Decisions made by state-level officials have a profound impact on the quality of education the state provides to its students. Key policies involve how education is funded, the curriculum teachers use, the types of instructional programs schools must offer and much more. Many policies and practices have led to inequitable educational opportunities for students.
Since its founding almost 50 years ago, IDRA has provided analysis and guidance to policymakers nationally while engaging with communities, educators and students on policy issues to ensure all students have access to equitable and excellent education.
Learn more about IDRA’s policy recommendations for Texas (and Español).
See our policy priorities for Texas’ Third Special Session.
Sign up to receive our email updates!
Resources
Texas Education Policy Updates 2023
Changing Policy
High-Quality Bilingual Education in Pre-K to Third Grade is a Literacy Strategy – IDRA Testimony on Interim Charge: Early Literacy and Numeracy Outcomes, submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas House Committee on Public Education, August 13, 2024
Texas Gets Closer to Adopting a Bilingual Special Education Teacher Certificate, by Lizdelia Piñón, Ed.D., June-July 2024
Sign-On Letter: Public Charter Transparency – Comments to the Texas Education Agency, April, 2024
A Policy Agenda to Support Black Students, IDRA, February 2024
Joint Statement: Opening Arguments Delivered in Federal Appeals Case Challenging Constitutionality of Texas’ Book Rating Law, November 29, 2023
Adopting District of Innovation Status Would Harm Houston ISD Students and Teachers – TLEEC Letter Submitted to Houston Independent School District’s District Advisory Committee, November 14, 2023
Policy Brief: Keep Public Funds in Texas Public Schools – Reject Harmful Private School Voucher Programs Invest In Public Education, Public Funds Public Schools, May 2023
Issue Brief: Identity-based Bullying in Texas Schools – Policy Recommendations – IDRA Issue Brief, by Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., & Makiah Lyons, April 2023
Issue Brief: Hitting Hurts – The Case for Ending Corporal Punishment in Texas – IDRA Issue Brief, by Morgan Craven, J.D., April 2023
Issue Brief: How Texas Schools Are Funded – And Why that Matters to Collective Success – Issue Brief, By Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., August 2022
Video gallery: Student Testimony Against Classroom Censorship
Video gallery: Student Testimony Against Transgender Sports Exclusion Bills
Video gallery: IDRA Education Advocacy and Testimony
A note from Celina: Amplifying Texas’ People Power in a Legislative Session Marked by Harmful Policies, June 2, 2021
HB 3979 Conflicts with Established TEKS and Proven Effective Teaching Strategies, – IDRA Analysis, May 3, 2021
TEA Announces Release of $11.2 billion in Federal Relief for Schools, April 28, 2021
Texas Education Advocacy Video Gallery
IDRA’s Priority Bills for Education in Texas – Community Voices Matter (English) • (Español), March 18, 2021
Priority Brief: Fair Funding for Strong Public School Education – IDRA Texas Priority Brief
Priority Brief: Breaking the School-to-Prison and School-to-Deportation Pipelines – IDRA Texas Priority Brief
Priority Brief: Grow and Sustain School District Health – IDRA Texas Priority Brief
Priority Brief: Keep the Public in Public Education – IDRA Texas Priority Brief
Priority Brief: Excellent Education for English Learners – IDRA Texas Priority Brief
Priority Brief: College Preparation and Access that Expands Opportunities – IDRA Texas Priority Brief
A Comprehensive Equity Approach to Addressing COVID-19’s Impact on Schools – Policy Recommendations
• Policy Comments, Testimony and Policy Updates in 2023
See policy comments and testimony in 2023
• Policy Comments and Testimony in 2022
See policy comments and testimony in 2022
• Policy Comments and Testimony in 2021
See comments and testimony during the 2021 legislative sessions
Engaging Communities
IDRA partnered with other civil rights and educational equity organizations to demand that school districts immediately stop their anti-LGBTQ+ activities and policies.
- Keller ISD, August 10, 2023
- Keller ISD, November 21, 2022
- Frisco ISD, November 21, 2022
IDRA partnered with other civil rights and educational equity organizations to demand that school districts immediately return the books they had removed from its school library shelves. Most of the books focus on histories of racism and discrimination and the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community and people of color.
- Keller ISD (41 books), August 18, 2022
- Katy ISD (118 books), April 20, 2022
- North East ISD (414 books), April 20, 2022
- Klein ISD (67 books), April 20, 2022
- Granbury ISD (125 books), February 28, 2022
Learn about Texas Classroom Censorship Laws
HB 3979 & SB3 limit speech and engagement in Texas classrooms! webpage with link to videos
Organizations Opposing Texas HB 3979, May 10, 2021
Historians, parents say Texas bill limiting instruction about race and current events hurt, by Gabriela Vidal, CBS Austin, May 21, 2021
Historians decry Texas bill that would restrict school lessons on race, racism, by Jeremy Blackman, Brittany Britto, Staff writers, San Antonio Express-News, May 21, 2021
Critical Race Theory Ban in Classrooms Approved by Senate Committee, Stripped of Democrat Changes, by Isiah Mitchell, The Texan, May 20, 2021
What new laws will impact Texas students? Experts weigh in on what to watch as legislators wrap up work, Emily Donaldson, Dallas Morning News, May 19, 2021
Joint Letter to Public Education Committee opposing House Bill 759, March 16, 2021
Ensuring a Safe, Transparent, Participatory and Robust Legislative Session – Letter from 72 Texas Groups, December 9, 2020
Texas Education CAFE Advocacy Network
Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition (TLEEC)
Communicating Effectively
Knowledge is Power is IDRA’s national resource for educators and advocates to help you do your work for equity and excellence in education in the midst of classroom censorship policies.
Students Tell Texas Attorney General that Racial Discrimination in School is Real – IDRA Applauds Students Speaking Out Against Texas’ New Classroom Censorship Law (Español), September 29, 2021
88 public school students described their experiences with racial discrimination in school
