SBOE welcomes new members for first meeting of 2025
A preliminary list of instructional materials was presented for the board's consideration under the Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) cycle 2025.
The board approved proposed changes to 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 67, Subchapter B and Subchapter C, which further clarify:
— Procedures and policies for eligibility, appointment, training and duties for IMRA reviewers.
— Guidance on public comment related to instructional materials.
— Guidelines for the selection and local adoption of instructional materials by school systems.
In addition, the application window is now open for quality and suitability reviewers to support the 2025 IMRA cycle. Texas residents are encouraged to apply as suitability reviewers, while those with expertise in K — 12 mathematics, K — 6 English Language Arts (ELAR), and K — 6 Spanish Language Arts (SLAR) are encouraged to apply as quality reviewers of instructional materials.
Reviewers play a critical role in ensuring the quality and suitability of materials for Texas students and educators. Interested individuals can apply at sboe.texas.gov/IMRA. The deadline to apply is Feb. 24.
In other action, the SBOE welcomed its newly sworn-in members who took the oath of office in a ceremony officiated by Gov. Greg Abbott.
The newly sworn-in members are:
— Gustavo Reveles (District 1)
— Marisa B. Perez-Diaz (District 3)
— Staci Childs (District 4)
— Tom Maynard (District 10)
— Brandon Hall (District 11)
— Pam Little (District 12)
— Tiffany Clark (District 13)
— Aaron Kinsey (District 15)
As part of the first regular meeting after the election and qualification of new members, the SBOE confirmed its officers for the new term. Pam Little was re-elected to serve another term as Vice Chair and Will Hickman was elected to serve as Secretary.
New chairs were also selected for the board's committees:
— Audrey Young will lead the Committee on Instruction.
— Tom Maynard will lead the Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund.
— LJ Francis will lead the Committee on School Initiatives.
The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools designees from Texas were honored. The board also signed a resolution to designate February 2025 as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, recognizing the 1.35 million Texas secondary students enrolled in one or more CTE courses across 1,200 school systems. These programs give students the opportunity to gain academic, technical and employability skills necessary for career readiness.
The board would also like to thank the Brazoswood High School P.M. Jazz Band from the Brazoswood Independent School District for their outstanding performance during Friday's session.
Announcements
Nominations are now open for the 2025 Student Heroes Award. The SBOE encourages students, teachers, administrators and community members to nominate any Texas public school students who exemplify the core value of selfless service.
The deadline to submit a nomination is April 25, 2025. To nominate a student visit https://form.jotform.com/TXEd/student-hero-nomination-form.
The SBOE's next regular meeting is scheduled for the week of April 8, 2025.
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'I'll tell you, going into classrooms and seeing kindergartners write about something they've read, it's priceless, especially in high-poverty communities,' Martinez said. Gov. Maura Healey launched a program dubbed 'Literacy Launch' last year that secured $20 million in the state budget, in addition to $38 million in federal literacy grants, focused on getting higher-quality literacy materials into dozens of districts, which they're hoping will translate into improved reading scores and an improvement in the foundational skill on which all other learning depends. 'I know that Massachusetts recently adopted a long-term plan to improve literacy as well. I commit to you I will do everything in my power to ensure that that plan is successful,' Martinez said. In addition to literacy, Martinez said he'd be focused on recruiting and retaining high qualified educators. He shared a story about a teacher who he said changed the trajectory of his life. His sixth grade teacher in the Chicago Public Schools, Mr. Asher, 'was the first teacher that told me I was actually below grade level. He was actually the first teacher that said, 'I'm going to hold you accountable and you're going to make sure that you're going to rise up to that challenge.'' Martinez credited Mr. Asher with his coming out of 6th grade above grade level, and eventually becoming the first in his family to graduate high school and finish college. 'Mr. Asher changed my life,' he said. 'A highly qualified educator is the number one way to really close achievement gaps, and therefore, how we recruit, how we retain teachers — there are proven strategies across the country — and that's what I really want to look at.' He recommended a few ideas, including teacher residency and internal recruitment programs. In Chicago, he said, the district created a program called Teach Chicago Tomorrow. 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Martinez proposed working with community colleges and creating pathways in manufacturing, technology and health care to connect higher education and career opportunities for students after high school. 'I can't help but just recognize where I'm at in Massachusetts. This is a rich history, as everybody talked about, of education here,' he said. 'I can just imagine in 1993 when many fine individuals in this room came together to pass the Massachusetts Education Reform Act that has now put Massachusetts, in my opinion, number one in the nation. So think of this moment now. This is a time when we can come together, we can build a similar bold vision about what we expect our students to be able to do after high school.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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