IDRA Newsletter
August 2026 Edition of the IDRA Newsletter – Focus: Bringing Community into Schools
Articles
A Vision for Education in 2025 and Beyond (Excerpt) Educational Opportunities in a Changing Federal Landscape, by Morgan Craven, J.D., IDRA
Meeting the Moment – Movement Lawyering for Education Justice, by Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., Makiah Lyons, J.D., & Tionna Ryan, J.D.
A Vision for Education Justice in the South, by Thomas Marshall III, M.Ed.
Start Earlier, Keep It Real – What Grandparents Say Students Need from Schools to Reach College, by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed.
Extras
Community-based College Access – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit, Informed by focus groups and roundtable conversations with students, families and school counselors, our new bilingual toolkits provide practical tools schools can use now to help students transition to college.
IDRA Model Policy – Identity-based Bullying
School Counselors on College Advising Constraints – A Ready Texas Study, by Hector Bojorquez, IDRA
Staying on Course When Schools Steer Clear: A Community-Based Study on the Impacts of Texas’ Diversity Policy Change on High School Students and Tools to Expand their College Pathways, by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., IDRA
IDRA Teacher Externship Program Brings Tomorrow’s STEM Careers into Today’s Classrooms
Aug 31, 2026Teachers Explore Engineering, Cybersecurity, Advanced Manufacturing and More Through Industry Partnerships IDRA’s STEM teacher externship program gives educators firsthand experience … read more
Read More
Start Earlier, Keep It Real – What Grandparents Say Students Need from Schools to Reach College
Aug 31, 2026• By Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed. • IDRA Newsletter • August 2026 • Grandparents raising grandchildren say schools need to … read more
Read More
A Vision for Education Justice in the South
Aug 31, 2026• By Thomas Marshall III, M.Ed. • IDRA Newsletter • August 2026 • Southern students deserve well-funded, safe and supportive … read more
Read More
Meeting the Moment – Movement Lawyering for Education Justice
Aug 31, 2026• Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., Makiah Lyons, J.D., & Tionna Ryan, J.D. • IDRA Newsletter • August 2026 • Movement lawyering … read more
Read More
IDRA Newsletter 2026 Index
Aug 31, 2026August 2026 Edition of the IDRA Newsletter – Focus: Bringing Community into Schools See PDF of this issue See eNews … read more
Read More
Parents Describe the Real Impact of Decimated Office for Civil Rights
Jul 31, 2026Parents from Texas shared their experiences during a congressional briefing about how staffing cuts and delays at the U.S. Department … read more
Read More
Collusive Litigation Strategy Dismantles Texas Dream Act & Creates Roadmap for Other Policies
Jul 31, 2026• By Clemon White & Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D. • IDRA Newsletter • June-July 2026 • The Fifth Circuit’s ruling invalidating … read more
Read More
What the 2025-26 Supreme Court Term Means for Education Justice
Jul 31, 2026• By Ámbar Caldwell, Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., & Makiah Lyons, J.D. • IDRA Newsletter • June-July 2026 • The U.S. … read more
Read More
Fifth Circuit Invalidates Texas Dream Act
Jul 10, 2026The Court’s Ruling Compromises a Quarter Century of the State’s Investment in Texas’ Dreamers and Economy The Fifth Circuit upheld … read more
Read More
“I used to not want to go to college, but now I want to go.” Reflections by Students in IDRA Programs Point to Life-Changing Futures
May 29, 2026Students in IDRA Youth TechXperts, VisionCoders, Valued Youth Partnership and Youth Leadership Now described how leadership opportunities, mentoring and STEM … read more
Read More
Community-based College Access Tools to Bridge Barriers to College
May 29, 2026• By Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D. • IDRA Newsletter • May 2026 • Drawing on a two-year community-based research study, … read more
Read More
4.3 Million Texas Students Lost Across 40 Years of IDRA’s Attrition Studies IDRA President & CEO Reflects on Unrealized Potential, Renewed Urgency
May 29, 2026• by Celina Moreno, J.D. • IDRA Newsletter • May 2026 • In this commentary, IDRA President and CEO Celina … read more
Read More
From Robotics to Virtual Anatomy, Students Explore Future STEM Careers
Apr 14, 2026• By Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D. & Asaiah K. Puente, EdD, CNP • IDRA Newsletter • April 2026 • Key takeaways … read more
Read More
Changing the State of Girls in STEM Through Access, Culture and Confidence by Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
Apr 14, 2026• By Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D. • IDRA Newsletter • April 2026 • Key takeaways Girls and women remain underrepresented in … read more
Read More
Conference Connects Teachers with STEM Classroom Innovations
Apr 14, 2026• By Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D. & Jeff Wheatcraft • IDRA Newsletter • April 2026 • Key takeaways IDRA’s STEM educator … read more
Read More
Georgia Opts into Federal Voucher Program as Public Schools Face Funding Strain
Mar 25, 2026IDRA Urges State Leaders to Recommit to Fully Funding Georgia’s Public Schools Instead of Expanding Privatization • By Mikayla Arciaga, … read more
Read More
My Child is Starting Kindergarten. Texas’ Voucher Program Worries Me.
Mar 25, 2026• By Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D.• IDRA Newsletter • March 2026 • A Texas parent and policy researcher shares concerns … read more
Read More
Publicly Funded Vouchers Facilitate Publicly Funded Discrimination
Mar 25, 2026Recent Lawsuits Highlight Injustice and Inequity in Texas’ Voucher Program • By Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D. • IDRA Newsletter • March … read more
Read More
The Federal Voucher Program – Doubling Down on Harming Students and Public Schools
Mar 25, 2026• By Morgan Craven, J.D. • IDRA Newsletter • March 2026 • The new federal voucher program could divert billions … read more
Read More
Honoring the Mothers of Our Movement
Feb 25, 2026• By Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D. • IDRA Newsletter • February 2026 • Key Takeaways Black mothers and families play a … read more
Read More