Public Information Request (PIR) Program Specialist (Program Specialist VI) (00052490)
Organization: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
Primary Location: Texas-Austin
Work Locations: Texas Education Agency 1701 NORTH CONGRESS AVENUE Austin 78701
Job: Office and Administrative Support
Employee Status: Regular
Schedule: Full-time
Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00
Travel: Yes, 5 % of the Time
State Job Code: 1575
Salary Admin Plan: B
Grade: 23
Salary (Pay Basis): 5,098.66 - 6,701.75 (Monthly)
Number of Openings: 1
Overtime Status: Exempt
Job Posting: Sep 5, 2025, 11:25:13 AM
Closing Date: Ongoing
Description
MISSION: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

At the Texas Education Agency’s Office of Governance (OG), we are driven by a powerful mission: to proactively support school systems, keep students safe, and uphold Texas education law with integrity, objectivity, and excellence. Our core workstreams—Field Support and Compliance & Investigations—focus on strengthening governance, fostering a culture of accountability, and promoting continuous improvement across Texas schools. By working closely with school systems and agency teams, we help ensure every Texas public school student has access to a safe, high-quality education.
As part of this commitment, the Complaints and Inquiries Division plays an important role in protecting students by ensuring that Texas public schools meet the highest standards of safety, integrity, and responsiveness. The division serves as a trusted point of contact for students, parents, educators, and community members who raise concerns about school practices or conduct. Through careful review and resolution of complaints and inquiries, the division helps build transparency and strengthen public confidence in the education system.
The program specialist is a key contributor to this work, responsible for managing requests for public information related to investigations of alleged educator misconduct. This includes coordinating responses to Texas Public Information Act (PIA) requests by identifying, collecting, redacting, and scanning relevant records and data. The specialist ensures that all documentation is handled with accuracy and confidentiality and provides expert consultation and technical support to the Educator Investigation Division to ensure proper records retention and compliance.
Additionally, the program specialist supports the division’s daily operations through tasks such as filing, quality control, and file maintenance. The role also involves delivering excellent internal customer service and may include training other staff as needed. The program specialist reports to the deputy director in the Complaints and Inquiries Division and operates with minimal supervision, offering considerable latitude for initiative and independent judgment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• Experience: At least four [4] years of experience in providing records management services for a business unit or department.
• Substitutions: Each additional year of related experience above the required minimum may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:

• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military.
• Working knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to licensure and confidentiality, including the Texas Government Code, Texas Education Code, Texas Administrative Code, FERPA, and the Public Information Act.
• Desire to self-reflect, give/receive feedback, and continuously improve.
• Willingness to work as a contributing team member and foster positive and effective working relationships with various individuals (including executive leadership) and groups, internal and external to TEA.
• Proven ability to critically reflect on performance, determine the cause of issues, and find solutions that improve work product and efficiency.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Teams, Smartsheet, Adobe Acrobat, case management systems, and internet browsers.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written. This includes the ability to draft informative, persuasive, and grammatically correct memos and the ability to listen, speak effectively, and actively utilize interpersonal skills.
• Ability to multi-task multiple competing priorities and stay organized to achieve goals and objectives; eager to deliver requirements to internal/external customers and contribute to the agency’s priorities.
• Must satisfy the Texas Department of Public Safety’s criteria for access to the TX DPS secure website and Clearinghouse.
• Experience working in a regulatory state agency setting or in a regulatory administrative environment is preferred.
• Experience with FERPA-protected, investigative, or licensing records preferred.
  As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference.
  To review the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to each job classification series in the State’s Position Classification Plan (provided by the State Auditor’s Office), please access the Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) Guide and click on the military “occupational category” that corresponds with the state classification in this job posting title.
  This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.
  No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. Please add “capps.recruiting@cpa.texas.gov” and “@tea.texas.gov” to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.
1. Public Information Requests (PIRs): coordinate and fulfill educator-focused PIR requests and subpoenas in compliance with legal requirements and agency timelines; protect confidential information through appropriate redaction of documents; serve as the primary PIR coordinator for educator-related PIRs and subpoenas; gather records and conduct data queries to support PIR responses; train staff on the PIR processes and procedures as needed
2. Electronic Records Management and Retention: provide ongoing consultation to all Educator Investigations units to ensure records are maintained according to approved retention schedules; support the organization and review of the digital case files and retention plans; promote consistent documentation practices across the division’s digitized platform
3. Risk Assessment and Analysis: identify and mitigate risks associated with PIRs and assess potential impacts; reference and apply prior determinations from the Office of the Attorney General; establish and maintain protocols for redacting sensitive information; deliver staff training on procedures and best practices
4. Quality Assurance and Program Effectiveness: ensure all work products including correspondence and internal memorandums meet high standards for accuracy, clarity, and presentation; verify that information is processed and in compliance with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other applicable laws and rules; maintain professional standards in all written and verbal communications; monitor and report PIR performance using relevant data and metrics
Qualifications