Robert Scott

Of Counsel/Consultant, Powell Law Group, Austin, TX

Robert P. Scott serves the as of counsel and consultant, dividing his time between Corpus Christi and Austin where he works closely with clients before the Texas legislature and state agencies. Prior to joining the Powell Law Group, he served the Region 2 Education Service Center in a variety of roles including inhouse special counsel. Before joining Region 2, Robert served as a Principal at Texas Star Alliance in Austin. Prior to joining the alliance, he served as the Texas Commissioner of Education from 2007 until 2012 and was confirmed unanimously by the Texas Senate in 2009 and 2011. As Commissioner, Robert served as the head of the Texas Education Agency, which oversees the state’s 1200 school districts and charter schools.

Prior to becoming Commissioner of Education, he served twice as interim Commissioner in 2003 and 2007 and served as Chief Deputy Commissioner from 2004 until 2007. He has also served as an assistant to two previous Commissioners of Education and as a legislative adviser to the Texas State Senate and United States House of Representatives. While primarily focused on public and higher education, Robert has also advised legislators in a number of other areas at the state and federal level. He has also been involved with candidates in campaigns at the local, state and national level.

Robert Scott has long been considered one of the most thoughtful and innovative education policy experts in state government. A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and a member of the State Bar, Robert has provided strategic leadership to the Texas Education Agency for the past five years, serving as the agency’s chief executive during a massive reorganization of its functions in the summer of 2003. In January 2004, Scott was appointed chief deputy commissioner, a position in which he has been responsible for the daily operations of the agency and the implementation and execution of key statewide initiatives. Robert’s organizational abilities were on display during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when Texas took in about 46,000 students who had fled the storm-ravaged areas of Louisiana and Mississippi; many were displaced again a few weeks later when Hurricane Rita slammed the Southeast Texas coast.

Robert served as senior policy advisor to Governor Perry during the creation of the Texas High School Initiative in 2003 and was instrumental in the bill’s passage and implementation. The initiative, later called the Texas High School Project, has been considered by several national voices as perhaps the nation’s most cutting-edge reform project in secondary education. Robert has also been a noted advocate for improved early childhood education and has pressed for the improvement of school readiness for pre-kindergarten-aged children.

Robert currently serves on the board of the Rural Education Innovation Zone, the Lone Star Success Academy, The Texas Rural Broadband Coalition and the Rockport/Fulton Chamber of Commerce.