The IDRA Education Policy Fellows Program‘s next class began in October 2022 through June 2023 for the Texas and Georgia legislative sessions in 2023. The IDRA fellowship program is generously supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Kresge Foundation. The program’s inaugural cycle in Texas operated in 2020-21 and in Georgia in 2021-22. The IDRA José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellows program was established in 2013 by IDRA to honor the memory of IDRA founder, Dr. José Angel Cárdenas.
Jonathan Peraza Campos, M.S.
IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Georgia Emergent Bilingual and Immigrant Student Education
Jonathan Peraza Campos (he/him/él) received his undergraduate degree in 2018 from Emory University. He completed his master’s degree in social foundations of education at Georgia State University in 2021.
Jonathan studies and organizes around the links between racism, imperialism, immigration, militarism, incarceration, policing and education, especially in the U.S. South and the Central American diaspora. He has been involved in campaigns for racial, immigrant, and educational justice and abolitionist causes in metro-Atlanta and beyond. As an educational consultant and an abolitionist educator-organizer, much of his work has focused on creating curriculum and infrastructure for Latino studies and abolitionist teaching. He is invested in teaching Latino and immigrant youth about their histories, writers, thinkers, knowledge and movements through an asset-based Latinx Studies and ethnic studies approach. Culturally sustaining, bilingual/multilingual and liberatory education are at the heart of the work he does.
His favorite foods are pupusas, pizza, lo mein, mangos, and maracuyá. Books, swimming pools, and the dance floor are his friends. And he feels spiritually connected to mountains and forests.
Sample Fellowship Products by Jonathan
- A Bright Future in Education Advocacy – Podcast Episode 238
- Advocates of Color and Community Power – Podcast Episode 236
- Learning from Latino and Multilingual Youth – Podcast Episode 235
- The Good, Bad and Ugly of Legislative Advocacy – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 234
- Literature review: Creating a Multilingual Georgia: Emergent Bilingual and Multilingual Learner (EBML) Education in Georgia (in press)
- Media Interview: Georgia Professional Standards Commission removes DEI terms from teacher preparation guidelines, by Elizabeth Rymarev, Atlanta Civic Circle, June 9, 2023
- Media Interview: Major teacher training program change removes diversity, equity and inclusion from training rules, by Courtney Francisco, WSB-TV, June 8, 2023 (Also ran in Yahoo! News, June 8, 2023)
- Media Interview: Georgia dropping ‘woke’ words from teacher preparation rules, by Dave Williams Capitol Beat News Service, June 8, 2023 (also appeared in Marietta Daily Journal, June 8, 2023; Calhoun Times, June 10, 2023; Yahoo News!, June 9, 2023; The Augusta Press, June 8, 2023; Henry Herald, June 8, 2023) (Jonathan)
- IDRA Testimony Against the Removal of DEI Standards from Teacher Certification Standards – Submitted by Jonathan Peraza Campos, M.S., to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, June 7, 2023
- Media Interview: Groups highlight ‘good’ and ‘bad’ education bills in Georgia, Asia Ashley, CNHI News (Alabama), February 28, 2023 (also published in Allied News, February 28, 2023; Dalton Daily Citizen, March 1, 2023; Valdosta Daily Times, March 6, 2023)
- Georgia Students Deserve a 21st Century Education for the Multicultural and Multilingual Future, IDRA Newsletter, February 2023
- Community Engagement: Facilitated meetings for the Georgia Coalition for Education Justice and helped lead a coalition teach-in.
Steve Kemgang
IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Texas College Access and Success
Steve Kemgang is a graduate of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in French with a minor in educational psychology. He served in several leadership positions on campus and in the surrounding community where he developed a passion for advancing educational equity and health care access throughout his service with various organizations, such as Communities in Schools and Habitat for Humanity.
After undergrad, Kemgang taught English to underserved and low-income minority students in the East Austin community. As an educator, he established a space for his students to analyze identity through the readings of Chicano/Latino and Black literature in order to assist them in linking literature and their own experiences in crafting their personal narratives.
Subsequently, he earned a bachelor of science degree in human biology at Northwestern Health Sciences University and completed a research fellowship in the emergency department of the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Throughout his term, he assisted several underserved and marginalized patients from the surrounding communities navigate their healthcare journeys.
He has been serving as a lead advisor at Breakthrough in Austin, where he has been instrumental in working with students who will be first-generation college graduates. His research interests lie at the intersection of education and health equity.
Sample Fellowship Products by Steve
- A Bright Future in Education Advocacy – Podcast Episode 238
- Advocates of Color and Community Power – Podcast Episode 236
- Learning from Latino and Multilingual Youth – Podcast Episode 235
- Major Changes Ahead for Texas Future College Students, IDRA Newsletter, June-July 2023
- The Good, Bad and Ugly of Legislative Advocacy – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 234
- Kemgang: Dual Credit Programs Give Students a Fighting Chance to Access and Succeed in College, Rio Grande Guardian, March 1, 2023
- It Takes a Village to Change the World, IDRA Knowledge is Power, February 24, 2023
- Dual Credit Programs Give Students a Fighting Chance to Access and Succeed in College, IDRA Newsletter, February 2023
- SB 2539 Establishes a Pathway to Increase Disadvantaged Students’ Dual Credit Enrolment and Expand their Access to Opportunities in Higher Education – IDRA Testimony for Senate Bill 2539, submitted by Steve Kemgang to the Texas Senate Committee on Education Subcommittee on Higher Education, March 23, 2023
- HB 8 Establishes a Pathway to Increase Disadvantaged Students’ Dual Credit Enrolment and Expand their Access to Opportunities in Higher Education – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 8, submitted by Steve Kemgang to the Texas House Higher Education Committee, March 20, 2023 – See video
- Prohibiting College DEI Programs Would Particularly Impact Marginalized K-12 Students – IDRA Testimony Against SB 17, submitted by Steve Kemgang to the Texas House Higher Education Committee, May 8, 2023
- HB 2615 Would Disproportionally Target Marginalized Students to Pursue Vocational Education Pathways – IDRA Testimony against House Bill 2615, submitted by Steve Kemgang to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 20, 2023 – See video
Diana Long
IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Texas Fair Funding for Strong Public Schools
Diana Long grew up on the West Side of San Antonio and is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She is a proud Edgewood ISD alumna and first-generation college student. Diana is pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy at the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Trinity University in San Antonio, where she served in several leadership positions on campus. During her undergraduate career, she was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and worked alongside well-renowned scholars in the field of education and educational leadership. Her inquisitiveness and general concern for inequitable education motivated her to design and publish a thesis that highlighted the processes in which the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated inequities in education, specifically in low-income districts in San Antonio.
Most recently, Diana was selected as a Summer 2022 Graduate Archer Fellow. As an Archer Fellow, she served as a research intern at Excelencia in Education, a national not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., working to accelerate higher education success for Latino students. In this role, she completed a comprehensive data verification project to craft recommendations that utilize data to inform practices that intentionally serve Latino students in institutions of higher education.
Diana’s personal background and research experiences in the areas of Latino education and school finance motivated her to pursue a career in education policy. Diana used her IDRA fellowship experience to learn and grow as an educational advocate in a professional setting and make a positive impact in the public education system for generations to come.
Sample Fellowship Products by Diana
- A Bright Future in Education Advocacy – Podcast Episode 238
- Advocates of Color and Community Power – Podcast Episode 236
- Learning from Latino and Multilingual Youth – Podcast Episode 235
- Lawmakers Refuse to Adopt School Vouchers, For Now, IDRA Newsletter, June-July 2023
- The Good, Bad and Ugly of Legislative Advocacy – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 234
- Media Interview: ¿Qué está sucediendo en la Legislatura de Texas en este momento y qué necesita saber la gente?, Despierta Austin, May 26, 2023
- Orgullosamente Bilingue Conference: Guest Speaker at Edgewood ISD, May 24, 2023
- What to Expect from Bids to Take Public Money Out of Public Schools, IDRA Newsletter, February 2023
- Greater Investments and Targeted Supports Make Texas Public Schools Better for All Students – IDRA Testimony on HB 100, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., and Diana Long, to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 4, 2023
- HB 100 Poses a Threat to Students’ Civil Rights with Devastating, Discriminatory Impacts on Vulnerable Students – TLEEC Testimony Against HB 100, submitted by Diana Long to the Texas Senate Education Committee, May 22, 2023
- De Colores Ceremony Closing Remarks Speaker at Trinity University, May 12, 20023
- Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) Subsidize Discrimination Against Students – TLEEC Testimony Against HB 4340, submitted by Diana Long to the Texas House Public Education Committee, April 11, 2023
- SB 8 Poses a Threat to Students’ Civil Rights with Devastating, Discriminatory Impacts on Vulnerable Students – TLEEC Testimony Against SB 8, submitted by Diana Long to the Texas Senate Education Committee, March 22, 2023
- SB 8 Poses a Threat to Students’ Civil Rights with Devastating, Discriminatory Impacts on Vulnerable Students – TLEEC Testimony Against SB 8, submitted by Diana Long to the Texas Senate Education Committee, March 22, 2023
- Panelist at the Rodriguez vs. San Antonio 50th Anniversary Commemoration – The Fight for School Finance Equity: Past, Present and Future. Panel: A Call to Community Action for Equitable and Adequate Funding, March 22, 2023
- Community Engagement: Helped coordinate activities of the Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition
- Community Engagement: Led presentation for ARISE on the status of the Texas Legislature
Alisha “Tuff” Tuff
IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Texas Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Alisha Tuff is from the southside of Chicago. She attended Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology with a minor in psychology. She is a second-year master’s student in the educational policy and planning program at the University of Texas at Austin. During her time at UT, Tuff mentored at Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success) where she worked with young men at the Austin Alternative Learning Center. She has interned for the Children’s Defense Fund Texas where she taught youth how to advocate for themselves and prepared testimony promoting an honest social studies education that represents all students.
Tuff is interested in the school-to-prison pipeline, pushout of Black and Latino students in school, and ensuring every student feels welcome in the classroom. She wishes to change the narrative that Black and Latino students are “at risk.” She believes there is value in every student and that to have a good learning environment we must embrace the backgrounds of all students and have respect for their community.
Her main hope in education advocacy is to uplift those who have been left behind and who have only been seen with a deficit mindset.
Sample Fellowship Products by Tuff
- A Bright Future in Education Advocacy – Podcast Episode 238
- Advocates of Color and Community Power – Podcast Episode 236
- Learning from Latino and Multilingual Youth – Podcast Episode 235
- Texas Prioritizes Hardening Measures Over Preventative Practices, IDRA Newsletter, June-July 2023
- The Good, Bad and Ugly of Legislative Advocacy – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 234
- Traditional School Discipline is Harmful for All, IDRA Newsletter, February 2023
- Owning Our History – Henrietta Wood’s Story, IDRA Knowledge is Power February 7, 2023
- The Power of Music – A Reflection for Black History Month, IDRA Knowledge is Power, February 16, 2023
- Texas’ Crown Act Opens Doors for a Better Texas – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 567, submitted by Alisha Tuff to the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee, May 8, 2023
- Understanding Discipline Policies and Practices is Key to Strengthening School Safety and Student Success – IDRA Testimony for HB 4449, submitted by Alisha Tuff to the Texas House Committee on Youth Health and Safety, April 17, 2023 – See video
- Transparency of School Discipline Data and Policies Benefits Students and Families – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 2126, submitted by Alisha Tuff to the Texas House Youth Health and Safety Committee, April 3, 2023
- Texas’ CROWN Act Gives Every Texan a Fair Chance to Succeed Without Identity-Based Hair Discrimination – IDRA Testimony for House Bill 567, submitted by Alisha Tuff to the Texas House Committee of State Affairs, March 22, 2023 – See video
Ruth Youn
IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Georgia Culturally-Sustaining Schools
Ruth M. Youn is a native Texan, second-generation Chinese-Taiwanese American, writer and activist in Atlanta. She earned her bachelor’s degree in international affairs at Florida State University. Ruth’s previous studies in French, Spanish and Arabic led her to pursue a five-year stint as an educator in South Korea. During her time there, she experienced the significant impact of simultaneously feeling a sense of belonging (as a person who visibly appears East Asian) and of isolation (as a non-Korean and an emergent Korean-language learner) in a new country. Ruth’s experiences compelled her to deeply reflect upon her own journey in the U.S. public school system as a daughter of immigrants.
Her years abroad also heightened her awareness of the struggles and inequities that present-day students encounter within public education. In response, Youn became a founding member of the grassroots organization, Asian American Voices for Education (AAVEd), which advocates for comprehensive U.S. history to be standardized in Georgia K-12 schools. Upon entering IDRA’s fellowship, looked forward to expanding her knowledge and experience to state-level work.
Sample Fellowship Products by Ruth
- A Bright Future in Education Advocacy – Podcast Episode 238
- Advocates of Color and Community Power – Podcast Episode 236
- Learning from Latino and Multilingual Youth – Podcast Episode 235
- The Good, Bad and Ugly of Legislative Advocacy – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 234
- Remove Obstacles to Ethnic Studies for Georgia Students, IDRA Newsletter, February 2023
- Acceptable Use Policies Must Include Protections for LGBTQ+ Material and Student Data Privacy – IDRA Testimony Against House Bill 338 submitted by Ruth Youn to the Georgia Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 21, 2023 – See video
- Senate Bill 88 Discriminates Against LGBTQ+ Students, who Deserve Supportive Schools that Affirm their Identity, IDRA Testimony Against Senate Bill 88, submitted by Ruth Youn to the Georgia Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 1, 2023
Except where otherwise noted, content produced by IDRA fellows during their fellowship is licensed under Creative Commons (CC-BY). This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.