Deputy Associate Commissioner, Education Resources; Director VI

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) oversees primary and secondary public education in Texas and is committed to improving outcomes for all public school students by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems across the state.

• We are Determined:
  We are committed and intentional in pursuing our primary purpose of improving outcomes for students.
• We are People-Centered:
  We strive to attract, develop, and retain committed talent that reflects the diversity of Texas, with each individual contributing to our shared vision for students.
• We are Learners:
  We seek evidence, reflect on outcomes, and continuously improve in pursuit of excellence for students.
• We are Servant Leaders:
  We are public servants committed to improving opportunities for students and supporting those who serve them.

Position Overview: The Department of Curriculum and Instruction is leading the development of high-quality instructional materials through the creation of Open Education Resources (OER), also known as Bluebonnet Learning, across core PK-12 subject areas. These openly available resources are designed to support excellent teaching and learning by providing educators with coherent, content-rich instructional materials that are freely accessible, grounded in evidence-based practices, and aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

As a strategic priority of the Texas Governor, Legislature, State Board of Education, and the Texas Commissioner of Education, Bluebonnet Learning seeks to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy while promoting academic rigor, a coherent body of shared knowledge grounded in the Western intellectual heritage, civic knowledge that promotes Texas and American founding principles and strong content mastery across the disciplines.

The Deputy Associate Commissioner, Open Education Resources (OER), is responsible for overseeing the end-to-end development of Texas-specific instructional materials that reflect the highest standards of quality, accuracy, and usability. This includes procuring, reviewing, editing, publishing, and maintaining comprehensive grade-level instructional resources, including scope and sequence documents, unit plans, daily lesson plans, assessments, and supporting materials. The role requires leadership of editorial workflow management, production planning, release management, copyright and licensing compliance, intellectual property stewardship, content governance, and version control processes.

The role also requires performance management of third-party contracts that execute on the processes to ensure the highest quality of product delivered on time and within budget.

The Deputy Associate Commissioner will oversee robust quality assurance processes to ensure all materials meet Texas standards, satisfy rigorous review expectations, and successfully navigate the State Board of Education's Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process. Responsibilities also include ensuring materials are historically accurate, based in the findings from the science of learning, academically rigorous, and reflective of scholarly excellence across subjects, particularly in literacy, literature, mathematics, science, history, and civics.

The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of curriculum grounded in the science of learning, including explicit and direct instruction, knowledge-rich curriculum development, and cognitive load theory. This leader will ensure that instructional materials are coherently sequenced, build students' background knowledge over time, manage cognitive load, and support effective classroom implementation through clear instructional routines and coherent lesson design. The candidate must also demonstrate knowledge of applicable state statutes and rules and the ability to apply them in the development and implementation of the policies, programs, and initiatives.

Relevant statutes include, but are not limited to, Texas Education Code (TEC) §§ 4.001 (public education mission and objectives), 28.002 (required curriculum and essential knowledge and skills), 28.0022 (instructional requirements and prohibitions), and 31.022 (suitability). For example, Texas statutory priorities for social studies, including those reflected in Texas Education Code §§ 4.001 and 28.002, include fostering informed American patriotism, an appreciation for Texas history and heritage, civic virtue and responsibility, understanding of the free…