TEMPLE, Texas — Temple Independent School District elementary teacher JoMeka Gray is one of just 21 educators from across the state to be appointed to the new Texas Classroom Commission by Governor Greg Abbott. Abbott announced the committee appointments on Wednesday (July 29).
The Texas Classroom Commission is a new, teacher-led initiative that will put Texas educators at the center of shaping the future of public education, strengthening student achievement, and ensuring Texas becomes the No. 1 state for educating kids, according to Abbott. The Commission will develop recommendations to the Governor, the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and the Texas Legislature ahead of the 90th Legislative session. Its work is intended to focus on bolstering classroom instruction, supporting teachers, improving the learning environment, and ensuring Texas students are prepared to succeed. Gray has been a strong advocate for Texas public school teachers and students, and she is excited about the opportunity to provide direct feedback to policy makers.
“Teachers are going to actually have a voice to shape policy for the future of our students,” said Gray, a kindergarten teacher at Kennedy-Powell Elementary School. “Personally, as a parent, it feels good to know that the Governor is giving teachers a voice in this process. We have teachers from so many different types of districts, so there will be voices representing students from every type of school and district. It is such a privilege to be able to serve on a committee with this kind of input.”
Gray is in her 14th year in education and has taught kindergarten and first grade at Kennedy-Powell and several other Temple ISD campuses for ten of those years. She was the 2025 Region 12 Elementary Teacher of the Year and was one of three elementary school finalists for the 2025 Texas State Teacher of the Year. Gray was one of five educators from across the country to be recognized with a Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence by the NEA Foundation last year. She has won multiple Teacher of the Year honors during her time in Temple ISD and has earned Master’s designation through the TEA’s Teacher Incentive Allotment.
Gray is a member of the State Board for Educator Certification, serving a term that runs through 2031. She is also a member of the Texas State Teacher Association, the Texas Classroom Teacher Association, and the National Education Association.
“I am proud that JoMeka Gray has been selected for the Governor’s Texas Classroom Commission,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, superintendent of schools for Temple ISD. “She is a master teacher, with a strong voice and an uncompromising passion for children. She is no stranger to the connection between policy and practice. Leaders would do well to take the input of these classroom teachers very seriously and respond in a manner that leads to more resources and less unfunded mandates.”
The Texas Classroom Commission consists of 21 current and former public-school educators from across Texas. The Commission is chaired by Courtney Boswell MacDonald of Kerrville, a former classroom teacher and the current chair of the State Board for Educator Certification. The Commission is scheduled to hold its first informal meeting next week and Gray is hopeful the group’s work will continue throughout the 90th Legislative Session.
“I think the main thing I hear from teachers across the country is that they just want a voice and to know that they are going to be heard either on a local level or a national level,” Gray added. “We also want families to know about the partnership we have with our students in creating the best outcomes for them. We want to be able to see how our input plays out and how we can change or adapt it if needed.”
You can learn more about the Texas Classroom Commission at the following link: Texas Classroom Commission | Texas Education Agency.