Governor Abbott Appoints Garcia And Rodríguez To State Board Of Educator Certification
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Emily Garcia and Alma D. Rodríguez, Ed.D. to the State Board for Educator Certification for terms set to expire on February 1, 2021 and February 1, 2023, respectively. The board develops certification and continuing education requirements and standards of conduct for public school teachers.
Emily Garcia of Dallas is the Executive Director of Urban Teachers. Previously, she served as a middle school Director for Uplift Education, and was a teacher and an assistant principal for Grand Prairie ISD. She is a founding member of The Commit Partnership's Best in Class Coalition, a member of P.E.O. International, and a Leadership ISD Fellow. Additionally, she volunteers as a deputy voter registrar for Dallas County, and also supports the International Student Foundation. Garcia received a Bachelor of Arts in Crime and Justice Studies from The University of Texas at Dallas and a Master of Education from Southern Methodist University.
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.