Commissioner adopts new standards for principals

As we reported on Teach the Vote in late 2013, Commissioner of Education Michael Williams formally proposed new professional standards for teachers and principals. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) invited public comments on drafts of both sets of standards, which the agency intends to incorporate into new educator evaluation systems. The latest iteration of the proposed teacher standards have not yet been adopted, but this week the commissioner released his final version of the standards for principals. The new principal standards go into effect June 8, 2014, and reflect some changes that were made in response to public comments. Those changes in wording include several instances in which principals will now be expected to demonstrate "commitment" rather than being expected to "take personal responsibility" for various outcomes as originally proposed by Commissioner Williams. View the adopted principal standards here; phrases shown in red include language that was changed from the commissioner's original draft. View TEA's background information here. Stay tuned to Teach the Vote for updates on the teacher standards and all developments related to educator evaluation using our new Educator Evaluation Reform Resources.