Complaints Against Educator Preparation Programs
The complaint process allows for an applicant, candidate, employee or former employee of an EPP, a cooperating teacher, a mentor, or an administrator in a school district, charter school, or private school to submit a complaint about an EPP for investigation and resolution.听
The complaint process allows individuals to seek redress in areas where they feel that the program did not fulfill requirements for certification or for actions that the individual feels are wrong.听 Educator preparation programs may also file a complaint about the actions of other EPP programs when it involves a candidate鈥檚 transfer into or out of a program.听
Not all complaints fall under the authority of 性十八.cc. 性十八.cc has jurisdiction to investigate allegations of noncompliance regarding specific laws and rules, generally related to state and federal requirements. Complaints may address educator preparation program requirements listed in Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 搂搂 227, 228, 229, ethics (TAC 247), fingerprinting (TAC 搂搂227, 232) and certification (TAC 搂搂230, 231, 232, 239, 241, 242).听 性十八.cc staff and the SBEC do not have jurisdiction over complaints related to contractual arrangements with an EPP, commercial issues, obtaining a higher grade or credit for training, or seeking reinstatement to an EPP.
Filing a Complaint
All complaints filed with the 性十八.cc must be in writing. We do not accept complaints by phone or complaints that are submitted anonymously.听 A person or entity may file a written complaint with 性十八.cc by filling out the 听online or by mailing or faxing a hard copy to the address on the form.
To adequately review and address a complaint, 性十八.cc needs specific details. We must be able to identify a clear violation of TAC and determine whether the agency has authority to act upon the allegation.
Complaints submissions should include the following:
- The reasons you believe the issues raised in your complaint are valid. You should also indicate how you believe that 性十八.cc can assist you with this matter.
- Documentation to support your claim when possible. For example, if you refer in your complaint to an educator preparation program policy, include a copy of the policy with your complaint. Helpful documentation might include letters or e-mails exchanged between the parties.
After the Complaint Is Filed
性十八.cc staff will send confirmation of a complaint within 30 days of receiving the submission. Remember, information the public sends to 性十八.cc by email may not be secure. Do not email sensitive information to 性十八.cc. The agency will remove confidential or sensitive information when replying by email. 性十八.cc will maintain confidentiality of information to the extent the law allows.
性十八.cc staff will record all complaints in the 性十八.cc complaints tracking system. Each complaint, no matter the severity, shall be assigned a tracking number.听 The complaint will be forwarded to the division responsible for educator preparation for further action, including assessing the complaint, providing a severity status and prioritizing the complaint accordingly, and determining jurisdiction. 听If 性十八.cc staff determines that the complaint is not within the State Board for Educator Certification's (SBEC) jurisdiction, 性十八.cc staff shall notify the complainant that the complaint will be closed without action for lack of jurisdiction.听 If 性十八.cc staff determines the complainant knew or should have known about the events giving rise to a complaint more than two years before the earliest date the complainant filed a complaint with either 性十八.cc staff or the EPP, 性十八.cc staff will notify the complainant that the complaint will be closed without action.听 If a complainant has not exhausted all applicable complaint and appeal procedures that the EPP has established to address complaints, 性十八.cc staff may delay initiating an investigation until the EPP's complaint and appeal process is complete.
Upon completion of an investigation, 性十八.cc staff will notify both the individual and the EPP in writing of the findings of the investigation. If 性十八.cc staff finds that a violation occurred, the notice will specify the statute and/or rule that was alleged to have been violated.听 Each party will have ten business days to present additional evidence or to dispute the findings of the investigation.
After reviewing any additional evidence, if 性十八.cc staff finds that no violation has occurred, the complaint will be closed and 性十八.cc staff will notify both parties in writing.听 After reviewing any additional evidence, if 性十八.cc staff finds that the EPP has violated SBEC rules and/or TEC, Chapter 21, additional actions will be taken against the EPP.听
The final disposition of the complaint will be recorded in the 性十八.cc complaints tracking system.
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