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Jan. 10, 2008
TEA Associate Commissioner Susan Barnes announces retirement; deputy promoted
AUSTIN -Susan Barnes, associate commissioner for standards and programs at the Texas Education Agency, announced that she will retire Jan. 31. Deputy Associate Commissioner Sharon Jackson will succeed Barnes, Commissioner of Education Robert Scott said today.
"Dr. Susan Barnes has been a consistent source of good policy advice for me. During her tenure at TEA, she’s played an invaluable role in strengthening our curriculum and the textbook adoption and distribution process. Earlier as the leader of the charter division, she took the state’s fledging charter movement and helped to grow and stabilize it. We are grateful for her service to this agency and to the schoolchildren of Texas and wish her well in retirement," Scott said.
"We’re fortunate that Dr. Barnes has had a strong deputy associate commissioner in Sharon Jackson who has been deeply involved in all the issues this department oversees. I am pleased to announce that Dr. Jackson has accepted the job as associate commissioner for standards and programs," he said.
Jackson, who has worked in the public education arena for 26 years, has served as deputy associate commissioner for standards and alignment since 2003. In that job, she has overseen the curriculum, instructional materials and educational technology areas. Together, she and Barnes have worked closely with the State Board of Education as they revise the state curriculum standards. Other areas that will now report to Jackson include the No Child Left Behind Program Coordination and IDEA Coordination, which oversees programs for children with disabilities.
Along with her service at TEA, Jackson is a former teacher and principal in the Ferris Independent School District, a state coordinator for elementary education at the Region 13 Education Service Center and director of staff development for Round Rock ISD.
Jackson holds a doctoral degree in education from the University of Texas at Austin and a master of education degree and a bachelor of science degree from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Contact:
Division of Communications
1701 N. Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas 78757
Phone: (512) 463-9000
E-mail: teainfo@tea.state.tx.us