TEA Announces Expansion of Teacher Vacancy Task Force

On Wednesday, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced its immediate expansion of the Teacher Vacancy Task Force.

The organization created the expansion which launched Mar. 10 to ensure there was equal representation of classroom teachers and school system administrators.

TEA hopes to better understand the challenges faced by Texas public schools and make recommendations to help resolve these issues.

“It is imperative that we include the insights and recommendations of current classroom teachers as the task force works to identify strong recommendations that can address the staffing shortages facing school systems across Texas”, said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “This expansion strengthens the Task Force and includes more perspectives as we work to find far-reaching solutions to these challenges.”

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Josue Torres of Forney, a 4th and 5th-grade math teacher from Dallas ISD, will serve as chair of the Task Force.

“I am honored for the opportunity to lead this Task Force focused on ensuring we have great teachers in every classroom,” added Task Force Chair Torres. “The reason I got into education is because I believe that a student’s zip code shouldn’t determine his or her fate, and this Task Force has the ability to recommend the needed changes and innovative solutions necessary to ensure all Texas students have access to the high-quality educators they deserve.”

The Task Force has also created workgroups to continue the conversation and tackle issues brought to the organization's attention.