Tonja Gray is a dedicated educator who is a passionate advocate for the educators and students of the great state of Texas. She began her academic journey at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education 1-8 with a specialization in Reading 1-8 in 1988. Her passion for learning led her to pursue further studies, culminating in a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Literacy, ESL, and Teacher Coaching from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2018.  This led her to achieving Master Reading Teacher status as well as receiving her Reading Specialist Certification.  She is also a founding member of Dr. Stephanie Stollar's Reading Science Academy and a part of Dr. Anita Archer's Explicit Instruction Academy as a certified Explicit Instruction trainer.  

Her passion for advocacy and making a difference in education has led her down many paths.  It opened doors for her to serve on multiple Texas educator organization boards including:  ATPE (local, region, and state offices and committees including the state BOD for 4 years and all 5 state officer positions including State President in 2019-2020 and now the Past President's Council; The Reading League Texas (founding board member and state BOD Secretary); CREST (state BOD Treasurer and President-Elect); and now TCTELA TD Section Chair.  She served on the committee that was tasked with creating the framework and first iteration of the Texas STR Exam and the committee tasked with updating the Reading Specialist exam.  Before moving to work at the Region 14 Education Service Center, she could be found at the State Capitol on a regular basis providing expert testimony before both the House and Senate Education Committees.

Her educational career is quickly approaching 40 years, during which time she has impacted the lives of students in various settings across the Big Country area of Texas. Her teaching experience includes teaching Writing, Social Studies, Science, Self-contatined, K-12 Gifted and Talented Instructor and Director, Assistant Band and Color Guard instructor, Math Intervention, and Reading Intervention. She currently serves as the Region 14 ESC Reading Academy AP, Facilitator, and Lead Cohort Leader as well as serving on the MTSS and ESF Classroom Review teams.  She also adjuncts at McMurry University as the Children and Adolescent Literature instructor for pre-professional educators. She is furthering her academic pursuits by pursuing an LDT certification in Dyslexia and hopefully, at some point in the future, a possible Doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction.  She is an avid reader and participates in online trainings regularly.  Her current research interests are in brain research related to how the brain learners to read, dyslexia, explicit instruction and response strategies in the classroom, and the use of morphology to develop stronger readers, spellers, and writers.