Future Ready Superintendent Task Force, and the Texas Education Agency Commissioner's Accountability Policy Advisory Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the Baylor University Board of Regents, Crowley Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club, a former member of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Best Southwest Chamber of Commerce, and a former member of Lions Club. McFarland received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University, a Master of Education from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a Doctor of Education from Baylor University. His term expires February 1, 2027.

Latisha D. Andrews is the Founder, CEO, and Superintendent of Beta Academy, a high-performing charter school in southeast Houston. She began her career as a classroom teacher and launched a small private school in 2010, which later became Beta Academy Charter School in 2015. Driven by a deep commitment to educational equity and academic excellence, she has built Beta into a nationally recognized model of innovation and impact. Under her leadership, Beta Academy has earned recognition from the Texas Education Agency and Children at Risk, and maintains a Superior Financial Rating. Andrews has raised over $25 million in philanthropic and capital support, increasing Beta’s total assets to $97 million and annual revenue to over $20 million, while creating more than 200 jobs. She serves as a board director for the Texas Business Hall of Fame and as an advisory board member for the College of Science and Engineering at Houston Christian University. Andrews holds a Master of Business Administration, graduating summa cum laude. In 2024, she was named one of Houston’s Most Influential Women by Houston Woman Magazine.

Citizens

Courtney Boswell MacDonald, Board Chair, of Kerrville is a community volunteer. She previously worked on the Senate Education Committee, and served as executive director for Texans for Education Reform, Texas Institute for Education Reform, and Texas Aspires. She is a former math teacher at Richardson ISD and Dallas ISD. MacDonald received a Bachelor of Science in fashion and communications and a secondary education certification from Texas Christian University and a Master of Public Policy in education policy from Vanderbilt University. Her term expires February 1, 2029.

Julia Dvorak, Board Vice Chair, of Pflugerville is the founder of Julia Faye Consulting, a public relations consulting firm, Texas outreach director of EdChoice, an account manager for Steinhauser Strategies, and an advisor to other national education organizations. She is a member of the Austin Liberty Leadership Council and former chair of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Austin Steering Committee. Julia received a Bachelor of Science in Political Communication and a certification in Ethics & Leadership in Law, Politics, and Government from The University of Texas at Austin. Her term expires February 1, 2025.

Rex Gore of Austin is President of PJS of Texas and co-founder of CleanScapes. He is a former board member of Building Owners and Managers Association, Real Estate Council of Austin, Austin Chamber of Commerce, and the Boy Scouts of America. He is a regional board member for IDEA Public Schools, member of the Texas Business Leadership Council Education Task Force. He is the co-founder and board member of PelotonU and former chair of TCSA - Charter Schools Now C4 and Regents School of Austin. Mr. Gore received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Economics and a Master of Business Administration from Kansas State University. His term expires February 1, 2027.

Tara Turk-Zaafran

Dean of College of Education Representative

Alma D. Rodríguez, Ed.D., of Brownsville is the Dean of the College of Education and P-16 Integration and a Professor at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Previously, she was a teacher and an assistant principal for Brownsville ISD. She is a member dean of Deans for Impact and a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Texas Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and the American Education Research Association. Rodríguez received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Master of Education in English as a Second Language from The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, and a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Houston. Her term expires February 1, 2029.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board Representative

Emma Gelsinger, Ph.D., currently serves as Senior Director of Academic and Health Affairs at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board where she leads policy implementation projects and supports a variety of strategic initiatives including educator preparation. She has worked in higher education since 2013, grounding her work in advancing equity and increasing access to education through effective policy, planning, and data. Prior to the Coordinating Board, Emma served as Research & Policy Analyst at the University of Texas System Office of Academic Affairs. As part of that role, she led the Educator Preparation Policy Advisory Group, and supported statewide policy efforts to improve educator preparation. She also previously served as Data Consistency & Policy Analyst at the University of Maine System, and as Research & Planning Associate at the University of Southern Maine. She earned her Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine in 2020, focusing on educational policy and leadership. 

Alternative Education Preparation Program Representative

Veronica Galvan, Ed.D. is the Vice-President of Academic Relations for Teach Us Texas in Harlingen. She previously taught as a Texas public school teacher and at the university level for the University of Texas System. She holds professional certificates in Early Childhood Education, Bilingual Education, ESL, Elementary Speech, and Elementary Self-Contained Education. Dr. Galvan earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Education from Pan American University and a Doctor of Education for the University of Houston. Her term expires February 7, 2027.

Texas Education Agency Representative

Kelvey Oeser is the Deputy Commissioner of Educator Support at the Texas Education Agency where she helps ensure Texas recruits, supports, and retains effective teachers and principals to serve the 5.5 million public school students in Texas. A graduate of Emory University, Kelvey began her career as a middle school English teacher in East Los Angeles. She holds a Master’s degree in secondary education from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s degree in public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Kelvey previously worked at the Texas Education Agency once before, where she launched the Texas STEM Initiative and managed grant programs focused on redesigning high schools serving low income communities. As the national Vice President of Staff Training Design at Teach for America, Kelvey led a team of designers who created leadership and staff development opportunities for 800+ instructional staff members across the country. As a Partner at TNTP, Kelvey led the organization’s work in Texas focused on recruiting, training and supporting great teachers and school leaders. Prior to her current role at ÌÇÐĶ̾ç, Kelvey was the Chief of Networks at Leading Educators, where she led the strategy and implementation of the organization's programmatic partnerships with school systems across the country focused on reinventing professional development for teachers. Kelvey lives in Austin with her husband, two kids, and two dogs.