Information About Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
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Where to start
If you believe your child's private information was shared without permission, you can raise your concern through your school. Most school district or charter school's grievance procedures are posted online and included in student handbooks.
- Timelines are generally 30 days to file a formal grievance, or up to 90 days if you first tried to resolve the issue informally.
- District of Innovation (DOIs) and open-enrollment charter school timelines are generally 10 to 15 days of when you first become aware of the issue.
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO). SPPO’s complaints assistance webpage explains who may file a complaint and applicable deadlines. Complaint forms are available in English and Spanish.
Another option is to file a complaint with TEA because an educator released your student's confidential and identifiable information using the General Education Complaint Form.
Depending on the situation, TEA may:
- Assist you and the district in working directly together through TEA's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which resolve concerns without a formal investigation; or,
- If a solution is not reached, review whether the district is following required laws and policies.
If you need help, we are here
If you have questions after reviewing this information, a TEA parent liaison can help:
- Email: generalinquiry@tea.texas.gov
- Phone: (512) 463-9290
When you leave a voicemail or send an email, please include your first and last name, your phone number, your question, and any relevant details.
Helpful Tips
By law, TEA can only investigate educators for releasing confidential or identifiable student information 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 name.
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