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Information About Complaints and Local Grievance

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Following both TEA’s general education complaint process and your school district’s local grievance process can most likely address your concern about a school or district staff member. Below you can find additional information that might also be helpful. To access this page in the future, open a new window and bookmark the page in your browser, or email or text yourself a copy of the link. 

Getting Started

  1. Complete TEA's General Education Complaint Form online: We will review your complaint carefully and let you know if we can investigate your concern. By law, TEA can only investigate Texas educators if they are certified. If you would like to check whether the person you are reporting holds a Texas education certification, you can search this database using their legal first and last names.
     
  2. File a local grievance: Every school district has its own process, so start by asking an administrator how to access your district’s grievance policy, which is required to be posted on the district’s website. If you decide to file a formal grievance, timing is important! Most districts require you to report your concern within 30 days of when you first became aware of the issue. If you’re trying to resolve things informally first—like having a conversation with a teacher or principal—you may have up to 90 days to move forward with the formal process.   
     
  3. Contact us if you need help—we're here for you: You can reach us at complaintsmanagement@tea.texas.gov or (512) 463-3544. When leaving a voicemail or sending an email, please include your first and last name, your phone number, your question, and any other relevant information.

Helpful Tips

  • Include your contact information on your TEA complaint form: Under the law, TEA cannot investigate complaints about educator misconduct if contact information is not provided.
     
  • If you are filing a complaint with TEA on behalf of a parent or student over 18 years old, you must complete a Release Form: Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as FERPA, we must have a completed form signed by the parent or adult student to release information to you. Attach the completed release form to the complaint form or email to complaintsmanagement@tea.texas.gov.
     
  • Learn about the steps TEA may take once we receive your complaint. It may be a lengthy process if TEA needs to investigate.
     
  • Learn about your district’s grievance process: To understand your district’s grievance procedures, start by reviewing its local policies. These are typically available on the district’s website under “Online Policies” or a similar section.

Grievance forms and procedures must be:

  • Clearly posted on each school’s website
  • Included in the student handbook


Pay particular attention to the following local grievance policies:
- DGBA (LOCAL) for employee grievances;
- FNG (LOCAL) for student and parent grievances; and
- GF (LOCAL) for grievances by all others, including vendors and taxpayers.

 

 
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