A Call for Authentic School Family Engagement

IDRA submitted written testimony calling on the Texas legislature to support policies that build connections and collaboration between schools and families. In contrast to traditional parent involvement models that “prioritize a few loud voices over the majority of parents and assume an antagonistic relationship between the school and community,” IDRA’s model is “inclusive of all families, especially families that may be historically marginalized from school engagement and is focused on building strong parent-educator partnerships to improve schools and raise students’ academic achievement.” See IDRA’s Six Principles for Family Leadership in Education.

Texas Board Considers Ethnic Studies Expansion

The Texas State Board of Education is currently reviewing the state’s social studies curriculum standards. Board members are examining recommendations from various workgroups, including one on the expansion of ethnic studies curriculum. Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Policy, presented testimony in favor of the proposed changes on the basis that ethnic studies positively benefits all students.


[©2022, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the August 19, 2022, edition of Knowledge is Power by the Intercultural Development Research Association. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]

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