IDRA Policy Comments and Testimony During the 2021 Texas Legislative Sessions

Texas Policy Comments & Testimony

Joint letter: Don’t Hide Future Costs of Chapter 313 Tax Break, submitted by Every Texan, IDRA and nine other organizations, December 13, 2021

Joint letter to the Williamson County Commissioners Court concerning its decision to discontinue allocating millions of dollars in federal CARES Act funding to Leander and Round Rock ISDs, based on an issue du jour of the ongoing culture war in public education. Submitted by IDRA, Texas Freedom Network, Every Texan, and Children’s Defense Fund Texas, December 20, 2021

Texas Health Textbooks Should Acknowledge Importance of Gender Identity and Sexuality – IDRA Testimony regarding Agenda Item #2: Report from the Commissioner of Education Regarding Instructional Materials Offered for Adoption under Proclamation 2022, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas State Board of Education, November 16, 2021

Recommendations to the Texas Education Agency: Generation 27 New Charter Application (2022), August 31, 2021

HB 25 Harms Transgender Students by Prohibiting their Participation in Team Sports Aligned with their Gender Identity, IDRA Testimony against House Bill 25, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Select Committee on Constitutional Rights & Remedies, October 6, 2021

Short-Term Tax Cuts Threaten Gains in Public School Funding – IDRA Public Comment against SB 1, submitted by Chloe Latham sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Ways & Means Committee, September 30, 2021

SB 3 Harms Transgender Students by Prohibiting their Participation in Team Sports Aligned with their Gender Identity – IDRA Testimony against Senate Bill 3, submitted by Ana Ramón, to the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee, September 21, 2021

SB 3 Claims That Talking About Racism and Race is Racist. — IDRA Testimony against SB 3 in 87(2) session, presented by Ana Ramón to the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee, August 10, 2021 – See video

Banning Critical Conversations in the Classroom Hurts Texas Students – IDRA Testimony against SB 3 in 87(2) session, presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Senate State Affairs Committee, August 10, 2021 – See video

Censorship is Hurtful – SB 3 and the Underlying HB 3979 Hurt all Students – IDRA Testimony Against SB 3, presented by Morgan Craven, J.D., to the Senate State Affairs Committee, July 15, 2021 – See video

Allow Texas Students to Take in More Information, Not Less – IDRA Testimony against SB 3, presented by Araceli García – See video

Don’t Deny Students Important Information to Work for a Better Future – IDRA Testimony against Texas Senate Bill 3, presented by Ana Ramón to the Senate State Affairs Committee, July 15, 2021 – See video

Reject the Erasure of Race in Texas Schools in SB 3 – IDRA Testimony against Texas Senate Bill 3, presented by Dr. Altheria Caldera to the Senate State Affairs Committee, July 15, 2021

Digital Health and Wellness Are Essential to Supporting Healthy and Engaged Students – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 3489, Submitted to the Texas Senate Education Committee on May 18, 2021

HB 3643 Takes Schools in the Opposite Direction of What’s Best for Students by Expanding Virtual Education – IDRA Testimony against House Bill 3643, submitted by Ana Ramón, to the Texas Senate Education Committee, May 18, 2021

Individual Graduation Committees Should be Available to All High School Students – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 999, Submitted by Ana Ramón, to Texas Senate Education Committee, May 18, 2021

Digital Health and Wellness are Essential to a Digital Citizenship Curriculum – IDRA statement in support of House Bill 129, by Thomas Marshall to the Texas Senate Education Committee, May 13, 2021

Eliminate Bias and Discrimination Against Black Students – IDRA Public Comment for HB 392, Presented by Dr. Altheria Caldera to the Texas House State Affairs Committee, April 29, 2021

Equity Should Be Upheld in Top Ten Percent Plan – IDRA Testimony again SB 1091, Presented by Dr. Altheria Caldera to the Senate Higher Education Committee, April 28, 2021 – See video

HB 3489 Supports Digital Health and Wellness, Which Are Essential to Supporting Students – IDRA comments in support of HB 3489, Submitted by Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 20, 2021

HB 4042 Harms Transgender Students by Prohibiting Their Participation in Team Sports Aligned with their Gender Identity – IDRA Testimony against House Bill 4042, Presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 20, 2021

HB 1744 Helps Address the Three-Decades-Long Teacher Shortage in Bilingual Education – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 1744, Presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 20, 2021 – See video

Texas Must Create a Statewide Plan for Improving Bilingual Education – IDRA Testimony for HB 2258, Presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 20, 2021 – See video

SB 1277 Supports College Access with Student Advising for Dual Credit – IDRA Comments on SB 1277 and Submitted by Dr. Altheria Caldera before the Texas House Higher Education Committee, April 20, 2021

Texas Schools Need Federal Relief Funds Now! Students pay the price as Texas leaders sit on federal funds, IDRA Statement (English) • (Español), April 19, 2021

SB 2066 Makes a Simple Change for a Big Impact to Emergent Bilingual Students – IDRA Testimony for SB 2066, Presented by Araceli García to the Senate Education Committee, April 15, 2021 – See video

HB 4403 Supports Student Advising for Dual Credit – IDRA Comments on HB 4403 and Submitted by Dr. Altheria Caldera before the House Higher Education Committee, April 15, 2021

Texas Must Create a Statewide Plan for Improving Bilingual Education – IDRA Testimony for SB 560, Presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Senate Education Committee, April 12, 2021 – See video

HB 3485 Makes Discipline Data More Accessible to Parents and Families – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 3485, Presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the House Public Education Committee, April 13, 2021 – See video

Adopt HB 3638 to Establish an African American Studies Advisory Board – IDRA Testimony for HB 3638, Presented by Dr. Altheria Caldera to the House Public Education Committee, April 13, 2021 – See video

Texas Must End Juvenile Curfew Ordinances to Help Break the School-to-prison Pipeline – IDRA Testimony for HB 561, Submitted by Araceli García to the House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee, April 12, 2021

HB 59 Strips Schools of the Local Funding They Need for Equitable and Adequate Education – IDRA Testimony against House Bill 59, Submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., before House Ways & Means Committee, April 12, 2021

Texas Students Need an Equitable Approach to Accelerated Programming Learning Committees – IDRA Testimony on House Bill 4545, Presented by Thomas Marshall before the Texas House Public Education Committee on April 6, 2021

HB 97 Ensures that Charter Admissions Policies Are Not Discriminatory – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 97, Presented by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 6, 2021 – See video

HB 1504 Supports a Robust and Equitable Curriculum for All Students – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 1504, Presented by Araceli García to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 6, 2021

HB 2554 Furthers the Inequitable Practice of Funneling Students of Color into Vocational Education – IDRA Testimony against HB 2554, presented by Altheria Caldera, Ph.D., to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 6, 2021

HB 2256 Improves Bilingual and Special Education Service Identification for Students – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 2256, Presented by Dr. Chloe Latham Sikes to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 6, 2021 – See video

HB 2256 Creates More Ways for Teachers to Serve Bilingual and Special Education Students – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 2256, Presented by Araceli García to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 6, 2021

Texas Needs a Statewide Approach to Internet Connectivity Across Texas School Districts – IDRA Testimony on House Bill 3261, Presented by Thomas Marshall before the Texas House Public Education Committee on April 6, 2021

Equity Should be Upheld in Eligibility for College, Career, and Military Readiness Outcomes Bonus Funding – IDRA Testimony on HB 3204, presented by Altheria Caldera, Ph.D., to the House Public Education Committee, March 30, 2020

Texas Needs to Prioritize Rural and Urban School Districts through a Community Approach for Internet Connectivity, IDRA Testimony on House Bill 3591, submitted by Thomas Marshall to the House Public Education Committee on March 30, 2021

HB 3270 Could Compromise Community Input and Engagement in School District Accountability, IDRA Testimony on House Bill 3270, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Senate Education Committee, March 30, 2021

HB 3643 Takes Schools in the Opposite Direction of What’s Best for Students by Expanding Virtual Education, IDRA Testimony against House Bill 3643, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the House Public Education Committee, March 30, 2021

HB 822 Compromises Equitable Education Opportunities in the Name of School Safety, IDRA Testimony against HB 822, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the House Juvenile Justice & Family Issues Committee on March 29, 2021

SB 29 Harms Transgender Students by Prohibiting Their Participation in Team Sports Aligned with their Gender Identity, IDRA Testimony against Senate Bill 29, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Senate State Affairs Committee, March 26, 2021

New Charters Must Still Be Accountable to the State Board of Education and Communities, IDRA testimony against Senate Bill 28, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Senate Education Committee, March 25, 2021

School District Accountability Cannot Compromise Community Input and Engagement, IDRA testimony against Senate Bill 1365, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Senate Education Committee, March 25, 2021

Texas Needs a Statewide Approach to Internet Connectivity Across Texas School Districts, IDRA testimony on Senate Bill 1171, presented by Thomas Marshall before the Senate Education Committee on March 25, 2021

School Safety Funds Should Support Positive School Climates – IDRA Testimony on House Bill 1525: Relating to the public school finance system, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the House Public Education Committee, March 23, 2021

Individual Graduation Committees Should be Available to All High School Students – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 999 submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to House Public Education Committee, March 23, 2021

School Counselors Must Gain an Increased Capacity to Serve Students Directly – IDRA testimony for Senate Bill 179, presented by Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz before Senate Committee on Education, March 18, 2021

Texas Must Increase the Presence of School Counselors in Public Schools – IDRA testimony for Senate Bill 178, presented by Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz before Senate Committee on Education, March 18, 2021

Individual Graduation Committees Should be a Permanent Option for High School Students – IDRA comments for House Bill 1603 submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to House Public Education Committee, March 16, 2021

Digital Health and Wellness Are Essential to a Digital Citizenship Curriculum – IDRA comments for House Bill 129 presented by IDRA to the Texas House Public Education Committee, March 16, 2021

Joint Letter to House Public Education Committee opposing House Bill 759, March 16, 2021

Educational Institutions Need Protected State Funding, Comments to Senate Finance, Re: Public Education and Higher Education and to House Appropriations, Re: Public Education and Higher Education, February 22, 2021