June-July 2025 Issue of the IDRA Newsletter – Focus: Community Voices Matter
Articles
A Message from Dr. María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, IDRA President Emerita
Legislature Dances the Texas Three-Step: Defund, Demonize, Privatize Public Education, by Kaci Wright, M.Ed., & Vivek Datla, MPA
Policy Whiplash in Georgia – The 2025 Session Delivered Education Gains, Losses and Looming Threats, by Terrence Wilson, J.D., Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed., DeAndrea Byrd, Isabelle Philip & Makiah Lyons, J.D.
Civic Changemakers – Students and Advocates Join Forces at the Georgia Capitol, by Isabelle Philip
Coalitions Represent Communities Across the U.S. South
May 2025 Issue of the IDRA Newsletter – Focus: Legacies Shaping Public Education
Articles
Valuable from the Start – IDRA Valued Youth Partnership Reaches 40-year Milestone, by Christie L. Goodman, APR, Fellow PRSA
Tribute to Dr. Joe Bernal: How Bilingual Education Came to Texas – Behind the Scenes, by Christie L. Goodman, APR, Fellow PRSA
Because VYP Believed in Me, I Started to Believe in Myself – Former IDRA Valued Youth Partnership Student Reflects, by Michelle Ramos
Extras
IDRA Valued Youth Partnership Program – Student Reflection Contest eBook
IDRA VisionCoders – Student Reflection Contest eBook
IDRA Youth Leadership Now – Student Reflection Contest eBook
The Best Little Statehouse in Texas – 1981 CBS Emmy-winning documentary by legendary Texan, Larry L. King. (Bilingual education segment begins in Part 1 at 21 minutes and continues into Part 2.)
April 2025 Issue of the IDRA Newsletter – Focus: Imagining Joyful, Nonviolent, Integrated Schools
Articles
The Ever-Present History of Violence in U.S. Schools – How State-Sanctioned Cruelty Persists through School Corporal Punishment Policies, by Morgan Craven, J.D., & Kaci Wright
On the State of Integration and Our Common Humanity, by Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D.
Developing the Joy of STEM through Student and Teacher Experiences, by Jeff Wheatcraft, Asaiah Puente, Ed.D., CNP, & Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
High School Student Tells Lawmakers: Georgia Bill “Erases Our Stories and Our Truths”
Extras
End Corporal Punishment in Schools, IDRA
Hitting Hurts – The Case for Ending Corporal Punishment in Texas, by Morgan Craven, J.D., & Joanna D. Sánchez, Ph.D. (See PDF in English • Español)
IDRA’s map and data dashboard allow you to view the rates of corporal punishment by the states and school districts that still use this type of disciplinary action.
IDRA map shows corporal punishment data for public school districts in Texas.
Defense STEM Education Consortium
March 2025 Issue of the IDRA Newsletter – This month’s focus: National Policy Affecting All Students
Articles
What the President’s Directive to the U.S. Secretary of Education Means for Students, Families and Schools, by Morgan Craven, J.D.
What Federal Education Funding Means for Schools – A Look at Federal Funding in Georgia and Texas, by Morgan Craven, J.D.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Role in Serving and Protecting this Nation’s Students, by Vivek Datla, MPA
What 2024 NAEP Scores Tell Us About Student Progress – National Scores Suggest Need for Targeted Investments to Ensure All Students Succeed, by Morgan Craven, J.D., & Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D.
Extras
Executive Order Leaves All Children and Families Behind – Statement by IDRA President and CEO Celina Moreno on Executive Order to Dismantle U.S. Department of Education • English • Spanish
See IDRA’s latest Federal Advocacy Action Alert for steps you can take.
Adrian and Zariah Reflect on Their Activism and Concerns, March 17, 2025
From Petition to Podium – Students Urge School Board to Protect Immigrant Student Safety, March 17, 2025
Progressing Backward – IDRA SEEN State-Level Legislative 2024 Recap and 2025 Trends
February 2025 Issue of the IDRA Newsletter – This month’s focus: Honoring Black History
Articles
Black Girls Can Make History When We Support them in School, by Morgan Craven, J.D., & Makiah Lyons, J.D.
Confronting Hair Discrimination in Schools – A Call to Honor Black History by Protecting Student Rights, by Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., Makiah Lyons, J.D., & Tionna Ryan
New Data Hub Spotlights School Discipline of Black Girls in Georgia, by Nickell Brown & Makiah Lyons, J.D.
Extras
IDRA SEEN School Resource Hub Black History Lessons
IDRA Safety, Dignity and Belonging Project
Amici Curiae Brief of the Black Parents and Families Collective, National Congress on American Indians, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, the Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches, IDRA, and ACLU of Texas in Support of Appellants’ Brief
Brief of Proposed Amici Curiae American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU Foundation of Texas, Inc., American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Louisiana, American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi Foundation, and Intercultural Development Research Association in Support of Plaintiff-Appellant
January 2025 Issue of the IDRA Newsletter – This Issue’s Focus: Supporting Immigrant Students
Articles
Safeguarding the Promise of Public Education
All Students, Regardless of Immigration Status, Belong in School – How the Plyler v. Doe U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Protects Students, by Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D.
Strong Schools Depend on Strong Partnerships with Families – Anti-Immigrant Policies Push Families Away, by Morgan Craven, J.D.
How Schools Should Support Children Impacted by ICE Raids
Extras
Welcoming Immigrant Students in School
Infographic: 10 Strategies for How Schools Should Support Children Impacted by ICE Raids
Infographic: IDRA’s Parent Leadership in Education Model
Infographic: 6 Principle for Family Leadership in Education
The Law in Education – Plyler v. Doe – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 224: Video version. Audio Podcast Episode.
Recent Podcasts 