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Information About Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

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If you found this page without taking our survey, please take the time to complete the Parent Complaint Navigator Survey.

Your school district’s local grievance process is the first step in addressing your concern about the release of a student's confidential or identifiable information under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Below you can find additional information that may 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. If you would like to file a complaint because an educator released your student’s confidential or identifiable information, 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 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 names.
     
  2. File a local grievance: Every district’s process might be a little different. To find your district’s local grievance policy, ask an administrator how to access the relevant policies, which might be on the district’s board policy website. If you choose to file a local grievance, acting quickly is important to meet your school district’s reporting deadlines! You may be required to report your concern within 10–15 days of becoming aware of the issue. 
     
  3. You also have the option of filing your complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO): SPPO’s complaints assistance webpage provides information such as who may file a complaint, reporting deadlines, and requirements for filing a complaint. It is critical that you meet SPPO’s reporting deadlines. Complaint forms are available in English and Spanish.  
     
  4. 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 on behalf of a parent or a 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 a parent or adult student to release information to you. Attach the completed release form to your complaint form or email it to complaintsmanagement@tea.texas.gov.
     
  • Learn about your district’s grievance process by reviewing your district’s local policies: 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.
     
  • Learn about the steps TEA may take once we receive your complaint: It may be a lengthy process if TEA needs to investigate.
     
  • Visit TEA's webpage on local grievance: We provide tips on how to navigate the process. 
     
  • Share your feedback with us: TEA values your opinion! Emails us at teafeedback@tea.texas.gov. 

 

Additional TEA Resources:

 

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