Transforming education
by putting children first

eNews

IDRA new resource - Knowledge is Power

New issue: Organizing Against Classroom Censorship; New Advocacy Guide; Families Should Not be Used as Puppets

IDRA’s Knowledge is Power is a national resource for educators and advocates to help you do your work for equity and excellence in education in the midst of classroom censorship policies. See our inaugural issue (in English or Spanish).

In this edition:
• Organizing Against Classroom Censorship
• Families Must be Centered in Education Policymaking, Not Used as Puppets
• New Advocacy Guide: Lessons Learned from our Classroom Censorship Advocacy
• The Importance of Teaching All Truths (Lesson Plan Part 2)
• Building Supportive Schools from the Ground Up

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New Toolkit on Interrupting Bullying & Harassment in Schools

IDRA EAC-South Launches Free Tools for Creating Safe, Friendly & Learning Supportive Spaces 

Bullying and harassment are two forms of relational violence that can hinder the establishment of safe spaces in schools and undermine students’ abilities to learn. The IDRA EAC-South's new Interrupting Bullying & Harassment in Schools online toolkit is designed to give educators and school leaders tools that they need to prevent bullying and harassment by fostering a positive school climate.

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Computer Science Education Week

Computer Science Education Week is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers and partners to the field. This IDRA eNews edition contains ool stuff for classrooms and families!

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Book Ban Threats Make Good Reading Lists

Texas’ classroom censorship law (SB 3) goes into effect on December 2. Along with it, state policymakers are ruffling feathers about certain books that may or may not be accessible to students in school. One policymaker released a list of over 800 books for some school districts to document. And while no one is officially trying to ban these books so far, the freedom to read is still harmed by the chilling effect that follows.

IDRA is highlighting some of our favorite books on the list of 800. Check them out! And if you decide to buy some of these books on Amazon, we invite you to use Amazon Smile to send Amazon’s donations our way.

eNews

Free e-courses are now available on ensuring equitable learning environments for all students

CPEs available from the IDRA EAC-South

Now you can get effective tools and information on-demand from the IDRA EAC-South’s popular virtual convening held in July with hundreds of participants across the country. The session videos and materials are available free at IDRA’s Equity Connection community of practice. You can pick and choose from the topics that most interest you on your own time. Get effective tools and information to help reconnect with students for their mental well-being and accelerated learning and reclaim your own sense of connectedness, community and power.

This virtual conference featured equity experts from across the country addressing the five strands:
• Authentic Family and Community Engagement and Advocacy
• Leading with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Reopening with Welcoming & Inclusive Schools – Response to COVID-19
• Ethnic and Cultural Studies
• Increasing Student Engagement

eNews

Texas is Not Financing College Readiness

IDRA Releases New Study on Inequitable Access to College Prep Math Courses

Texas policies and funding block students from graduating prepared for college, which includes having access to higher math, like Algebra II and calculus. Dr. Cristóbal Rodríguez, IDRA’s José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellow, presented his research findings on the relationship between school finance policy and students’ access college and career readiness in Texas at a virtual symposium last week.

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Celebrating Latino Heritage Month

This #LatinoHeritageMonth, IDRA honors the critical histories of our students, staff and leaders with roots in Latinoamérica. At the same time that we celebrate generations of community cultural wealth, we continue working within our communities to disrupt past and present injustice.

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Knowledge is Power - Announcement

Students Tell Texas Attorney General that Racial Discrimination in School is Real

Concerned about the impact of the new classroom censorship bill in Texas, 88 public school students described their experiences with racial discrimination in school. In response to a state representative’s request for a Texas Attorney General opinion on “‘antiracism’ teachings and Critical Race Theory (CRT) principles in Texas public schools,” the TEACH Coalition submitted a letter urging the Attorney General Ken Paxton to decline to issue such an opinion.

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In memoriam – Mr. Jesse S. Treviño

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New Power Advisory Team Guides Program to Support Budding Teen Software Designers

San Antonio Middle School Students to Become Software Designers in IDRA & Texas A&M University–San Antonio “VisionCoders™ Program

Education innovation requires brilliant leadership. To provide such leadership for the VisionCoders program, IDRA established the VisionCoders advisory committee, composed of prominent education and STEM experts. The advisory committee provides students with opportunities that focus on three key areas: empowerment, education and encouragement. These opportunities empower a sense of responsibility in leadership roles, engage students through meaningful experiences, and give recognition for student accomplishments and effort.

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Encourage STEM Leadership at Your School - Sign up your Texas 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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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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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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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.

eNews

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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Texas Can Better Serve Emergent Bilingual Students

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.