The Texas Education Agency has released a new public dashboard showing a significant increase in school misconduct enforcement. In May, the agency reported 153 Do Not Hire Registry placements, up from 112 in April and 97 in March, bringing the fiscal year 2026 total to 648.

Background

The Texas Education Agency and Commissioner Mike Morath have been working to strengthen enforcement of educator misconduct and make the process more visible to the public. The agency appointed Levi Fuller as the first Inspector General for Educator Misconduct in February, a new role created to strengthen enforcement against educator misconduct and boost student safety.

The Do Not Hire Registry is a statewide tool designed to help keep individuals deemed ineligible from working in Texas public schools. The registry currently holds 4,837 names, including 3,564 tied to sanctions from the State Board for Educator Certification, and 1,273 involving non-certified employees or contractors.

The updated dashboard shows 15,656 educator misconduct reports received in fiscal year 2026, including 11,881 superintendent reports, 1,986 reports from the Department of Family and Protective Services, 1,700 general complaints, and 89 referrals through NASDTEC, the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification.

Enforcement Process

The agency investigates educator misconduct reports and sends its findings to the State Board for Educator Certification, which makes the final call on sanctions for certified employees. For non-certified staff, the final decision goes to the commissioner of education.

Senate Bill 571 expanded the commissioner’s authority to place non-certified employees and third-party service providers on the Do Not Hire Registry after a qualifying arrest, tightening reporting requirements, and shortening the timeline for superintendents to report misconduct allegations to the Texas Education Agency or the State Board for Educator Certification.

The Do Not Hire Registry is not limited to certified teachers. Of the 648 placements this fiscal year, 66.2% are classified as “Not Eligible for Hire,” while 33.8% are listed as “Temporarily Not Eligible for Hire.”

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.