The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has launched a new public-facing Educator Misconduct Reporting dashboard, offering expanded visibility into educator discipline and investigation activity across the state. The tool, introduced this month, compiles data beginning in September 2025 and reflects reporting trends through April 2026.
The dashboard was developed under the requirements of Senate Bill 571, which expanded mandatory reporting obligations for schools and education-related agencies. The goal of the system is to centralize information about educator misconduct and provide a clearer picture of how allegations move through the state’s oversight process. TEA officials describe the platform as a multi-stage tracking system that follows cases from initial reports through investigation, disciplinary action, and potential placement on restricted employment lists.
The system is organized into four primary sections: misconduct reports, educator investigations, sanctions issued by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), and the Do Not Hire Registry. Together, these categories show how allegations are received, evaluated, and resolved over time.
Since September 2025, the agency has received approximately 13,390 misconduct reports, averaging more than 1,600 each month. This represents a substantial increase compared to the previous fiscal year, a change officials attribute in part to expanded reporting requirements under SB 571. The majority of referrals originated from school district superintendents, followed by reports from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, parents and community members, and national educator certification organizations.
Not every report becomes a confirmed case, as each submission is reviewed to determine its validity and relevance. However, the volume highlights increased participation in the reporting system and broader awareness of required disclosure procedures among school personnel and the public.
During the same period, the dashboard recorded 9,724 educator investigations. TEA categorizes these cases by severity and type of alleged harm, with most involving direct harm to students and a smaller share classified as indirect harm. The agency also noted more than 5,000 instances where reports were forwarded to law enforcement or child welfare authorities for further review, reflecting cases that potentially involve criminal or child safety concerns.
Disciplinary outcomes are tracked through the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), which oversees credentialing and enforcement actions for Texas educators. Since September 2025, 595 sanctions have been issued. Teachers accounted for the largest share of disciplinary actions, followed by paraprofessionals, principals, and superintendents.
The dashboard also includes data from the Do Not Hire Registry, a list of individuals barred from working in Texas schools. Over the reporting period, 485 individuals were added to the registry, contributing to a cumulative total of several thousand educators who are no longer eligible for school employment in the state. The registry is intended to prevent individuals with serious misconduct findings from moving between districts or re-entering the education workforce.
In addition to misconduct reports and disciplinary actions, the system tracks criminal history alerts flagged through fingerprint-based background checks. More than 17,000 alerts were generated during the reporting window, with non-certified staff representing the majority of flagged individuals.
TEA’s inspector general has emphasized that the rising numbers reflect improved reporting and enforcement systems rather than a sudden surge in misconduct alone. According to the agency’s interpretation, increased reporting, investigation, and sanction activity indicates that oversight mechanisms are functioning more effectively, with more cases being identified and processed through formal channels.
