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ReOpen - ReConnect - ReClaim – Ensuring Equitable Learning Environments for All Students

IDRA EAC-South Annual Region II Convening

This virtual conference will feature equity experts from across the country. We encourage you to form teams from your district, campus or organization to take advantage of the five strands being offered this year.

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Congressional Briefing Stresses Need to End Corporal Punishment of Students

IDRA releases report: Stopping Harmful Corporal Punishment Policies in Texas

In 19 states, educators are allowed to beat students as a form of discipline. “Under current federal law, not all children are guaranteed a safe classroom,” said Congressman A. Donald McEachin, who introduced the Protecting Our Students in Schools Act. IDRA co-hosted a congressional briefing this week featuring comments from the Congressman and panels of experts, including IDRA EAC-South Director Dr. Paula Johnson, who spoke about the harms of corporal punishment and the benefits of educational practices that value all students and build safer schools.

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Texas Gov Signs Harmful Texas Social Studies Bill into Law

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law HB 3979, the dangerous bill that controls teacher and student speech in schools and prohibits important conversations about racism, discrimination and current events. The Texas Legislature rammed this bill, like other copycat bills being filed in states across the country, through the process with little input from students, teachers and communities of color in the final days of its legislative session.

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As Schools Plan to Reopen Safely, IDRA Valued Youth Partnership Re-engages Struggling Students

See How the IDRA Valued Youth Partnership Works

Valued Youth Partnership helps students build their socio-emotional skills

When students return to school after this extended time away, it will be more important than ever to strengthen the school-family-community dynamic in order to reconnect with students, especially those that have been harder to reach during this time of distance learning.

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A Note from Celina

Amplifying Texas’ People Power in a Legislative Session Marked by Harmful Policies

During the 87th Texas legislative session that ended this week, IDRA fought for policies that ensure excellent and equitable schools for all students. The legislature convened in the wake of multiple crises – a global pandemic, an economic shutdown, systemic and violent racism, and a devastating winter storm. Tragically, the state’s leadership largely sought to curtail civil rights and ignore those most impacted by Texas education policy.

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Encourage STEM Leadership at Your School

Bring the Texas Chief Science Officers Program to Your School!

CSOs are students in grades 6-12 elected by their peers to be liaisons for STEM in their schools and communities. In this free out-of-school-time program, students develop leadership skills to implement on-campus projects and advocate for student voice in STEM.

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IDRA Report Links Lack of Broadband Access to Student Disengagement

“Plugged in, Tuned Out” Shows Problem is Worst in Large Urban School Districts

Since the transition to remote learning during the pandemic, schools struggle to reconnect with hundreds of thousands of students. A new IDRA study found that the problem is bigger than any school strategy. IDRA’s report, Plugged in, Tuned Out – A First Examination of Student Engagement Patterns in Texas Public Schools During COVID-19, makes clear that, in many parts of Texas, student disengagement during the pandemic was a direct result of limited broadband access.

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IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellows Program

Call for Applications

IDRA invites research applications for the IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellows Program, which supports research to inform efforts to secure equitable funding of public schools across the country. The program was established by IDRA to honor the memory of IDRA founder, Dr. José Angel Cárdenas.

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Stop Asian Hate!

IDRA Shares Resources to Support AAPI Students

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! This is an important time to honor the diversity of Asian cultures and elevate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices while recommitting to stand against hatred toward the Asian and Pacific Islander community. As students and families deal with the trauma of increased violence this year targeted at AAPI communities, we call for a stop to the hate, terrorism, racism and violence perpetrated against AAPI students and families.

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Texas Can Better Serve Emergent Bilingual Students

New Report on Creating a More Bilingual Texas

IDRA co-authored a new report released today in partnership with Every Texan. The report, Creating a More Bilingual Texas, provides an overview of policies, history and current issues for emergent bilingual students and bilingual/ESL education in Texas. It also shares recommendations to address the ongoing challenges to achieving educational equity for emergent bilingual students.

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IDRA VisionCoders™ Computer Science Course Will Serve 1,400 Students in San Antonio

IDRA & Texas A&M University–San Antonio Launch ‘VisionCoders™’ with $3.89M Federal Grant

San Antonio middle school students who are in at-risk situations will become the next generation of software coders through an innovative project called VisionCoders™, launched by IDRA and Texas A&M University-San Antonio. The project was kick-started by a $3.89 million, five-year Education, Innovation and Research grant from the U.S. Department of Education.