Winchester Named to WGU Texas Advisory Board

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WGU Texas has named Martin Winchester as the newest member of the nonprofit online university's advisory board.

Winchester is Deputy Commissioner of Educator Support at the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in Austin. He will serve with 10 additional WGU Texas board members consisting of educators, industry leaders and representatives from corporations and foundations. 

In his role with the TEA, Winchester oversees the agency's work on Educator Preparation Programs, Testing and Certification, Educator Misconduct Investigations, and statewide professional development initiatives aimed at recruiting, supporting and retaining teachers. 

"It's a privilege to be able to share my perspectives and real-world education experience in improving student outcomes," said Winchester. "I'm fortunate to serve with a diverse group of distinguished board members from across the state as we help the university continue to prepare students for successful careers once they graduate."

An educator with more than two decades of experience, Winchester taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district. For three years, he served as the Chief Schools Officer of IDEA Public Schools overseeing the recruitment, selection, training and supervision of the district's principals and curriculum team. 

"As WGU Texas continues to grow and develop, we appreciate the expertise and guidance provided by our advisory board," said WGU Texas Chancellor Veronica Vargas Stidvent. "We're excited to have Martin's viewpoint on the board with his wide and varied experience as a teacher and as a dynamic leader in education."

Winchester is a former National Board Certified Teacher and holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of Minnesota and the University of Texas-Pan American. He also holds a principal certification from the State of Texas, as well as teacher certifications in English Language Arts, English as a Second Language and Social Studies Composite.

About WGU Texas 
WGU Texas is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Texans' access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Texas and nationally-recognized Western Governors University, WGU Texas is open to all qualified Texas residents. The university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).*

Learn more at texas.wgu.edu or call 1-877-214-7011.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington, DC 20036, 202-877-6791).

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