Deputy Director, Reading Language Arts Foundational Skills, Pre-K, and Positive Character Traits Academic Content (Director I)

Job Description:

Deputy Director, Reading Language Arts Foundational Skills, Pre-K, and Positive Character Traits Academic Content (Director I)

Description

Agency Information

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.

Core Values

• 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.

Job Description

Teachers and students deserve access to high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) that align to Texas standards, reflect evidence-based instructional practices, and are accessible, adaptable, and designed to meet the full range of learner needs. As the Deputy Director of Reading Language Arts (RLA) Foundational Skills, Pre-K, and Positive Character Traits Academic Content, Open Education Resources (OER), you play a critical role in ensuring Texas districts have access to HQIM that drive strong early literacy outcomes, including proficient reading by the end of elementary school, and support long-term academic success.

As Deputy Director of RLA Foundational Skills, Pre-K, and Positive Character Traits Academic Content, you lead the execution, management, and continuous improvement of foundational skills instructional materials within the K¿12 Reading Language Arts portfolio, with a primary focus on PK¿5 early literacy. This includes ensuring materials support the full development of early literacy, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, language comprehension, and early writing. In addition, you oversee the execution, management, and continuous improvement of PK¿12 positive character traits instructional materials and pre-kindergarten instructional materials, ensuring a coherent and developmentally appropriate progression from early childhood through upper grades.

You oversee day-to-day product development and implementation efforts, ensuring materials are aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and grounded in research-based practices, including the science of reading and the science of learning. You ensure materials reflect a coherent approach to literacy development, with strong vertical alignment across PK¿5, cumulative skill building, and intentional integration of oral language, reading, and writing. You also ensure pre-kindergarten materials reflect developmentally appropriate practices that support early language development, concept formation, and student engagement.

You serve as a people manager, product leader, and cross-functional connector, supporting Content Leads and collaborating across OER teams to deliver high-quality, scalable instructional materials. You ensure materials support effective classroom implementation, promote strong classroom culture and student identity through positive character development, and lead to measurable improvements in student outcomes.

Candidates must demonstrate exceptional knowledge of curriculum development and instruction, with deep expertise in foundational literacy and the science of reading. This includes a strong understanding of how students learn to read and write, how foundational skills and language comprehension interact, and how instructional materials can be designed to support all learners, including emergent bilingual students. Candidates must also demonstrate the ability to stay current on emerging research and continuously apply new learning to improve HQIM while managing agency vendors, cross-department initiatives, and multiple priorities.

This position reports to the Principal Director of Humanities Academic Content in Open Education Resources. Candidates have likely served in a district leadership role managing curriculum or content teams, or have experience leading curriculum development with a publisher, OER provider, or related organization.

The OER team sits within the Department of Instructional Strategy, which is focused on helping school systems bring learning to life for students across Texas. We do this by developing and offering a portfolio of programs, products, and services that school systems can selectively use based on local needs, and we define success by our ability to help educators sustainably improve student outcomes.

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

This position requires up to 10% travel, based on business needs, to support program initiatives, collaboration, and operational priorities.

Please note that a resume, tailored cover letter, 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. Oversee the product development, review, and continuous improvement of HQIM in K-5 Foundational Skills: Oversee the product development, review, and continuous improvement of HQIM in K-5 Foundational Skills by managing Content Leads to deliver research-based, high-quality materials that drive student achievement across Texas, and by using user feedback and data to design and execute product-specific improvement plans.

2. Oversee the product development, review, and continuous improvement of HQIM in Positive Character Traits: Oversee the product development, review, and continuous improvement of HQIM in Positive Character Traits by managing Content Leads to deliver research-based, high-quality materials that drive student achievement across Texas, and by using user feedback and data to design and execute product-specific improvement plans.

3. Oversee the product development, review, and continuous improvement of HQIM in Pre-Kindergarten: Oversee the product development, review, and continuous improvement of HQIM in Pre-Kindergarten by managing Content Leads to deliver research-based, high-quality materials that drive student achievement across Texas, and by using user feedback and data to design and execute product-specific improvement plans.

4. Manage the development, execution, and support of product-specific stakeholder engagement plans: Manage the development, execution, and support of product-specific stakeholder engagement plans by working with your content team and other OER teammates to engage with a variety of internal and external stakeholders to collect stakeholder feedback and impact and influence the continuous improvement cycle as well as product adoption and implementation of our open educational resources.¿

5. Demonstrate exceptional ability to manage, support, coach, and cultivate high performing teams: Demonstrate exceptional ability to manage, support, coach, and cultivate high performing teams by ensuring teams are fully staffed and all staff have a clear, measurable definition of success. Support ongoing improvement in the highest impact SEE survey constructs based on department results.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• Experience: At least five (5) years of experience in developing foundational literacy instructional materials, and/or administrative roles leading the design and/or delivery of foundational literacy. Experience with large-scale, complex academic initiatives inclusive of cross-functional teams. Experience managing, coaching, or directing the work of others.
• Substitution: An advanced degree may substitute for two years of required experience

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
• Deep expertise in curriculum and assessment design, including setting quality standards, reviewing materials, and guiding improvements across vendors and teams
• Ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects from concept to implementation, including building systems while iterating and refining in real time
• Experience designing and scaling academic initiatives across districts and programs, with a focus on coherence, usability, and impact
• Strong ability to independently prioritize and manage multiple high-stakes workstreams, ensuring alignment to timelines, goals, and evolving agency priorities
• Knowledge of Texas Education Code and Texas Administrative Code, with the ability to interpret, apply, and communicate requirements to internal and external stakeholders
• Experience developing and delivering high-quality professional learning and guidance to support effective implementation of instructional materials
• Advanced communication skills, including synthesizing complex information into clear guidance, executive-facing updates, and actionable resources
• Proven ability to build and manage relationships across internal teams, vendors, and stakeholders while driving continuous improvement through feedback, data, and iteration

New hires, rehires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees within the same classification. Offers are based on the candidate's experience and qualifications and consider internal pay equity across employees performing similar work.

The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates whose qualifications exceed the role's requirements. The maximum of the range is typically reserved for candidates who significantly exceed the required and preferred qualifications.

Benefits

TEA employees receive a comprehensive benefits package through the State of Texas and the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS), supporting health, financial security, and work-life balance.
Benefits include:

• Retirement through ERS and employer-paid health insurance for eligible employees
• Optional dental, vision, and dependent coverage
• Paid state holidays, vacation leave, sick leave, and longevity pay
• Wellness programs, employee assistance programs, and professional development opportunities
• Eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program

To learn more about benefits available to State of Texas employees, please review the State of Texas Employee Benefits brochure and visit the TEA Compensation and Benefits page .

Military/Veteran Information

Applicants eligible for Military Employment Preference will be considered in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

To explore how military experience may align with this role, applicants may review Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes within the State's Position Classification Plan. Please refer to the Military Crosswalk and select the occupational category that most closely corresponds with the classification listed in this job posting.

Additional Information

TEA is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or veteran status.

TEA does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of employment visas.

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.

To learn more about working at TEA, including hiring timelines, process details, and candidate resources, please visit the Careers at TEA page .

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to accept phone calls or respond to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

To help ensure you receive updates regarding your application, please add [email protected] and @tea.texas.gov to your safe sender's list.

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• Once your account is created, complete and submit the online application.

Closing Date/Time: 2026-07-15

Salary:

$6377.50 - 8581.66 Monthly