• IDRA Newsletter • June-July 2024 •
In the face of laws and school board actions that harm students, IDRA developed a free Model Policy Shop for students, families, educators and communities passionate about ensuring educational equity. The shop is featured on the IDRA Southern Education Equity Network (SEEN) website.
“We wanted to provide research-based and community-informed policies that promote an inclusive vision of public education and that counter efforts to undermine safe, welcoming, culturally-sustaining schools,” said Terrence Wilson, J.D., IDRA regional policy and community engagement director.
Through the IDRA SEEN Model Policy Shop, we are dedicated to advancing our shared goal of achieving equal educational opportunity for every young person. Here’s how we are working to support educational equity advocates.
- Student- and Family-Focused Model Policies, Principles, Roadmaps and Frameworks – Students and families have a key role in leading efforts to change education policy for the better in their communities, states and at the federal level. Our Model Policy Shop features complete packages with policy language, supporting research, and implementation materials designed to support impacted students and families in pushing equitable education policies.
- Peer Models and Resources – Recognizing that some incredible organizations also are doing significant education equity work across the U.S. South, the IDRA SEEN Model Policy Shop includes links to model policies crafted by other organizations, young people and advocates.
One school district has already adopted a policy from the Model Policy Shop. Round Rock ISD acted in May on its commitment to ensure a safe, welcoming school climate for all students by passing a comprehensive policy to prevent and respond to bullying and harassment in its schools. IDRA’s Identity-Based Bullying – IDRA Model Policy package includes a policy brief, model policy for state-level legislation, school board policy and an advocacy toolkit.
Whether you are a student seeking to make a difference, a family advocating changes to your child’s education, an educator striving for inclusive classrooms, or a policymaker at any level driving change, the IDRA SEEN Model Policy Shop is your hub for actionable policies and resources.
We invite you to visit this resource today to explore our growing bank of tools. Sign up to stay updated as we expand the shop.
Please connect with us if you are working to introduce or implement these or any other model policies in education. Your input is crucial as we expand our offerings and strive to create lasting impact in public schools.
For more information, contact Terrence Wilson, J.D., IDRA Regional Policy and Community Engagement Director, at terrence.wilson@idra.org.
[© 2024, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the May edition of the IDRA Newsletter. 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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