Statement
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states must allow religious schools to participate in programs that use state aid to support private school scholarship funds for students. The decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue* allows states to funnel more public monies toward private schools, even as public schools that serve the majority of the nation’s students remain underfunded and face an economic downturn.
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eNews
See the latest edition of IDRA's bilingual Learning Goes On – A COVID-19 Resource for Education, featuring stories on:
State Reopening Guidance Must Prioritize Equity
How School Districts and Communities Can Plan Safe Learning Environments
Considerations for Reopening Schools
Free School Reopening Webinar Series
Overview of IDRA's Learning Goes On Initiative
eNews
IDRA is excited to announce our partnership in launching the Early Childhood English Learner initiative. IDRA will serve as a steering committee co-leader with Texans Care for Children; Dr. Dina Castro, UNT Denton; and Texas Association for the Education of Young Children.
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Podcast
Classnotes Podcast (June 23, 2020). Equity audits are powerful tools to help school districts identify root causes of inequities that … read more
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Statement
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump Administration improperly rescinded DACA, keeping the program alive for about 650,000 undocumented U.S. youth seeking employment opportunity and temporary protection from deportation.
"Today's Supreme Court decision is a momentous victory not only for immigrant youth and their families but also for this nation that relies so heavily on their contributions," said IDRA President & CEO Celina Moreno, who previously served as co-counsel at MALDEF for 22 undocumented youth to protect DACA against several states that sued to end it.
"But now is not the time to relent: We must continue to call on Congress to pass the Dream and Promise Act that gives our youth the permanent status they deserve and to urge schools to actively protect the rights of immigrant youth."
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Statement
IDRA applauds the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. While today’s ruling applies to the workplace, it is also momentous for LGBTQ students who often face attacks and discrimination daily in our schools. Across the country, 85% of LGBTQ students report facing verbal harassment, more than one in four are physically harassed at school, and half are threatened by their classmates.
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eNews
Amidst the collective demonstrations demanding justice all over the country and the world, IDRA stands in solidarity with all who declare that Black Lives Matter. We express our sympathy for the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and all others who have lost their lives as a result of racialized violence and systemic oppression in the form of police brutality. As an organization committed to promoting educational equity, IDRA recognizes the experience of young people of color, and especially Black youth.
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eNews
Now more than ever, reconnecting with students is critical. IDRA can help! The IDRA Valued Youth Partnership is a research-based, internationally-recognized dropout prevention program that has kept 98% of its tutors in school. See our new video and news about how we are preparing modifications for the new school year due to COVID-19 precautions. Join the VYP school-family-community partnership. Because when you do, every student can go beyond!
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IDRA Statement
In response to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, the Minneapolis Board of Education will consider a resolution to end the district’s contract with the Minneapolis Police Department for the services of school resource officers. The school district reportedly spends $1 million to hire 11 officers who police students in the district. The effort to end the contract follows protests against police brutality by thousands across the country. IDRA encourages the Minneapolis Board of Education to adopt its resolution. Ending police involvement in schools will protect students and school staff and help create stronger, safer school climates.
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Learning Goes On
See IDRA’s resources for schools and families responding to coronavirus (COVID-19), including policy updates; our free webinar series on equitable practices for online learning; Survey for parents, students, educators and others; COVID-19 Education News Dashboard; COVID-19 Data Map – Texas College Responses; Equity Connection – IDRA's free online community of practice; and online technical assistance academies for school districts.
The eNews and policy updates are available in English and Spanish.
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Free Webinar Series
Our free webinar series on Equitable Practices for Online Learning is designed to support educators as you continue student learning during this unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) event. The webinars will be online at the IDRA EAC-South website for viewing on-demand as well.
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IDRA Newsletter
IDRA’s latest newsletter focuses on equity auditing with stories:
- Habits of a Healthy School District Where All Students Thrive
- State Takeovers of School Districts Don’t Work
- Implications of Texas SB 1882 Patchwork of Partnerships
- Meet Dr. Chloe Latham Sikes – IDRA Deputy Director of Policy
- IDRA Provides Bilingual Books to Young Learners to Diminish Digital Divide Effects Exacerbated by COVID-19
- IDRA, Partners Provide South Texas Families Tech Support for Distance Learning During COVID-19 Crisis for Virtual Classrooms
Media Release
IDRA’s Texas Chief Science Officer students shifted their work to enrich a STEM culture despite school closures. This year, more than 100 teens in San Antonio and Houston served as their school’s Chief Science Officers, learning leadership skills to carry out their own on-campus projects and advocate for student voice in STEM. But school closures threatened to derail their plans. Innovative by nature, these students took up the challenge.
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Survey
Family and Community Input is Needed on Education Effects of COVID-19. Please fill out our survey about distance learning during school closures!
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Media Release
IDRA launched a partnership with two community-based organizations in the Texas Rio Grande Valley to help Spanish-speaking families navigate virtual classrooms while schools are closed due to COVID-19.
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Media Release
Through its Ventanilla de Orientación Educativa (Window to Education), IDRA launched a portal this month with bilingual materials and videos for families. The materials provide information on the civil rights of immigrant and English learner students, local educational services, and resources on how to access and succeed in college.
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Media Release
For many years before the COVID-19 outbreak, IDRA has worked with schools and communities to close digital divide for the most vulnerable students. With assistance from San Antonio Area Foundation and the United Way of San Antonio this week, IDRA will provide its popular Semillitas de Aprendizaje bilingual storybooks to families in Edgewood ISD and Southwest ISD who have no access to online education.
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As a community, we can protect the most underserved students from falling through the cracks as their education is disrupted by school closures.
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News Release
Multi-sector Coalition Cautions Leaders to Distribute Emergency Funds Equitably.
The Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition (TLEEC) sent a letter to Governor Greg Abbott, Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, and Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller, urging the leaders to distribute and monitor federal COVID-19 emergency relief funds equitably.
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News Release
IDRA applauds the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) for its preliminary approval today of the proposed curriculum standards for a state-approved African American Studies course. With the unanimous vote, the SBOE takes a step in the right direction to create excellent and equitable schools in which all students learn about the rich contributions to this country that African Americans have made in all disciplines.
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Statement
In the wake of the current public health crisis, IDRA is committed to the well-being and health of our staff and the students and communities we serve.
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eNews
The commission will update Virginia’s standards of learning to be more inclusive of African American contributions
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Infographic
See our new technical assistance package focusing on family engagement.
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eNews
As schools are registering students for the new school year, IDRA released this new alert as a reminder that public schools, by law, must serve all children. Not only should undocumented students not be discouraged from attending, they are required to attend school under the state’s compulsory education laws.
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Contact
5815 Callaghan Road, Suite 101
San Antonio, TX 78228
Phone: 210-444-1710
Fax: 210-444-1714
