Big changes are happening over at the Texas Education Agency (TEA). They've just brought on Levi Fuller, who used to be an Assistant Attorney General, as the state's very first Inspector General of Educator Misconduct. You might be wondering, what's that all about? Well, it's a brand-new role designed to really tighten up how the state handles allegations against educators. The TEA says Fuller's job is to keep an eye on policies and processes, making sure our 5.5 million public school students have safe places to learn. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has made it clear: Fuller is there to help weed out "flawed" teachers. He'll be knee-deep in decisions about teacher certifications, whether someone gets put on the 'Do Not Hire' list, and how cases are wrapped up. But here's where it gets interesting from a legal and public policy view. This move comes at a time when Texas is already rolling out tougher rules for schools, like banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and getting strict about student walkouts. When you create a position specifically to target "misconduct," you immediately bring up questions about fairness. Zeph Capo, who leads the teachers' group Texas AFT, quickly flagged a concern. He worries this new role could become a weapon, used against teachers for political reasons or over minor, even baseless, complaints. It's a real worry for teachers because their livelihoods and professional reputations are on the line. The core issue here is about protecting an educator's due process rights – that's their constitutional right to fair treatment under the law. Will there be clear, unbiased procedures? Will teachers get a real chance to defend themselves before punitive action is taken? These are the kind of legal questions that come to mind when you see a new state oversight role like this emerge. It's something we'll all need to watch closely as it unfolds.