Morgan Craven, J.D., is IDRA’s National Director of Policy, Advocacy and Community Engagement. She supports the integration and coordination of national and state policy reform efforts impacting school finance, school discipline and safety, education for English learners, preparation and access to higher education, and community-led school governance. Morgan spearheads IDRA’s critical work in education policy and community engagement, working to expand access to policymaking spaces for impacted communities, particularly for students and families of color, families with limited incomes, and recent immigrant populations.
Morgan received a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Stanford University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Previously, Morgan directed Texas Appleseed’s School-to-Prison Pipeline Project. In that role, she led and supported local- and statewide campaigns to address the practices and systems that push children out of school and into the justice system. She has presented research and data to policymakers, collaborated with community-based, state, and national advocacy organizations, and developed policies related to school discipline, school policing, and school climate.
Prior to her work at Texas Appleseed, Morgan served as a briefing attorney for Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson at the Supreme Court of Texas and as a staff attorney at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, where she represented students with disabilities, and individuals and families in housing and public benefits cases.
Recent Media Coverage
San Antonio Declares Racism A Public Health Crisis, Some Find Proclamation Divisive, by Joey Palacios, Texas Public Radio, August 21, 2020
Eradicating the School-to-Prison Pipeline through a Comprehensive Approach to School Equity, Arkansas Law Review, by Morgan Craven, J.D., Paula Johnson, Ph.D., & Terrence Wilson, J.D.
Is the Texas Legislature doing enough for English learners in HB 3?, Julie Chang, Austin American-Statesman, April 19, 2019
How The Texas House School Finance Bill Could Shortchange Many Children Learning English, Laura Isensee, Houston Public Media, April 3, 2019
Amid School Finance Overhaul, Educators Say Funding for Programs That Teach English Won’t Benefit – Though one-fifth of Texas public school students are English learners, funding levels have remained the same since the 1980s, Laura Isensee, Texas Standard, April 3, 2019, 9:33 am
Bill targets Texas charter school admissions, Julie Chang, Austin American-Statesman, March 21, 2019
Parents worry students struggling with STAAR test won’t graduate, Alyssa Goard, KXAN Austin, March 20, 2019
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Writings
- COVID-19 Federal Guidance Documents Impact Schools and Communities, June 12, 2020
- U.S. Department of Education Affirms Intent to Exclude Undocumented Students from CARES Act Relief Funds, June 12, 2020
- COVID-19 Does Not Change Civil Rights Protections for Students, May 15, 2020
- COVID-19 Worsens Systemic Educational Inequity, May 08, 2020
- Family and Community Input Needed for COVID-19 Relief Funds, May 01, 2020
- U.S. Department of Education Announces Rules for Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Funding, April 24, 2020
- Public School Advocates Join Forces to Push for Emergency Funding Equity, April 24, 2020
- Update: The CARES Act and Federal COVID-19 Actions, April 17, 2020
- An Overview of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, March 27, 2020
- Testing for Students in Texas & Equity Implications, March 21, 2020
- President’s Proposed Federal Budget Would Cut Education Funding and Programs, March 18, 2020
- Watching the Courts as They Consider the Next Voucher Case, March 18, 2020
- How Schools Can End Harmful Discipline Practices, February 26, 2020
- Accountability Measures Set to Respond to Public Pressure, July 30, 2019
- New Discipline and Safety Policies for Texas, July 25, 2019
- College Access Legislation Increases Transparency and Adds Funds to TEXAS Grant Program, July 25, 2019
- Education Impact of Supreme Court Decision on Citizenship Question, July 25, 2019
- Texas Legislature Concentrates on School Funding, July 25, 2019
- Current Proposals for Texas’ Investment in English Learners Still Not Enough, April 30, 2019
- Federal School Safety Commission Recommendations Could Lead to Less Safe Schools, April 08, 2019
- Discipline Policies Must Not Come at the Expense of Any Group of Students, April 08, 2019
Podcasts
- How Equity Audits Reveal Harmful Education Policies – Podcast Episode 202, June 23, 2020
- Most Recent Fights for Fair Funding of Texas Schools – Podcast Episode 197, October 23, 2019
- Quick History School Finance in Texas – Podcast Episode 196, October 11, 2019
- Impact of Mass Shootings on Schools – Podcast Episode 195, September 01, 2019
