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These Texas teachers are addressing the state’s staffing shortages

The Teacher Vacancy Task Force initially included few educators from classrooms.

Two dozen teachers — including one from a Dallas elementary school — will help Texas education officials combat educator shortages across the state.

The Texas Education Agency on Wednesday announced the names of those being added to the state’s Teacher Vacancy Task Force, which now includes 52 members.

Among those are Eric Hale, a former Teacher of the Year. He joins DISD’s Josue Tamarez Torres, who serves as the chair of the task force.

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State officials announced plans in March to add more classroom educators to the group after attracting major criticism because only two classroom teachers were part of the original 28-person group. Educator advocates said they didn’t feel like their voices were going to be heard.

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“Teachers are the single most important school-based factor affecting student outcomes,” TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. “Having these two-dozen additional perspectives from a diverse and talented pool of Texas classroom teachers is going to immensely benefit the important considerations before the Task Force.”

TEA leaders received more than 1,500 nominations for the task force and ultimately chose several from North Texas.

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The revamped group will meet for the first time June 2.

The new teacher members are:

  • Linda Galvan, Los Fresnos United, Los Fresnos CISD
  • Cynthia Hopkins, Kaffie Middle School, Corpus Christi ISD
  • Kimberly Davis, Goliad Middle School, Goliad ISD
  • Vania Amado, Lula Belle Goodman Elementary, Fort Bend ISD
  • Changela Burns, Summer Creek High School, Humble ISD
  • Sadie Atha, East Chambers High School, East Chambers ISD
  • Cody Knott, Caldwell High School, Caldwell ISD
  • Brian Kruk, Pineywoods Community Academy | Lufkin
  • Joshua Sciara, DeKalb Middle School, DeKalb ISD
  • Alexandra Fain, Booker T. Washington Elementary, Wichita Falls ISD
  • Eric Hale, David G. Burnet Elementary, Dallas ISD
  • Tiffany Kilcoyne, Hurst Junior High School, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD
  • Pam Fischer, Provident Heights Elementary, Waco ISD
  • Valerie Haywood, Bastrop Middle School, Bastrop ISD
  • Jennifer Kuehne, Patsy Sommer Elementary, Round Rock ISD
  • Faye Urich, Haskell Elementary School, Haskell CISD
  • Tiffany Klaerner, Mason Elementary School, Mason ISD
  • Kisaundra Harris, Tascosa High School, Amarillo ISD
  • Natasha Garcia, Akin Elementary, Hale Center ISD
  • Raymond Falcón, Matthews Academy, Lubbock ISD
  • Suzanne Kirkland, Forsan Jr./Sr. High School, Forsan ISD
  • Sergio Estrada, Riverside High School, Ysleta ISD
  • Janie Coheen, Elolf Elementary School, Judson ISD
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The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from The Beck Group, Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Todd A. Williams Family Foundation and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.