Efforts to defund, demonize and privatize public schools gained strength this election. But IDRA’s resolve is stronger than ever to ensure all young people can attend the high-quality, supportive and inclusive schools they deserve.
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Webinar
Join us for an empowering session to help shape the new bilingual special education teacher certificate in Texas! In this webinar, you will get the latest update on the draft of the bilingual special education teacher certificate, and you can share your ideas on how to support current and future teachers in gaining essential skills for bilingual students with disabilities.
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Summit
From Houston to San Antonio, every student deserves the freedom to learn in safe and welcoming classrooms. Together we can ensure that all students have the freedom to learn and thrive in their schools because our students are worth it. Students joined us for our student-led Virtual Youth Summit on Nov 16.
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Newsletter
See what’s at stake and get new insights on student retention, bilingual literacy and student leaders in tech
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Classnotes Podcast 246
In this episode, Anavi Prakash talks to two IDRA STEM Equity Ambassadors about what it means to be educators who work for equity in San Antonio, where they were once students.
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New!
IDRA created this guide to help our community better understand our vision for students and our public education system and to address some of the prominent challenges to that vision, including Project 2025 and similar agendas. This explainer eBook gives an overview of some of the major education policy proposals in Project 2025 and their potential impact on students, states and school districts. (Also available in Spanish.)
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eNews
A new investment in San Antonio promises to inspire the next generation of STEM innovators. The Department of Defense announced its 10-year award of the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) to IDRA to help prepare a workforce ready for the challenges of the future.
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eNews
IDRA released a new policy brief that outlines the benefits of bilingualism and biliteracy and policies that support the state seal of biliteracy and quality bilingual education. The brief also analyzes how the related Texas performance acknowledgement in bilingualism and biliteracy needs improvement. IDRA presents a set of five recommendations for Texas policymakers:
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eNews
Building on the success as a pilot program last spring, IDRA launched a new phase of the IDRA Digital Ambassadors program in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. In our partnership with ARISE Adelante, the program bridges the digital divide by supporting students as leaders and technology trainers for their local communities.
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eNews
After a highly successful inaugural cycle of IDRA’s Education Policy Fellows Program, we invite you to meet our five new fellows! They will gain real-world advocacy experience and training during the 2023 Texas and Georgia legislative sessions, because we know state policymakers can make stronger decisions by working with advocates who are connected to impacted communities.
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IDRA Newsletter
In this issue:
- In This Issue – All Articles Are by Students!
- Books Are for Learning, Not Banning
- Students Deserve Religious Holidays Off
- Addressing Teacher Burnout and More – Reflections from My Teacher Survey
- School Districts Must Prioritize their Students’ Mental Health
- Stop School District Funding Injustice
- Since I Became a Tutor
- See IDRA's Impact Report
- Celebrating Student Leadership
- New This Month: Student Report on Peer Views of School Discipline and Culturally Responsive Education; What You Need to Know About the “ESSER Cliff”
- Recent News
- Get Free Lesson Plans on the IDRA SEEN School Resource Hub!
eNews
IDRA's new policy brief analyzes:
- how the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund monies were allocated to K-12 schools,
- how school districts spent critical federal relief funds, and
- the precarious position many districts are in as they face deadlines to spend remaining federal monies, combined with other fiscal, student population, and policy challenges that impact funding for public schools.
eNews
Brownsville ISD middle school students who are in at-risk situations will become the next generation of technology leaders through an innovative project called IDRA Youth TechXperts™. Through this in-school program, eighth-grade students will gain cutting-edge STEM skills while also fostering leadership, inclusivity and real-world experience.
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eNews
Students are concerned about weak attention to incidents of race- and identity-based discrimination in school. They call for an education that reflects cultural sensitivity and inclusivity. IDRA released today findings of a youth-led research study: The Intersections of Culturally Responsive Education and School Discipline – A Youth Participatory Action Research Case Study of Texas Public Schools.
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eNews
Whether you are a student seeking to make a difference, a family advocating changes to your child’s education, an educator striving for inclusive classrooms, or a policymaker at any level driving change, the IDRA SEEN Model Policy Shop is your hub for actionable policies and resources.
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eNews
Inside:
- Resources you can listen to: IDRA’s award-winning Classnotes podcast
- Resources you can view: IDRA’s interactive maps
- IDRA’s analysis of Project 2025: Five Threats to Public Education in Our States and Communities
News
We value our collaboration with schools, families, students, advocacy partners and funders that make results like these possible. We are grateful to work together as we press forward to elevate the promise of public education through the power of voice and action.
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eNews
From Seattle to Miami, we deserve a country that enables us to take care of our families, regardless of our citizenship status. While certain politicians in power want to deny the children of undocumented workers access to our neighborhood's public schools, IDRA continues to work to strengthen public schools for all students, no matter their zip code. Our history shows that when families and communities come together, we ensure that all students have the freedom to learn, thrive, and succeed in the classroom.
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Alert - Update!
Upon direction from the state superintendent, the Georgia State Board of Education took action to state funding and support for AP African American Studies, singling this course out from every other AP course. See our community advocacy guide with tips on how to push to ensure Georgia students have access to this college-level course that reflects the societal contributions of African Americans.
Update! Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies was added to the state-approved course catalog in Georgia, following several weeks of controversy sparked by the Georgia State Superintendent’s recommendation that the course be denied state approval. Its inclusion ensures Georgia students will be able to access and receive college credit for the class, which highlights the diversity of African American experiences and contributions to our society.
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eNews
eNews
Middle school students in at-risk situations are becoming software designers through IDRA’s VisionCoders program serving 150 students in eight schools. Families and industry experts gathered recently as eighth-graders showed off the latest and greatest software games that they coded.
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News Release
This month, IDRA launched a two-year study on the impact of Texas Senate Bill 17’s ban on college diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to significantly limit race-conscious admissions in higher education on marginalized college-going students.
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eNews
Ten students received prizes in a national competition among participants in the IDRA Valued Youth Partnership program, a nationally-recognized cross-age tutoring program. The VYP tutors wrote about how the program helped them do better in school and how they had helped their tutees to do better.
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Statement
Last night, Round Rock ISD acted on its commitment to ensure a safe, welcoming school climate for all students by passing a comprehensive policy to prevent and respond to bullying and harassment in its schools. The policy explicitly provides protections for students targeted for identity-based bullying, sending a strong message to students, families, and educators that all students deserve dignity and belonging in school.
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Release
Mexican American Studies enriches students’ learning of U.S. history, promotes students’ exploration of self-identity and fosters community. These are among the findings of a youth-led research study supported by IDRA. IDRA released the students’ report, MAS for Our Schools – A Youth Participatory Action Research Project on the Status of Mexican American Studies in San Antonio.
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eNews
His collaborative work with IDRA as a fellow will focus on using quantitative analysis to identify inequities affecting students in charter schools in contrast to their traditional public school classmates, particularly in segregation, student achievement and college readiness.
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eNews
In this issue:
- Envisioning a Bright Future for All Students, by Celina Moreno, J.D.
- Anniversary Year in Review
- Highlights of IDRA’s 50th Anniversary Calendar of Events
- Recognitions in 2023
- Bold Legacy, Bright Future – IDRA’s 50th Anniversary Gala
Research eNews
IDRA Releases Study of the Role of Middle School Counselors in Supporting Students’ College Readiness
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Op-Ed
Commentary by expert, Morgan Craven, appears in San Antonio Express-News
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Contact
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San Antonio, TX 78228
Phone: 210-444-1710
Fax: 210-444-1714
