Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency (TEA, each letter pronounced separately) is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education."." Texas Education Agency. Accessed August 30, 2008. The agency is headquartered in the William B. Travis State Office Building in Downtown Austin."." Railroad Commission of Texas. Accessed August 30, 2008.

History

Prior to the late 1940s, Texas had many "dormant" school districts which did not operate schools, but spent money to send children to schools operated by other districts. In the late 1940s state lawmakers passed a bill abolishing those districts, prompting a wave of mass school district consolidation.Cervantes, Bobby. "." San Antonio Express-News. February 22, 2011. Retrieved on May 9, 2011.

Duties

TEA is responsible for the oversight of public primary and secondary education in the state of Texas, involving both the over 1,000 individual school districts in the state as well as charter schools. However, it does not have any jurisdiction over private or parochial schools (whether or not accredited) nor over home schools.

Although school districts are independent governmental entities, TEA has the authority to oversee a district's operations (either...
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