Commissioner Announces Agency Reorganization

AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Robert Scott today announced a reorganization of the Texas Education Agency that is designed to strengthen the agency’s accreditation functions and provide a more efficient operation.

The agency under Scott will be overseen by three deputy commissioners. Ray Glynn the associate commissioner for educator quality and standards will now serve as the acting deputy commissioner for school district leadership and educator quality.

Areas reporting to Glynn include educator certification and standards educator investigations accreditation health and safety program monitoring charter schools and financial audits.

Glynn brings 38 years of public school experience to the job. Glynn holds a superintendent or assistant superintendent certification in the states of Texas Colorado Delaware and Massachusetts. His past jobs include serving as the superintendent in Vail Colo. and assistant superintendent for administration in the Nacogdoches Independent School District.

He’s taught at both the public school and university level.

Glynn came to TEA in 2005 as the deputy associate commissioner for educator certification and standards.

Continuing to serve as deputy commissioners are Adam Jones who oversees financial and administrative functions and Lizzette Reynolds who oversees areas that include curriculum assessment accountability and state initiatives.

Two employees have been promoted to associate commissioner positions.

Barbara Knaggs is the new associate commissioner for state initiatives. She will oversee areas that include school readiness high school reform at-risk youth programs and educator recruitment retention and excellence functions. Knaggs a former high school English teacher was previously the senior advisor for education initiatives and the project manager for the Texas High School Project. Before earning her Texas teaching certificate Knaggs was an equity trader and taught in Kathmandu Nepal.

Shirley Beaulieu who has worked at TEA in the areas of budget and finance since 1992 is the new associate commissioner for finance/chief financial officer. She serves as the agency’s chief financial officer and was previously the deputy associate commissioner for finance. A certified public accountant and state employee with 25 years of experience Beaulieu previously worked at the Texas Department of Insurance and State Auditor’s Office.

Three employees have been elevated to the job of deputy associate commissioner.

Gloria Zyskowski is the new deputy associate commissioner for student assessment.

Zyskowski who started her education career 34 years ago as a teacher in Moree New Wales has served as the state’s assessment director or as the director of test administration at TEA for the past two years. She brings extensive experience to this job having also served as district testing coordinator in the Austin ISD and having working for NCS Pearson which is the testing contractor for Texas’ student testing program.

Veteran school finance expert Lisa Dawn-Fisher has been named deputy associate commissioner for school finance. Dawn-Fisher has worked in the area of state funding and education policy for about 11 years most recently serving as the director of school finance. A former legislative staffer and private sector school finance consultant she earned her doctorate in school finance and is a highly respected speaker on the issues of school finance and school facilities.

Laura Taylor has been promoted to deputy associate commissioner for program monitoring and intervention. A TEA employee for 14 years she has served for the past three years as the director of the Division of Program Monitoring and Interventions. Prior to that she held a number of jobs in the area of special education and worked as the director of special education for a shared services arrangement in the Lubbock area before joining the agency.

The reorganization is effective immediately.