Teaching and Learning Council

At Educate Texas, we recognize that teachers are the most important in-school factors affecting student learning. Any long-term plan for student academic success, and college and career readiness must include strategies for improving the effectiveness of our teachers. To achieve the goal of placing an effective teacher in every Texas classroom, we must collaborate directly with teachers in developing policies that effect change related to teacher preparation and pathways.
 
To that end, the Teaching and Learning Council (TLC) convenes practitioners and a focused group of diverse stakeholders committed to improving the public education system in Texas. Council members combine their wealth of experience and variety of perspectives to inform policies that attract, prepare, develop and retain our most effective teachers.
 
The Council acts as a resource to Texas legislators, state agencies and other regulatory bodies by sharing its research and evidence-based recommendations related to effective teaching policy. The Council engages with all actors in the policy pipeline in a multi-pronged approach that aims to achieve the ultimate goal of placing an effective teacher in every classroom.
 
Specifically, the Council:

1. convenes to review research, policy and practices;
2. participates in facilitated discussions to address college and career readiness and effective teaching impact areas;
3. determines recommendations for legislature, state agencies, school districts, institutions of higher education and/or alternative certification programs;
4. engages key audiences and provides research, information and advocacy as appropriate.

The inaugural Council is co-chaired by Dr. Patricia Alverez McHatton, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Student Success, and P-16 Integration at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley and David Anthony, former Superintendent and former CEO of Raise Your Hand Texas. The council is comprised of a variety of practitioners and stakeholders, including principals, superintendents and representatives from education preparation programs, institutions of higher education and advocacy groups.

Leveraging this diversity of experiences and perspectives will allow the Council to inform policies that affect the college and career readiness of Texas students and the effectiveness of Texas teachers. The Teaching and Learning Council is part of ongoing efforts to effect positive change through informed policy, partnerships and programs taking place at Educate Texas.

Teaching and Learning Council Members

MEMBER NAME	MEMBER TITLE	MEMBER ORGANIZATION
Patricia Alvarez McHatton, Council Co-Chair	Vice President of Strategy	Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity
David Anthony, Council Co-Chair	Former Superintendent
Shari Albright	President	Raise Your Hand Texas
Jennifer Blaine	Superintendent	Spring Branch ISD
Kathleen Burke	Principal	Early College High School, Killeen ISD
Leslie Correa	Elementary School Teacher	Tom C. Gooch Elementary, Dallas ISD
Don Dunn	Superintendent	Van ISD
Monty Exter	Government Relations	Association of Texas Professional Educators
Steve Flores	Superintendent	Roundrock ISD
Chairita Franklin	Assistant Superintendent	Cypress Fairbanks ISD
Shonda Gibson	Executive Director	Texas A&M System
Charles Glover	Senior Program Officer	Meadows Foundation
Timothy Hise	Partner	TNTP
Rhonda Pena	Elementary School Teacher	Bryan Elementary, Mission CISD
Lindsay Sobel	Senior Executive Director	Teach Plus
Carlos Villagrana	Program Officer	Houston Endowment
Jeff Wheatcraft	Middle School Teacher	Alamo Heights, Junior School, Alamo Heights ISD
Aletha Williams	High School Teacher	Mayde Creek High School, Kay ISD