| | | | |

Texas Teacher Certification Program Leaders Announced
Provided by Texas Education Agency

AUSTIN – Raymond Glynn, an educator with 36 years of public school experience in four states, today has been named deputy associate commissioner for Educator Certification and Standards at the Texas Education Agency. Two other veteran educators will be joining him as new leaders over the offices that deal with educator standards and credentialing.

The new leadership comes two weeks after the staff of the State Board for Educator Certification joined the staff of the TEA.

Glynn is the number two administrator over certification and standards issues and will report to Patricia Hayes, associate commissioner for Educator Quality and P-16 Initiatives.

Glynn holds superintendent or assistant superintendent certification in the states of Texas, Colorado, Delaware and Massachusetts. He has also been a classroom teacher and principal. He served as an adjunct professor at the college level where he taught courses in the area of teacher certification and development at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts. Most recently, Glynn has worked as assistant superintendent for administration at Nacogdoches Independent School District. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and history from Westfield State College in Massachusetts, a master’s of education in administration and supervision from the University of Lowell and a doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

Reporting to Glynn will be the directors of educator standards, credentialing and investigations/fingerprinting.

Karen L. Loonam will be director of the newly renamed Office of Educator Standards, formerly known as Educator Standards and Accountability. Loonam has more than 27 years of public education experience, with 12 of those years spent as director of two alternative certification programs. In those jobs, Loonam was essential in improving two certification programs at the Region XI Education Service Center in Fort Worth and the Houston ISD. Loonam began her career as a teacher and served in other campus-level leadership roles, including working as an assistant principal at an elementary school. She holds a bachelor’s degree in curriculum and instruction at Texas A&M University, a master’s of education in administration and supervision at the University of Houston and a doctorate of education in education leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

The director of Credentialing Services will be Roman Echazaretta Jr. who has almost 30 years of experience in public and higher education. He began his career as an admissions counselor at St. Edward’s University, where he eventually became the director for the Rural Upward Bound program. Echazaretta then worked at TEA for 14 years, serving in the divisions of special populations, funding and compliance, compliance analysis and alternative education accountability. Most recently, he has served as the director of personnel and compliance at Zapata County ISD where his responsibilities included recruitment of educators and other professionals, as well as collaborating with regional universities and educator preparation programs on certification issues. Echazaretta holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and a master’s degree in human services from St. Edward’s University.

Assuming the new role of director of field services within the Credentialing Services Office will be Mary Charley. Charley has worked for TEA and SBEC as a certification employee for 25 years. Throughout those years, Charley held numerous positions in the teacher certification and credentialing office. In her new role, Charley will coordinate staff training as well as focus on evaluating, developing and strengthening services provided to the field on certification issues. A certified classroom teacher, Charley earned her bachelor’s degree from Baylor University.

Doug Phillips will continue in the role of Director of Investigations. This office is responsible for the fingerprinting and investigations process of educators seeking certification in the state as well as investigating allegations of educator misconduct in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of Texas schoolchildren and fellow educators. With a background in law enforcement and investigations in three states, Phillips is a former police office and deputy sheriff. A national certified investigator, Phillips earned his bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln.