Publications

The Status of School Finance Equity in Texas – A 2009 Update, by Dr. Albert Cortez (IDRA, 2009; $7 or free online)

School Finance Reform in Texas – IDRA Perspectives on Funding Changes Adopted by the 2009 Texas Legislature

Policy digest on fair funding, 2003, also available in PDF format

Information on the book, Texas School Finance Reform: An IDRA Perspective, by José A. Cárdenas, Ed.D. (ISBN 1-878550-63-2; 1997; 387 pages; hardback; $30) 

Statements

IDRA Principles for Fair Funding

Texas Supreme Court Misses the Point – Texas Must Provide Equity and Excellence for All Students – Statement, February 1, 2006

School Reform Isn’t Acceptable if It Isn’t Equitable – Statement, July 22, 2005

Equity and Excellence for All Texas Students – Statement, June 21, 2005

District Court Demands Increased State Investment: All Our Children Deserve an Excellent, Equitable Education – Statement, September 27, 2004

Schools Would Lose Big with Elimination of Recapture - News release, February 27, 2003

Eliminating the Texas School Finance System is Bad for Children and is Bad Public Policy - IDRA factsheet, February 11, 2003 also available in Spanish

Supreme Court Ruling Bad for Neighborhood Public Schools – Statement, July 2002

School Finance Equity and Property Tax Changes – IDRA Information update, April 1997

Declaration: Children First - IDRA statement, March 1, 1997

Articles from the IDRA Newsletter

Defining Student Success in the Context of College Readiness
by Rosana G. Rodríguez, Ph.D., IDRA Newsletter (November-December 2009)

“Fair Funding of Schools – Why and With What Results”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, May 2009)

“The Status of School Finance Equity in Texas”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, May 2008)

“Equalizing Funding of Texas School Facilities – A Long-Standing, Long-Neglected Need”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, February 2007)

“Myths in School Finance” – an excerpt from Texas School Finance Reform: An IDRA Perspective
By José A. Cárdenas, Ed.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, February 2007)

“Perspectives on the Texas Legislature's Latest School Funding Plan”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, August 2006)

“A Decision Neither Adequate nor Equitable – The Texas Supreme Court Ruling in West Orange-Cove vs. Neeley”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, February 2006)

“MALDEF Decries Latest Decision of Texas Supreme Court – Ruling Abandons Low-wealth Districts and Upholds Glaring Inequities in the School Finance System”
By Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, February 2006)

(see also Texas Supreme Court Misses the Point – Texas Must Provide Equity and Excellence for All Students – Statement, February 1, 2006)

“A Historical Perspective on Texas School Finance” – an excerpt from Texas School Finance Reform: An IDRA Perspective
By José A. Cárdenas, Ed.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, February 2006)

“The 79th Texas Legislative Session – The Good, the Bad, and the Inept”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D., and Anna Alicia Romero
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, August 2005)

“Texas Latino Education Coalition – Unveils Six Steps to Real Education Reform”  
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, August 2005)

“Round Six and Holding – The State District Court Ruling in West Orange-Cove vs. Neeley”
By Albert Cortez, Ph. D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, February 2005)

“The Fifty Most Memorable Quotes in School Finance”
by José A. Cárdenas, Ed.D.
IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association, May 1994; updated in 2005)

“District Court Demands More State Investment – All Our Children Deserve an Excellent, Equitable Education”
By María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, November-December 2004)

“Major Education Issues Before the Texas Legislature in 2004”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, November-December 2004)
“Texas Continues to Slip in Education Funding Ranking”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, August 2004)

“Not So Special Session Ends With a Whimper”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, June-July 2004)

“Laredo Community Leaders Declare Support for School Funding Equity”
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, April 2004)

“Equity and Adequacy Concepts as Considered in School Finance Court Cases”
By Albert H. Kauffman
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, March 2004)

“Texas at a Crossroads: Excellent and Equitable Schools – or Merely Adequate”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D., and María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, February 2004)

“Insufficient Funding for Bilingual Education in Texas”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, February 2004)

“Why Fair Funding”
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, February 2004)

“Legislative Session Falls Short in Texas”
By María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D., and Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, September 2003)

“Public Education Reform Priorities in Texas: IDRA Perspectives”
By María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D., and Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, March 2003)

“Holding the Line – School Finance Reform in Texas”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, June-July 2002)

“Destined to Get an Equitable System of School Funding”
Anna Alicia Romero interview of José A. Cárdenas, Ed.D.
IDRA Newsletter ( San Antonio , Texas : Intercultural Development Research Association, September 2001)

“Facilities Renovation and Construction Opportunities and Challenges”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association, October 1997)

“Texas Legislature Considers Much for Education, Accomplishes Little”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D. and Anna Alicia Romero
IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association, August 1997)

“Property Tax Relief, Tax Equity and Funding Equalization”
By Albert Cortez, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association, March 1997)

“Equal Access to Quality School Facilities”
By Roy Johnson, M.A.
IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association, March 1997)

“School Finance Reform and Intra-District Equity: An Excerpt” – an excerpt from Texas School Finance Reform: An IDRA Perspective
By José A. Cárdenas, Ed.D.
IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association, March 1997)

“School Finance Inequities Mean Schools Are Not Ready to Teach”
By María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D.
IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association, October 1996)