The future is uncertain for Texas Teachers of Tomorrow (TTT) after a recent court order stopped state education officials from moving forward with their case to revoke its accreditation.
TTT asked a Travis County district judge to issue a temporary injunction on the State Office of Administrative Hearings’ considering the Texas Education Agency’s case against it. It was awarded in May, which means TTT can continue to certify teachers for the time being.
But Jake Kobersky, TEA spokesman, told The Dallas Morning News that the state plans to appeal the ruling.
Also known as A+ Texas Teachers, TTT creates a pipeline for those wishing to become educators who did not follow the traditional route by studying education at university. It is a major player in the alternative certification market.
As The Dallas Express previously reported, TTT was placed on probation by the State Board for Educator Certification in 2021 for allegations of deceptive marketing and operational problems.
For instance, it was not able to prove the number of hours of classroom training its enrollees received or whether enrollees were matched with qualified mentors.
A follow-up audit by Calvin Stocker, who was assigned as TTT’s monitor by the State Board, and a review by TEA found that the issues flagged earlier by state auditors had not been addressed, resulting in a recommendation to the State Board that it withdraw TTT’s accreditation.
TTT pushed back against Stocker’s review, claiming it was erroneous and contained “invented, invalid, and inapplicable standards,” according to the DMN.
“Teachers of Tomorrow has maintained the highest level of regulatory compliance, cooperation, and adherence to the process for contesting the TEA’s review findings,” explained TTT CEO Trent Beekman in a statement to the DMN.
After the poor findings of the initial audit, TTT performed a $6 million upgrade to its program and hired an education consultancy firm to conduct its own review based on state requirements, which it passed.
If TEA manages to have the temporary injunction dismissed, then the State Office of Administrative Hearings will decide whether TTT can keep its accreditation or have it revoked as recommended by state auditors.
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