District Support Specialist (Education Specialist V)

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. 

• Core Values:  
• • We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students.  
• • We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students. 
• • We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students. 
• • We are Servant Leaders: Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them. 

New hires, re-hires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees in their same classification. Offers will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications and will thoughtfully consider internal pay equity for agency staff who perform similar duties and have similar qualifications. The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates who exceed the requirements and qualifications for the role. The maximum salary range is reserved for candidates that far exceed the required and preferred qualifications for the role. 

Position Overview: Texas Strategic Leadership (TSL) is the programmatic support to coach superintendents and their leadership teams through identifying, planning, and implementing systems and best practices to achieve their envisioned student experience and ambitious student outcomes. TSL has a foundational landscape analysis support grounded in the Effective District Framework as well as a strong emphasis on data-driven strategic planning and performance management.   

The District Support Specialist role involves high profile interactions and relationship-building with ESC leadership, district superintendents, their leadership teams, and, at times, district board members. It entails significant engagement with both internal TEA teams and external stakeholders to ensure that the content and support provided incorporate our strongest content expertise and field feedback.  

This role sits within TEA’s Division of District Strategic Leadership, which includes the District Leadership Supports Team, the Superintendent and Board Development Team, and the Leadership Development Programming Team.  Together, these teams support superintendents, boards, districts, and campuses across Texas with strategic planning, performance management, and the utilization of research-based best practices.

This role requires seasonal presence in Austin for trainings, conferences, division-related events, and other dates as needed. 

Flexible work location within the state of Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.  

Please note that a resume and short answer responses are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.  

• Essential Functions
• Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

1. Facilitate and Continuously Improve Training and Events: Facilitate and continuously improve trainings for certified and aspiring TSL lead coaches and performance management data specialists to deliver TSL supports to districts.  Facilitate and continuously improve TSL events such as TSL Kick-Off and Learning Labs that provide opportunities for superintendents and their leadership to see research-based best practices in action at other districts and hear lessons learned from their leadership.
2. Approved Provider Management: Manage a caseload of certified and aspiring TSL lead coaches and performance management data specialists through coaching during monthly check-ins, reviewing and providing feedback on critical outputs, serving as a strategic thought partner in supporting their districts, and overseeing quality assurance to and through certification.  
3. LEA Caseload Management: Manage a caseload of TSL districts by building relationships with superintendents and deeply understanding their local contexts, conducting quarterly check-ins with the superintendent to provide strategic thought partnership and collaboration throughout the strategic planning and performance management processes, and serve as a liaison to help navigate access to resources, networks, and opportunities.  
4. Codify Learning, Tools, Research, and Exemplars: Develop knowledge management and repositories to further statewide understanding of how to advance strategic planning, performance management, and the implementation of high leverage strategies, building the TEA and stakeholder base on these key topics and lessons learned statewide through implementation.  
5. Cross Agency Collaboration: Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders such as School Improvement, Texas Instructional Leadership, Strong Foundations, Teacher Incentive Allotment, and other initiative teams to align and coordinate support to districts to achieve their broader goals and priorities.

Minimum Qualifications
• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• Experience: At least five (5) years of experience in the following areas: (1) serving in a district or campus-level leadership position, (2) facilitating high-quality professional development and coaching or managing towards outcomes, and (3) managing projects and developing and/or implementing performance management systems 

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 
Track record of success implementing research-based best practices such as high-quality instructional materials adoption, instructional leadership, strategic staffing and compensation, and college, career, and military preparation pathways  
• Excellent content development and facilitation with senior executive leaders such as superintendents 
• Highly organized with strong planning and project management skills; ability to balance the demands of multiple projects at different stages of development while maintaining quality and consistency across all work.  
• Problem-solving orientation, with an ability to break down complex information into component parts, ask questions, synthesize, and analyze.  
• Ability to build relationships and strong rapport with others, and an ability to manage relationships with senior district and internal agency stakeholders.  
• Meticulous attention to detail with an ability to produce high quality work in a dynamic, collaborative environment   
• Critical thinking and problem solving with the ability to break down complex information into comprehensive parts and communicate them   
• Success leveraging different strategies and interpersonal skills to move the work forward, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability when presented with a change of course or deadline  
• Excellent written and oral communication skills  
• Ability to give, receive and implement critical feedback  
 
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.