Fernando Valle was named chair of the Department of Teacher Education.
Fernando Valle, an educator with more than 25 years of experience in teaching, school personnel preparation and school-university partnerships, has been appointed chair of the Department of Teacher Education in the College of Education at Texas Tech University, effective June 1, 2022. He will succeed Doug Hamman, the founding chair of the department, who is stepping down at the end of the spring semester and returning to the faculty after serving in the role the last seven years.
“Dr. Valle typifies innovative servant leadership, and I am beyond thrilled that he will be serving as chair of the Department of Teacher Education,” said Jesse Perez Mendez, dean of the College of Education. “He is not only a state leader in education, but also an outstanding colleague and a great person who truly cares about Texas children, families and communities. His experience and breadth of perspective will be invaluable as we strive to become the nation's top college of education within a Hispanic-Serving Institution.”
Valle joined Texas Tech in 2008 and currently serves as a professor of educational leadership and interim chair of special education. He previously served as program coordinator for educational leadership, with accomplishments that include securing $12 million in state and federal grants to develop an award-winning, residency-based principal preparation program in partnership with school districts across Texas.
"I am excited to serve the College of Education as the next chair of teacher education and come full circle to engage the profession where I started 26 years ago, as a seventh-grade science teacher," Valle said. "I am eager to continue developing teacher education partnerships across Texas and carrying on our college tradition of thinking big. I look forward to growing the department in enrollment, diversity, innovation and as leaders of teacher preparation in Texas."
Valle's research focuses on educational leadership development through social justice, equity and critical lenses. Other specialties include school-university partnerships, school improvement, principal preparation, development of human capital and Latinx leaders, educators and communities.
As chair, his duties will include managing the college's teacher preparation programs, leading curriculum development, evaluating faculty and staff, cultivating professional and research development of faculty and students and overseeing student recruitment and retention.
Prior to joining Texas Tech, Valle was a classroom teacher, counselor and assistant principal in South Texas. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master's degree in counseling and doctoral degree in educational leadership from the University of Texas-Pan American.
He is a former American Education Research Association Clark Scholar and was a Graduate Fellow and Faculty Fellow for the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. He also is a recipient of the President's Excellence in Teaching Award, President's Excellence in Diversity and Equity Award and President's Excellence in Engaged Scholarship Award at Texas Tech.
The Department of Teacher Education includes 55 full-time faculty and serves more than 750 undergraduate students in the College of Education. The department offers TechTeach, a clinically intensive, competency-based educator preparation program that features yearlong teaching residencies. Sister programs TechTeach Across Texas and TechTeach Across Rural Texas utilize innovative networks of school district partners to provide aspiring teachers across Texas the opportunity to remain in their communities while completing their coursework and teaching residency.
