Michael Williams Named as Texas Commissioner of Education

Texas’ governor has appointed a former officeholder to head up the state’s education commission.

Governor Rick Perry has appointed former Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams as the State Commissioner of Education, and also announced that Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds will serve as chief deputy commissioner.

The duo will lead the Texas Education Agency, and oversee the state’s 1,200 school districts.

Williams is a past commissioner and former chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas, and is past assistant secretary of education for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education.

Williams is also a past deputy assistant secretary for law enforcement at the U.S. Department of Trasury under President George H.W. Bush, and former adjunct professor at the Texas Southern University School of Public Affairs and Texas Wesleyan School of Law.

Reynolds has served as deputy commissioner for policy and programs at TEA since 2008, and before that, she served as Region VI representative for Secretary Margaret Spellings at the U.S. Department of Education.

“High standards and accountable public schools are essential to our state’s future success, and no two people understand that better than Michael and Lizzette,” said Perry.

Perry continued, saying “Michael’s pioneering leadership in both public and private sectors, combined with Lizzette’s nearly two decades of public education experience guiding and implementing statewide reforms create a powerful and dynamic team that will fortify our state’s public education system.”

The two will assume the duties of their new position on September 1st.