Classnotes Podcast - IDRA: Recent Episodes
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Classnotes Podcast (August 5, 2026). Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D., talks with educators Angel Watkins and Taylor Ray about how a STEM externship evolved into a community-centered classroom project. They discuss career-connected learning, project-based STEM instruction, industry partnerships, and helping students solve authentic community challenges.
Key Takeaways* + - A summer STEM externship inspired two teachers to create an authentic, community-centered learning experience for their students. - Students applied engineering, math and design skills to reimagine abandoned spaces in San Antonio and present solutions to community leaders. - Career-connected learning helps students connect classroom concepts with real careers, real challenges and opportunities in their own communities. - Teacher externships and industry partnerships can spark lasting classroom innovation and strengthen STEM education.Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.
Students light up when teachers are able to integrate real-world application. IDRA’s work in STEM education helps students and teachers translate real-world application to local STEM careers. IDRA’s summer externship program connects educators with local employers to bring real-world STEM learning into the classroom.
This summer, 10 teachers explored engineering, cybersecurity, manufacturing and more. And industry professionals helped the teachers connect classroom learning to real-world STEM careers by sharing their expertise and day-to-day work. Teachers take those experiences back to their classrooms, helping students connect academic concepts to real careers, real challenges, and real opportunities in their communities.
In this episode, Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D., is joined by two incredible educators, Angelena Watkins and Taylor Ray, who transformed one summer externship experience into a powerful project-based learning experience for their students.
Last summer, one of our guests spent 30 hours working alongside professionals at a local architecture firm. What followed was a collaborative effort between these two teachers that challenged students to reimagine abandoned spaces in San Antonio and design solutions that could strengthen their communities. The project culminated in student presentations, community showcases, and even student pitches before the school district board. It is truly one of the most impactful examples of externship-to-classroom learning we have seen.
Dr. Stephanie Garcia is IDRA’s STEM education specialist and directs the IDRA VisionCoders and DSEC programs. Both at JSTEM Academy in Judson ISD in San Antonio, Taylor Ray teaches seventh-grade math, and Angel Watkins teaches seventh-grade principles of applied engineering.
Show length: 21:02 min.
Watch Podcast VideoPrev1 of 1Next* From STEM Externship to Community Impact – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 259 Prev1 of 1Next
Quotes
“Students become architects, designers, problem solvers, communicators and civic leaders. This is exactly what career-connected learning looks like.”
– Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
“Being able to bring the knowledge I gained from the externship into my classroom is something so invaluable that I think more teachers need to experience.”
– Taylor Ray
“Hearing the architects describe their work validated everything I’d been teaching my students for the last six months.”
– Angel Watkins
ResourcesIDRA Externship Program Brings Tomorrow’s STEM Careers into Today’s Classrooms – Teachers Explore Engineering, Cybersecurity, Manufacturing and More Through Industry Partnerships, July 15, 2026
Meet Our 2026 Summer Externs
Infographic: 8 Elements of PBL Lessons
IDRA Student Engagement – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit
Webinar: First Steps in Project-Based Learning – answers some of the most common questions about planning, implementation and best practices for project-based learning.
Webinar: PBL at Home & Across the Curriculum – focuses on how through hands-on experiences, students can explore, create, engage and connect what they are learning to the real world.
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify or Amazon Music.
FAQsWhat is this podcast episode about?This episode follows how a STEM teacher externship evolved into a community-centered project-based learning experience. Teachers Angel Watkins and Taylor Ray share how they helped students apply STEM skills to redesign abandoned spaces, including a school, near San Antonio.
How can teacher externships improve classroom learning?Teacher externships give educators firsthand experience in STEM workplaces, helping them design lessons and projects that connect academic concepts with real careers and community challenges.
What is career-connected learning?Career-connected learning links classroom instruction with authentic workplace experiences and community problem-solving so students can see how their learning applies beyond school.
Who should listen to this episode?This episode is valuable for STEM educators, school leaders, career and technical education teachers, instructional coaches, and community and industry partners interested in career-connected learning.
In this episode* How a STEM externship became a classroom project * Connecting STEM careers with project-based learning * Helping students solve authentic community challenges * Building partnerships between schools and local employers * Lessons educators can adapt in their own classrooms
The post From STEM Externship to Community Impact – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 259 appeared first on IDRA.
Award-winning podcast exploring strategies to better serve every student in our diverse classrooms.To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.Classnotes is IDRA’s free award-winning podcast series for people who care about public education. It explores issues facing U.S. education today and strategies to better serve every student. Subscribe for free through iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. And if you like our show, please leave a short review for us in iTunes!
Classnotes Podcast Awards and Recognitions
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Classnotes Podcast (July 21, 2026). How can game design help students become confident problem-solvers and future software developers? In this episode, Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D., and Carol Luckhardt Redfield, Ph.D., discuss how the IDRA VisionCoders program combines computer science, creativity and cross-age mentoring to prepare students for success in school and beyond.
Key Takeaways* + - VisionCoders teaches computer science through game design, giving students authentic opportunities to create technology rather than simply use it. - Students build computational thinking, creativity, communication and problem-solving skills through an iterative design process. - Cross-age mentoring motivates middle school students to create educational games that meet the needs and interests of younger learners. - Making mistakes, testing ideas and improving designs helps students develop confidence and resilience. - The skills students gain through VisionCoders prepare them for future learning, careers and leadership in technology and beyond.Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.
Today’s fastest-growing careers are tech-driven, and two-thirds of all new STEM jobs are in computing. But in many regions, fewer than 1% of adults work in computer-related fields. The IDRA VisionCoders program is helping build the next generation of software developers.
In this podcast episode, Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D., welcomes Carol Luckhardt Redfield, Ph.D., professor of computer science at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Dr. Redfield partnered with IDRA for the past five years to co-develop the VisionCoders curriculum.
VisionCoders is a middle school computer science and leadership course where students design educational games for elementary school students. This asset-based college readiness program serves students who are in at-risk situations. Nearly 80% of VisionCoders students report greater confidence in technology and career pathways; 70% now see tech as key to their futures.
Game design is about more than coding. It helps students become creative problem-solvers, collaborators and confident learners. Dr. Garcia and Dr. Redfield discuss how the IDRA’s VisionCoders program uses game design and cross-age mentoring to build computational thinking, strengthen student engagement, and prepare young people with skills that matter in school, future careers and beyond.
Dr. Stephanie Garcia is IDRA’s STEM education specialist and directs the IDRA VisionCoders and DSEC programs.
Show length: 14:30 min.
Watch Podcast VideoPrev1 of 1Next* VisionCoders Students Learn Through Game Design – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Video Episode 258 Prev1 of 1Next
Quotes
“When students are given opportunities to create, design, and solve problems through technology, they’re not just learning computer science. They’re discovering their own potential as innovators, as leaders.”
– Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
“Wherever AI goes, we’re still going to need to be able to understand how coding works.”
– Carol Redfield, Ph.D.
“The skills that they’re learning through this program will prepare them for any career path.”
– Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
“VisionCoders helped me believe in myself. I’ve realized that I can do hard things as long as I don’t give up. It’s inspired me to keep exploring technology, and I’m even thinking about a career in coding now.”
– VisionCoders student, Danna Rico Granados
ResourcesIDRA VisionCoders, program webpage
VisionCoders: Many Levels of Game-Based Learning, by Redfield, C., Garcia, S., Bojorquez, H., & Puente, A. (2026). In Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 3188-3193). Philadelphia: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Curriculum Poster: VisionCoders – Many Levels of Game-Based Learning, by Redfield, C., Garcia, S., Bojorquez, H., & Puente, A.
How video game coding is helping middle schoolers on San Antonio’s South Side, by Xochilt Garcia, San Antonio Report, May 25, 2026
Students Share How VisionCoders Changed Their Future in STEM – IDRA Honors Six Students in IDRA VisionCoders Reflection Contest, May 2026
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify or Amazon Music.
The post VisionCoders Students Learn Through Game Design – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 258 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (July 1, 2026). Research shows that girls’ confidence in STEM subjects often begins to decline during elementary school. In this episode, Stephanie Garcia and Lea Rosenauer discuss how mentorship, representation, family engagement and supportive learning environments help girls develop STEM identities and pursue STEM pathways. Drawing on research and practical experience, they explore strategies that schools, families and community organizations can use to help girls thrive.
Key Takeaways* Girls’ confidence in STEM often begins to decline during elementary school, even when their abilities remain strong. * Mentorship and positive female role models help girls develop a stronger STEM identity. * Supportive environments that normalize mistakes and encourage persistence help girls build confidence. * Girls are more likely to engage in STEM when they see connections between STEM, problem-solving and helping others. * Families, schools and community organizations all play important roles in supporting girls’ STEM pathways.
Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.
By about fifth grade, girls’ confidence in STEM subjects starts to fall. As a result, girls are less likely to take higher-level math courses in high school or choose STEM fields in college. But something can be done about it.
In this second recent podcast episode about encouraging girls in STEM courses and fields, Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D., welcomes guest Lea Rosenauer, M.A., President & CEO, Girls Inc. of San Antonio. They discuss key strategies like mentorship, putting positive female role models in girls’ lives and intentionally talking about women who are in STEM fields.
Like IDRA, Girls Inc., starts with the premise that all girls have strengths. Lea describes Girls Inc.’s programming in the out-of-school time space where making mistakes is celebrated.
A recent report by the National Girls Collaborative Project shows that 86% of girls want to be in helping professions. As Lea and Stephanie discuss, when classroom and out-of-school programs make connections between STEM and service along with problem solving, girls see their place in these fields. In addition, family-centered programming helps parents support their daughters as they explore STEM pathways.
Girls belong in STEM. The question is whether we’re building systems that really reflect that truth.
Dr. Stephanie Garcia is IDRA’s STEM education specialist and directs the IDRA VisionCoders and DSEC programs.
Watch Podcast VideoPrev1 of 1Next* STEM Environments where Girls Thrive – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Video Episode 257 Prev1 of 1Next
Quotes
“Girls, as early as age 9, don’t believe that they are brilliant enough to have their dream job.”
Lea Rosenauer
“Talent may be universal. Girls have talent and skills. But access and opportunity are not.”
Lea Rosenauer
“Confidence isn’t a personality trait. It’s built through experience, belonging and affirmation.”
Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
“The question is not whether girls belong in STEM. They do. The question is whether we’re building systems that really reflect that truth.”
Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
“When girls see women who look like them in STEM, that abstract becomes attainable”
Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
ResourcesChanging the State of Girls in STEM Through Access, Culture and Confidence, by Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
The State of Women & Girls in STEM Report, by National Girls Collaborative Project
STEM Equity – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit, IDRA
Student Engagement – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit, IDRA
Building an Ecosystem for Latina Prosperity. Latinitas Conversando podcast featuring Stephanie Garcia, Gabriela Kane Guardia, Johanna Moya Fábregas & Jaime Puente. South by Southwest Edu
STEM Ecosystems Foster Community Engagement for a Strong Future – Partner with a STEM Learning Ecosystem Near You!, August 31, 2022
Meaningful Strategies for Making STEM Accessible, October 30, 2020
Five Best Practices that Add Women to the Equation – Preparing K-12 Girls for Mathematics, May 29, 2019
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify or Amazon Music.
The post STEM Environments where Girls Thrive – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 257 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (May 15, 2026). Three generations of women educators share how Brown v. Board of Education shaped their lives. Hear personal stories of school desegregation, sacrifice and opportunity, and how one family’s legacy continues to influence education today.
Key takeaways* Brown v. Board of Education reshaped educational opportunities across generations of the Russaw family. * School desegregation was a gradual, complex process with personal risks and sacrifices. * Black educators and communities built strong schools despite inequities and limited resources. * Access to education often depended on systems and circumstances, not ability. * Family legacy and lived experiences help explain today’s education landscape.
Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.
In this special Mother’s Day episode of the IDRA Classnotes Podcast, three generations of the Russaw family share how the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education lives on in their own lives.
IDRA staff attorney Makiah Lyons, J.D., is joined by her mother, award-winning educator and former principal Jocelyn Mills, and her grandmother, lifelong educator Janet Russaw. Together, they reflect on growing up during school desegregation in Jefferson County, Tenn., and the choices, sacrifices and courage that shaped their family’s path in education.
Through personal stories, they explore what desegregation looked like beyond the headlines – from stepping onto a bus to integrate schools to navigating loss, opportunity and community change. Their conversation highlights how one generation’s barriers became the next generation’s opportunities.
This episode honors the “seeds” planted by Black families and educators – and the lasting impact of those efforts on today’s students and schools.
Show length: 50:54 min.
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Watch Podcast VideoPrev1 of 1Next* Seeds We Planted – A Family Legacy of Brown v. Board of Ed. – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 255 Prev1 of 1Next
Quotes
“We got their old textbooks, we got their old typewriters… when they got new stuff, we got their old stuff.”
Janet Russaw
“It’s very interesting to have this conversation, especially for me, because you realize where you were standing in your place in history. Because… from where I came through, I literally was in the middle of all of that transition.”
Jocelyn Mills
“I feel like every student deserves a chance to learn. The expectations for our kids, and especially our boys, was very, very low. I felt like that needed to change.”
Janet Russaw
ResourcesBrown v Board of Education – The Law in Education, by Makiah Lyons, J.D., & Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D.
Jefferson County, Tennessee, Black in Appalachia
Black History Month Features, IDRA
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify or Amazon Music.
The post Seeds We Planted – A Family Legacy of Brown v. Board of Ed. – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 255 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (April 30, 2026). Corporal punishment is still used in U.S. schools, with harmful and disproportionate impacts on Black students, students with disabilities and children in the South. This episode explores how schools can move toward discipline rooted in dignity, relationships and student well-being.
Key takeaways
- Corporal punishment remains legal in 20 states and affects tens of thousands of students.
- Black students and students with disabilities are disproportionately subjected to physical punishment.
- Fear-based discipline harms student trust, learning, attendance and long-term well-being.
- Restorative practices and relationship-building support accountability while preserving dignity.
- Families and communities are essential to shaping fair, culturally responsive discipline systems.
Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.
Corporal punishment in schools remains legal in 20 states, disproportionately harming Black students, students with disabilities, and children across the U.S. South. In this episode, IDRA’s Morgan Craven, J.D., and Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., examine why physical punishment persists in schools, the lasting harms it causes and what communities can do instead.
Through a conversation on restorative practices, family engagement and culturally-sustaining discipline, they explore how schools can move away from fear-based punishment and toward learning environments rooted in dignity, accountability and student well-being.
Morgan Craven, J.D., is IDRA’s National Director of Policy, Advocacy and Community Engagement. Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., is IDRA’s Family Engagement Coordinator.
Note: The audio version of this podcast episode is not out yet. But we released the video version on April 30, which is the International Day to End Corporal Punishment.
Show length: 15:51 min.
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Watch Podcast VideoPrev1 of 1Next* Ending Corporal Punishment Starts With Community - IDRA Classnotes Video Podcast #256 Prev1 of 1Next
Quotes
“If we rely on fear, we’re really destabilizing school environments rather than investing in what we know works to keep kids safe.”
Morgan Craven, J.D.
“Corporal punishment sometimes may produce a moment of silence, but it doesn’t produce understanding. It doesn’t produce responsibility or trust and too often it leaves lasting harm, especially for students who are already carrying the weight of inequity.”
Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed.
“What we want to do is have systems in place that encourage strong relationships where people understand what’s going on with the young people in the school. They are connected to them. They know their families. And they have those strong relationships. Positive, strong relationships are the root of learning.”
Morgan Craven, J.D.
ResourcesEnd Corporal Punishment in Schools, IDRA webpage
Hitting Hurts – The Case for Ending Corporal Punishment in Texas, IDRA Issue Brief, by Morgan Craven, J.D., and Joanna D. Sánchez, Ph.D., April 2023, updated 2024 (available in English and Spanish)
Restorative Practices Can Prevent and Heal Bias-based Harm, by Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., IDRA Newsletter, August 2024
IDRA Family Leadership in Education Model, IDRA webpage
IDRA School Discipline – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify or Amazon Music.
The post Ending Corporal Punishment Starts With Community – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode #256 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (April 28, 2026). Dr. Lizdelia Piñon and Dr. Stephanie Garcia examine why women and girls remain underrepresented in STEM, highlighting how access, culture and policy shape pathways. They also share practical solutions to expand opportunities and strengthen STEM ecosystems.
Key takeaways* Women and girls remain underrepresented in STEM, not due to ability but systemic barriers. * Access, culture and confidence shape STEM participation and persistence for girls. * Anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies are reducing programs that support STEM pathways. * Mentorship, hands-on learning and cross-sector partnerships strengthen STEM opportunities. * Effective STEM ecosystems offer multiple entry points for students to explore and re-engage.
Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.
Why are women and girls still underrepresented in STEM? In this episode, Lizdelia Piñón, Ed.D., talks with Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D., about what the latest data reveal, including in a new report by the National Girls Collaborative Project.
Drawing from recent research and her own experience as a Latina STEM educator, Dr. Garcia explains why the issue is not about ability but about systems. Dr. Piñon and Dr. Garcia discuss how access, culture and confidence shape who participates and persists in STEM, and how recent anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies are dismantling critical support programs.
The conversation moves beyond the problem to practical solutions: mentorship, hands-on learning and cross-sector partnerships that create real pathways for students. Together, they reimagine what a strong STEM ecosystem can look like – one with multiple entry points where all students can see themselves and succeed.
Dr. Stephanie Garcia is IDRA’s STEM education specialist and directs the IDRA VisionCoders and DSEC programs. Dr. Lizdelia Piñon is an IDRA education associate and a bilingual special education expert.
Show length: 16:35 min.
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Watch Podcast VideoPrev1 of 1Next* What Shapes STEM Pathways for Girls – IDRA Classnotes Video Podcast Episode 254 Prev1 of 1Next
Quotes
“Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity isn’t.”
Sameeha Rizvi
“I don’t see it as a leaky pipeline. That’s a deficit way of looking at it… A really healthy ecosystem looks like a river, or a highway system, with multiple entry and exit points, where students – no matter their age or grade – can jump in, explore and come back to it again later. There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach with STEM education.”
Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D.
“All of the anti-diversity, equity, inclusion laws and policies… have dismantled and defunded, high-quality programming. Those support systems are critical to STEM persistence for women and girls, and it’s under attack. It’s just a significant, massive loss of potential talent, ideas and perspectives.”
Alex De Jesus
ResourcesChanging the State of Girls in STEM Through Access, Culture and Confidence, by Stephanie Garcia, Ph.D.
The State of Women & Girls in STEM Report, by National Girls Collaborative Project
STEM Equity – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit, IDRA
Student Engagement – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit, IDRA
Building an Ecosystem for Latina Prosperity. Latinitas Conversando podcast featuring Stephanie Garcia, Gabriela Kane Guardia, Johanna Moya Fábregas & Jaime Puente. South by Southwest Edu
STEM Ecosystems Foster Community Engagement for a Strong Future – Partner with a STEM Learning Ecosystem Near You!, August 31, 2022
Meaningful Strategies for Making STEM Accessible, October 30, 2020
Five Best Practices that Add Women to the Equation – Preparing K-12 Girls for Mathematics, May 29, 2019
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify or Amazon Music.
The post What Shapes STEM Pathways for Girls – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 254 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (April 24, 2026) – Students, advocates and researchers examine how Texas Senate Bill 17 and related policy changes are affecting college access, campus climate and student support systems. The episode highlights student experiences, emerging research and efforts to sustain opportunity.
Key takeaways* Texas SB 17 and related policies are reshaping college access and campus supports. * Students report loss of services, safe spaces and culturally relevant resources. * Policy changes are influencing college choices, including undermatching and reduced options. * Faculty, staff and students face uncertainty, self-censorship and shifting campus climates. * Students and communities are organizing to sustain support systems and protect opportunity.
Resource from the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), a nonprofit advancing education equity.
As diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in education face political backlash, Texas has become ground zero for some of the most sweeping changes. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end race-conscious college admissions in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, Texas enacted Senate Bill 17, which bans diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs at public colleges and universities. These moves, alongside additional state and federal actions, are already reshaping the educational landscape and putting college access further out of reach for many Texas students.
In this episode, IDRA education law intern Adiba Chowdhury and IDRA Deputy Director of Policy, Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., are joined by Alexander De Jesus and Sameeha Rizvi, who both members of the Texas Students for DEI Coalition. They dissect the nature of recent legislative changes and their impact on Texas students. As a bonus, Dr. Sikes shares recent findings from IDRA’s ongoing study on the impact on SB 17, and Adiba shares testimony from college advisors who participated in the study.
Show length: 43:13 min.
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Watch Podcast VideoPrev1 of 1Next* Student Voices After DEI – The Law in Education – IDRA Classnotes Video Podcast Episode 253 Prev1 of 1Next
Quotes
“DEI didn’t appear out of nowhere. It’s because students had the guts… demand that fair access.”
Sameeha Rizvi
“We’ve heard high school students, advisors and parents say they’re worried about how their student can actually academically succeed in college if they don’t feel they even belong.”
Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D.
“What chilling effect is coming next? Where is the university going to silence me?”
Alex De Jesus
“It’s going to be exhausting, but this is a long-term movement. It’s not a moment. We have to keep on fighting. It didn’t start here. It doesn’t end here.”
Sameeha Rizvi
ResourcesTexas Students for DEI website
Texas Students For DEI Mutual Aid Fund for Undocumented Students
IDRA infographic – Understanding Texas’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Ban at Public Universities
Info on IDRA’s study – College Access Study on the Impact of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Restrictions
Practical tools schools can use now to help students transition to college – IDRA’s Community-Based College Access – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit
Final research report – 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.
Research brief – Beyond the Bans – How Legal and Policy Changes Limiting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Practices Compromise Student Opportunity, by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., and Adiba Chowdhury
IDRA preliminary report – A Community-Based Study on the Impact of Texas’ SB 17 on Marginalized College-Going Students, by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D.
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify or Amazon Music.
The post Student Voices After DEI – The Law in Education – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 253 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (October 22, 2025). In the final episode of the series, IDRA Education Policy Fellows share what gives them hope and what comes next. After nine months of intense legislative advocacy, relationship building, and personal growth, they offer advice to others entering this work and reflect on how the fellowship changed their trajectories. Their stories are a powerful reminder that advocacy isn’t a moment, it’s a movement.
Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed., Georgia Advocacy Director & Education Policy Fellows Coordinator, led the conversation with fellows: Vivek Datla, MPA, IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Regional, DeAndrea Byrd, IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Georgia, Isabelle Philip, IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Policy Communications, and Kaci Wright, M.Ed., IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Texas.
The IDRA groundbreaking Education Policy Fellows Program is changing the landscape of state education advocacy by training advocates with a commitment to and experience with communities of color to influence state laws and lead a powerful network of impacted communities. The 2024-25 cycle of this program is being generously supported by the Trellis Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation.
Show length: 21:16 min
Send comments to podcast@idra.org
Watch Podcast VideoPrev1 of 1Next* The Work Ahead and the Hope That Fuels It – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 252 Prev1 of 1Next
ResourcesIDRA 2024-25 Fellows – Bios and writings. Plus profiles brochure
IDRA Education Policy Fellows Program
Policy Whiplash in Georgia – The 2025 Session Delivered Education Gains, Losses and Looming Threats, with Terrence Wilson, J.D., Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed., Isabelle Philip & Makiah Lyons, J.D., IDRA Newsletter, June-July 2025
Legislature Dances the Texas Three-Step: Defund, Demonize, Privatize Public Education, with Vivek Datla, MPA, IDRA Newsletter, June-July 2025
Student Voices on Public Policy, video feature by Trellis Foundation, May 2025
IDRA Education Policy Fellow Feature, video feature by Trellis Foundation, August 2025
Post-fellowship evaluation report of the program’s first cycle
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify or Amazon Music.
The post The Work Ahead and the Hope That Fuels It – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 252 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (September 23, 2025). What does it take to turn passion into impact? In this episode, IDRA Education Policy Fellows reflect on what led them to apply for the fellowship, how they built new skills in education policy and what they learned along the way. From analyzing legislation to testifying in hearings, fellows explain how the program gave them tools to navigate power, center community voices and bring their lived experience to bear on real policy outcomes.
Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed., Georgia Advocacy Director & Education Policy Fellows Coordinator, led the conversation with fellows: Vivek Datla, MPA, IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Regional, DeAndrea Byrd, IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Georgia, Isabelle Philip, IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Policy Communications, and Kaci Wright, M.Ed., IDRA Education Policy Fellow – Texas.
The IDRA groundbreaking Education Policy Fellows Program is changing the landscape of state education advocacy by training advocates with a commitment to and experience with communities of color to influence state laws and lead a powerful network of impacted communities. The 2024-25 cycle of this program is being generously supported by the Trellis Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation.
Show length: 22:48 min
Send comments to podcast@idra.org
Watch Podcast VideoPrev1 of 1Next* From Lived Experience to Policy Change – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 251 Prev1 of 1Next
ResourcesIDRA 2024-25 Fellows – Bios and writings. Plus profiles brochure
IDRA Education Policy Fellows Program
Policy Whiplash in Georgia – The 2025 Session Delivered Education Gains, Losses and Looming Threats, with Terrence Wilson, J.D., Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed., Isabelle Philip & Makiah Lyons, J.D., IDRA Newsletter, June-July 2025
Legislature Dances the Texas Three-Step: Defund, Demonize, Privatize Public Education, with Vivek Datla, MPA, IDRA Newsletter, June-July 2025
Student Voices on Public Policy, video feature by Trellis Foundation, May 2025
IDRA Education Policy Fellow Feature, video feature by Trellis Foundation, August 2025
Post-fellowship evaluation report of the program’s first cycle
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The post From Lived Experience to Policy Change – Classnotes Podcast 251 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (September 16, 2024) 2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the federal Gun Free Schools Act of 1994 – a landmark bill that promised to bring about an end to gun violence on school campuses. But schools are no safer now than they were when the law went into effect.
Policymakers and school leaders have used the law’s underlying policy rationales to justify harmful discipline and school safety measures. These include hardening school facilities, surveilling students and families, investing in school policing and security, and relying on so-called “zero tolerance” punishments that push students out of school and into the criminal justice system.
Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., talks with colleague, Morgan Craven, J.D., and Andrew Hairston, J.D., from Texas Appleseed about how, three decades after the Gun-Free Schools Act’s passage, these policies and practices continue to harm students – particularly Black students, other students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities.
This podcast episode continues our series of episodes on education and the law, where IDRA works to uplift the stories behind landmark cases and laws impacting education civil rights.
Show length: 47:37 min
Send comments to podcast@idra.org
ResourcesThirty Years Later, the 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act Continues to Harm Students and Communities, by Rebekah Skelton, IDRA Newsletter, March 2024
What Safe Schools Should Look Like for Every Student: A Guide to Building Safe and Welcoming Schools and Rejecting Policies that Hurt Students, by Morgan Craven, J.D., IDRA
33 Years Later, Tough on Crime Still Bad for Students, by Makiah Lyons, J.D., Knowledge is Power, February 24, 2023
Commentary: Texas bills offer illusion of school safety, Paige Duggins-Clay, San Antonio Express-News, May 2, 2023
Willful Defiance: The Movement to Dismantle the School-to-Prison Pipeline, by Mark R. Warren (Amazon)
Joint Testimony in Opposition to SB 245, submitted by IDRA, Texas Center for Justice and Equity, and Texas Appleseed Against SB 245, to the House Committee on Public Health, April 12, 2023 – See video
Zero Tolerance Policies Push Students Away – High Attrition Rates of Black Students and Hispanic Students Are Linked to Exclusionary Discipline, Supplemental analysis in 2015-16 IDRA attrition study, by Roy Johnson, M.S., IDRA
Listening Session on Federal Relief – The Next Steps for our Children, Teachers and Parents in Uvalde – Testimony by Morgan Craven, J.D., IDRA National Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement Presented before the U.S. Congressional Children’s Caucus, September 26, 2022 – See video
Commentary: It’s past time for corporal punishment to end in schools, Morgan Craven, San Antonio Express-News, October 6, 2023
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The post The Law in Education – Gun Free Schools Act – Classnotes Podcast 244 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (July 1, 2024) A recent court ruling stopped a case filed by the Young Conservatives of Texas that was an anti-immigrant attack on the Texas Dream Act. This act recognizes that Texas high school graduates, regardless of immigration status, deserve an equal opportunity to go to college and that they contribute significantly to our state’s economy.
The Young Conservatives of Texas v. [President] Neal Smatresk case sought to bar the University of North Texas (UNT) from collecting nonresident tuition from out-of-state students. This would have cost the university millions and threatened to compromise the integrity of the Texas higher education funding system.
This podcast episode continues our series of episodes on education and the law, where IDRA works to uplift the stories behind landmark cases and laws impacting education civil rights. IDRA Chief Legal Analyst Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., talks Monica Andrade, manager of state policy with the President’s Alliance, and Michael Adams-Hurta, partner at Wright Close & Barger. They discuss the litigation challenge that sought to undermine immigrant students’ rights to access higher education and how the case connects to other anti-immigrant efforts to attack and isolate immigrant students in education.
Show length: 41:31 min
ResourcesCourt Sides with UNT by Reversing Anti-Immigrant Tuition Challenge Fifth Circuit Court Order – IDRA & Presidents’ Alliance React to Young Conservatives of Texas v. Neal Smatresk et al., July 11, 2023
IDRA and President’s Alliance Joint Statement on Oral Argument: UNT Court Case Underscores Threat to Texas’ Higher Education and Students – IDRA & Presidents’ Alliance React to Oral Arguments in University of North Texas Case, February 13, 2023
Podcast: A Reckless Anti-Immigration Lawsuit Challenges Texas Tuition Laws, Latino Business Report episode featuring Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., IDRA, August 23, 2022
IDRA Statement on Amicus Brief: IDRA Files Amicus Brief in Fifth Circuit on Behalf of Student, Business and Higher Education Organizations in a Reckless Case Challenging Texas Tuition Laws – Injunction Could Cost Universities Millions, Reduce Funds for Academics and Supports for Texas Students, August 5, 2022
IDRA Amicus Brief in Young Conservatives of Texas Foundation v. Smatresk on behalf of 12 business, higher education and student organizations, August 1, 2022
IDRA Statement on District Court Ruling: IDRA Denounces Court Ruling Jeopardizing Texas’ Dream Act, April 13, 2022
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The post The Law in Education – YCT v Smatresk at UNT – Classnotes Podcast 243 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (April 29, 2024) Anti-immigrant rhetoric has real consequences on students’ lives. Since IDRA’s earliest days, we have been at the forefront of protecting the rights of immigrant students to attend public school. Their access to college was under threat recently in a case brought forth by the Young Conservatives of Texas that was a thinly veiled anti-immigrant attack on the Texas Dream Act.
When the lower court in 2022 barred the University of North Texas (UNT) from collecting nonresident tuition from out-of-state students, IDRA filed an amicus brief on behalf of 12 student, business and higher education organizations urging the Fifth Circuit to reverse the erroneous decision.
Thankfully the next year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Court sided with the university by reversing anti-immigrant tuition challenge.
While the Young Conservatives of Texas v. Neal Smatresk et al., case was pending IDRA Chief Legal Analyst, Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., talked with two UNT students and a faculty member about how such legal challenges affect them and their campus environment. They describe YCT’s “Catch an Illegal Immigrant Game” on campus and ways students and faculty came together to support undocumented students in such a climate.
At the time of this recording, Daniel Diaz-Alcaraz was a UNT doctoral student and a founder of MUEVE. Edith Campa graduated from UNT in 2022. Mariela Nuñez-Janes, Ph.D., is a UNT professor of anthropology.
Show length: 52:12
ResourcesCourt Sides with UNT by Reversing Anti-Immigrant Tuition Challenge Fifth Circuit Court Order – IDRA & Presidents’ Alliance React to Young Conservatives of Texas v. Neal Smatresk et al., July 11, 2023
IDRA and President’s Alliance Joint Statement on Oral Argument: UNT Court Case Underscores Threat to Texas’ Higher Education and Students – IDRA & Presidents’ Alliance React to Oral Arguments in University of North Texas Case, February 13, 2023
Podcast: A Reckless Anti-Immigration Lawsuit Challenges Texas Tuition Laws, Latino Business Report episode featuring Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., IDRA, August 23, 2022
IDRA Statement on Amicus Brief: IDRA Files Amicus Brief in Fifth Circuit on Behalf of Student, Business and Higher Education Organizations in a Reckless Case Challenging Texas Tuition Laws – Injunction Could Cost Universities Millions, Reduce Funds for Academics and Supports for Texas Students, August 5, 2022
IDRA Amicus Brief in Young Conservatives of Texas Foundation v. Smatresk on behalf of 12 business, higher education and student organizations, August 1, 2022
IDRA Statement on District Court Ruling: IDRA Denounces Court Ruling Jeopardizing Texas’ Dream Act, April 13, 2022
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The post Supportive College Climates for Undocumented Students – Classnotes Podcast #242 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (April 3, 2024). Striking inequities in STEM pathways lead to underrepresentation of women and people of color in STEM careers. Many initiatives across the country are looking for ways to turn the tide.
STEM equity must be infused into classrooms across the K-12 pipeline.
IDRA recently named eight teachers in San Antonio as STEM Equity Ambassadors for the 2023-24 school year to support teacher leaders to do just that.
In this episode, IDRA’s Lizdelia Piñón and Michelle Martínez Vega talk with two educators about their experiences as IDRA’s STEM Equity Ambassadors and what they have learned about promoting equity through culturally relevant STEM pedagogy.
Angela Votion, M.S., is a STEM consultant with the Texas Education Service Center, Region 20. With over 10 years of experience in education, her expertise includes curriculum development, instructional design, and professional development facilitation. She holds a master of science in reading from Texas A&M San Antonio.
Alma Ramos, M.A., M.Ed., is a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade instructional coach and fifth grade science teacher. Originally from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, she first became an educator when graduating from Texas A&M University in 2012. Alma holds a master’s degrees in bilingual education and educational leadership.
IDRA Education Associate Lizdelia Piñón, Ed.D., and IDRA Chief Technology Strategist Michelle Martínez Vega help coordinate IDRA’s ambassador program.
The Alamo STEM Ecosystem, co-led by IDRA, is partnering with the other three Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) partners across the country to support over 30 STEM Equity Ambassadors using interactive and experiential teaching methods to support them as they develop a robust STEM action plan for their own school and school district.
Show length: 16:30
ResourcesSTEM Equity Ambassadors
Theatre of the Oppressed
IDRA STEM Equity – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit
Defense STEM Education Consortium
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The post Ambassador Educators on Promoting STEM Equity – Classnotes Podcast #241 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (August 30, 2023). Decisions about education made by state-level lawmakers impact millions of students. But few people have input into those decisions, especially those in communities of color. IDRA’s groundbreaking Education Policy Fellows Program set out to change that dynamic. With this program, IDRA trains advocates with a commitment to and experience with communities of color to influence state laws and lead a powerful network of impacted communities.
As we closed our second cycle of the program, we sat down with our five fellows to reflect on their experiences. Morgan Craven, J.D., IDRA National Director of Policy, Advocacy and Community Engagement, led the conversation with fellows: Steve Kemgang, Diana Long, Jonathan Peraza Campos, M.S., Alisha “Tuff” Tuff, and Ruth M. Youn. In the second of three episodes, they describe the challenges of being advocates of color working in policymaking spaces and the changes they would make to make the policy process more accessible for communities.
The IDRA Education Policy Fellows Program that operated from November 2022 through July 2023 was generously supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Kresge Foundation.
Show length: 31:44 min.
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ResourcesIDRA 2022-23 Fellows – Bios and writings
IDRA Education Policy Fellows Program
Post-fellowship evaluation report of the program’s first cycle
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The post Advocates of Color and Community Power – Podcast Episode 236 first appeared on IDRA.
The post Advocates of Color and Community Power – Podcast Episode 236 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (July 30, 2023). Jonathan Peraza Campos, M.S., speaks with Dr. Jyoti Kaneria and doctoral candidate Emily Lemon about ... read more
The post Learning from Latino and Multilingual Youth – Podcast Episode 235 first appeared on IDRA.
The post Learning from Latino and Multilingual Youth – Podcast Episode 235 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (July 16 2023). As IDRA’s groundbreaking Education Policy Fellows Program closed its second cycle, we sat down with ... read more
The post The Good, Bad and Ugly of Legislative Advocacy – Podcast Episode 234 first appeared on IDRA.
The post The Good, Bad and Ugly of Legislative Advocacy – Podcast Episode 234 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (March 20, 2023). In the 1960s, students across Texas walked out of their schools to demand a strong education made possible by fair funding of schools. Some of those students were in Edgewood ISD, where parents then came together and decided to take on the system. They had a huge win when the district court ruled that the Texas system of school finance was inequitable and unconstitutional. But while the U.S. Supreme Court agreed on many fronts, it ultimately handed down a disastrous ruling, wiping its hands of any federal responsibility and forcing decades of state-level litigation.
This case is also pivotal for IDRA. Dr. José A. Cárdenas was actively involved in the school finance reform efforts since the early days of the Rodríguez vs. San Antonio ISD litigation when he was superintendent of the Edgewood ISD. As the U.S. Supreme Court considered the Rodríguez case, Dr. Cárdenas resigned from Edgewood ISD to establish IDRA to advocate school finance reform and improved educational opportunities for all students.
Dr. Albert Cortez came to IDRA two years later and worked with Dr. Cárdenas to pioneer school finance reform in Texas. Before coming to IDRA, Celina Moreno, IDRA’s President and CEO, directed policy and litigation for the Southwest Regional Office for MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization that litigated the school finance cases that followed Rodríguez against the state of Texas.
In this special, 50th anniversary edition of the IDRA Classnotes podcast, Celina met with Cortez, who is now retired from IDRA, to discuss the history of the Rodríguez case, its impact, the litigation that was forced to follow, and how the case led to IDRA’s founding.
Show length: 46:27 min
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ResourcesTexas School Finance Reform: An IDRA Perspective, literally, the textbook, Dr. José A. Cárdenas
Destined to Get an Equitable System of School Funding, interview with Dr. Cárdenas, by Anna Alicia Romero, IDRA Newsletter, September 2001
Fair Funding of Schools- Why and With What Results, by Albert Cortez, Ph.D., IDRA Newsletter, May 2009
Equalizing Funding of Texas School Facilities– A Long-Standing, Long-Neglected Need, by Albert Cortez, Ph.D., IDRA Newsletter, February 2007
Ensuring Fair School Funding for All Students, IDRA website
Conversation: Albert Kauffman and David Hinojosa on Texas School Finance, NowCastSA, May 18, 2016
Your feedbackWe welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Use IDRA’s online form, or send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
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The post The Law in Education – Rodríguez vs. San Antonio ISD – Podcast Episode 233 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (February 6, 2023). Public school investment has largely mirrored investment in parts of communities or certain neighborhoods. The discriminatory practice of redlining occurred when particular neighborhoods were marked as risky investments. Those neighborhoods had significant populations of people of color and families with low incomes. The redlining is illegal, most communities have not recovered or experienced new investment.
Digital redlining carries forward these inequities among marginalized groups through real access to affordable technology, digital content and broadband Internet. In this episode, Thomas Marshall III talks with Jordana Barton, vice president of community investments with Methodist Healthcare Ministries, about digital redlining and the fact that scarcity is a false assumption. The problem affects everyone and can be solved today.
Show length: 25:26 min
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ResourcesIDRA’s Digital Equity – Online Technical Assistance Toolkit
In the Red – Drawing the Line on Digital Redlining Practices – Webinar
Digital Destination – Texas Needs Broadband Connectivity for All Students & Families, report by Thomas Marshall & Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz
The Parallel Roads to Digital and Racial Justice, article by Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz, M.Ed., IDRA Newsletter, October 2022
Your feedbackWe welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Use IDRA’s online form, or send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
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The post Educational Impact of Digital Redlining – Podcast Episode 232 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (December 8, 2022). The 2021-22 session of the U.S. Supreme Court left on imprint on education through a number or rulings, including some that were not technically education cases. Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., IDRA’s chief legal analyst, discusses what happened in the last term and what the court’s most recent decisions might mean for the future of educational equity. She also considers the face of the court with Justice Brown Jackson’s presence. In this episode, Paige is joined by IDRA policy communications strategist and form IDRA education policy fellow, Thomas Marshall III, M.Ed., as they
outline the big takeaways from the court’s rulings in Carson v Makin, Kennedy v Bremerton School District, New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. v Bruen and Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health.
Show length: 29:32 min
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ResourcesU.S. Supreme Court Overview – Cases Impacting Education in 2022, slide deck by Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D.
IDRA Files Amicus Brief in Fifth Circuit on Behalf of Student, Business and Higher Education Organizations in a Reckless Case Challenging Texas Tuition Laws – Injunction Could Cost Universities Millions, Reduce Funds for Academics and Supports for Texas Students, August 5, 2022
Supreme Court Should Reaffirm Diversity as Compelling Interest, Uphold Holistic College Admissions – IDRA Signs onto Amicus Brief Spotlighting Student Voices Urging the Court Not to Censor their Racial and Ethnic Identity in College Applications, August 4, 2022
Supreme Court Further Erodes Separation of Church and State in Public Schools – Public School Employees Should Not Elevate Any Faith Over Another, June 28, 2022
Supreme Court Allows Use of Public Funds for Religious Instruction, Giving License to State-Subsidized Discrimination, June 22, 2022
IDRA Amicus Brief in Fisher v. UT, November 5, 2015
Your feedbackWe welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Use IDRA’s online form, or send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
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Award-winning podcast exploring strategies to better serve every student in our diverse classrooms.Sign up to receive free e-mail notices when new episodes are available. All we need is your e-mail address, and we won’t use it for anything else!Classnotes is IDRA’s free award-winning podcast series for teachers and administrators that explores issues facing U.S. education today and strategies to better serve every student. Listen from your computer or from an MP3 player, like your phone or iPod. Subscribe for free through iTunes. And if you like our show, please leave a short review for us in iTunes!
Classnotes Podcast Awards and Recognitions
The post Classnotes Podcast Episode List appeared first on IDRA.
We are proud to share that the IDRA Classnotes Podcast has received the following awards. Please help us spread the news by telling your friends and colleagues about the Classnotes Podcast.
Award of Distinction in the 2010 Communicator Awards, the leading international awards program honoring creative excellence. The program is sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative and marketing firms. IAVA members include executives from organizations such as Alloy, Brandweek, Coach, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Estee Lauder, Fry Hammond Barr, HBO, Monster.com, MTV, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, and Yahoo! Awarded on June of 2010.
Commendation of Merit in media creation from the Society for New Communications Research.SNCR is a global non-profit foundation dedicated to the advanced study of the latest developments in new media and communications, and their effect on traditional media and business models, communications, culture and society. The society creates a bridge between the academic community and practitioners using these news tools and technologies. Awarded on November 14, 2008.
Best of Texas Silver Award (first place) statewide competition by the Texas Public Relations Association. Awarded on March 1, 2008.
Lean Communicator Award from Ragan Communications. This international competition explores how innovative communicators make more out of less. Judges were most impressed by how many people we have been reaching in an effective manner at such a minimal cost. The Classnotes Podcast was thus the subject of the feature story in the September issue of The Lean Communicator. Awarded in September 2007.
El Bronce Award (first place) from the Public Relations Society of America, San Antonio Chapter. Awarded on May 3, 2007.
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Classnotes Podcast (November 7, 2022). America is Me (AIM) is a framework that provides educators with curricular resources to promote students’ understanding of equity issues central to the development of U.S. history and contemporary society. These skills are transferable across academic content areas.
In this episode, Christie Goodman, APR, talks with the developers of the framework, Dr. Marlon C. James and Dr. Kelly N. Ferguson of Equality and Equity Group, LLC. They describe the framework’s origins and purpose and how teachers of all grades and content areas can integrate it into the standards they are focusing on. Dr. James and Dr. Ferguson designed a set of original classroom lessons that are featured on IDRA’s School Resource Hub – We All Belong. Christie Goodman, APR, is IDRA’s director of communications and worked with a team to launch this free classroom resource.
Show length: 28:47 min
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ResourcesAmerica is Me (AIM) Framework Flier
School Resource Hub – We All Belong
Advocacy News Against Classroom Censorship
What Texas’ Classroom Censorship Law Means for Students & Schools, IDRA
What Does Georgia’s House Bill 1084 Do? IDRA
CulturED Collection Lesson Series
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1: #GotCulture?
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2 – E-raced
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3 – They E-raced Us
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4 – Free Your Mind
Your feedbackWe welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Use IDRA’s online form, or send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
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The post AIM Framework for Teaching Intercultural Skills – Podcast Episode 230 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (October 26, 2022). On October 31, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases that have the potential to radically re-write the rules for colleges to seek and rely on information about students’ race, ethnicity, national origin, and other core identity factors in their admissions decisions. The cases, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College (No. 19-2005) and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina (No. 21-2263) challenge the schools’ ability to fairly evaluate the qualifications and experience of college applicants and invite the court to depart from decades-old precedent establishing the value of diversity in education.
While the focus of the litigation has been on the university defendants, students and alumni across the country have been fighting to defend diversity in higher education – and beyond. In this episode in our series on the law in education, IDRA’s education law intern, Makiah Lyons, facilitates a deep and dynamic conversation with two students and alumni from Harvard and UNC who served as intervenors and amici in the case.
Itzel Vasquez-Rodríguez is a 2017 Harvard College graduate and is now a first-year graduate student in the master of public policy program with a focus on water policy at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. Andrew Brennan attended the UNC at Chapel Hill and received a bachelor’s degree in political science and is currently pursuing a master’s in education policy and management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. For this discussion, they were joined by Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., and Taylor Dumpson, J.D.
Show length: 36:33 min
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ResourcesAffirmative Action – The Law in Education, IDRA webpage with history and resources
Defend Diversity website
Amicus brief: Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard and UNC, August 1, 2022
Supreme Court Should Reaffirm Diversity as Compelling Interest, Uphold Holistic College Admissions, IDRA Statement, August 4, 2022
SCOTUS Blog: Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College
SCOTUS Blog: Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina
Your feedbackWe welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Use IDRA’s online form, or send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
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The post The Law in Education – Students Press for Affirmative Action – Podcast Episode 229 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (September 26, 2022). Digital literacy is a critical skill for engaging in our world today. It is much broader than knowing how to operate a computer or navigate a website. Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz, M.Ed., talks with Munirih Santiago Jester of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance about what it means to be a digital inclusive society that fosters innovation. Munirih cautions use of the term “digital native” for describing young people today can lead to the belief that we don’t need to teach them anything about using technology appropriately or being good digital citizens.
Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz, M.Ed., is IDRA’s research analyst and a former IDRA education policy fellow. Munirih Santiago Jester is programs manager for the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.
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Show length: 15:57 min.
ResourcesDigital Inclusion 101, National Digital Inclusion Alliance
State Digital Equity Scorecard, National Digital Inclusion Alliance
Solving the Digital Divide Requires Authentic Family Engagement, by Thomas Marshall, IDRA Newsletter, April 2021
Plugged in, Tuned Out – A First Examination of Student Engagement Patterns in Texas Public Schools During COVID-19, by Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz, M.Ed.
How States Are Expanding Broadband Access, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Worst Connected Cities 2017. American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B28002, National Digital Inclusion Alliance
Digital Destination – Texas Needs Broadband Connectivity for All Students & Families, by Thomas Marshall III & Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz, M.Ed. (Ver versión en español)
Texas Needs an Equitable State Broadband Plan to Serve Students and Families, by Thomas Marshall, IDRA Newsletter, February 2021
Student Data Tracking – Taking a Closer Look at Privacy, by Mark Barnett, IDRA Newsletter
Your feedback
We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.
The post Even Digital Natives Need to Learn Digital Literacy – Podcast Episode 228 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (August 29, 2022) IDRA’s shared family leadership process involves families joining in collaborative leadership, establishing connections with school, and developing and carrying out leadership projects to improve their schools. To get indepth, helpful information from an evaluation required using a multifaceted approach. Aurelio Montemayor and Nancy Chavkin wrote about their innovation in a chapter, “Harnessing the Power of Family Leadership for Immigrant Students” in a new book, A Place Called Home: School-University-Community Collaboration and the Immigrant Educational Experience, by Jack Leonard and Martin Reardon.
In this second of two episodes, Aurelio and Nancy describe the methods and specific focus of a large-scale evaluation of family engagement in a South Texas immigrant community. They discuss the big take-aways from the evaluation and what they learned from the participating families.
Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., is IDRA’s Family Engagement Coordinator. Nancy Chavkin, Ph.D., is Regents’ Professor and University Distinguished Professor Emerita of Social Work at Texas State
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ResourcesA Place Called Home: School-University-Community Collaboration and the Immigrant Educational Experience, by Jack Leonard and Martin Reardon
IDRA Education CAFÉ Model
6 Principles for Family Leadership in Education – Infographic
IDRA EAC-South Family Engagement Web-based Technical Assistance Package
Liderazgo Familiar Intergeneracional: Intergenerational Family Leadership as a New Paradigm of Family Engagement, by Aurelio Montemayor and Nancy Chavkin, for VUE Voices in Urban Education, September 2016
Community Groups and Parents Survey Peers about Graduation Policy (report)
RGV Equal Voice Network Education Working Group Hosts Second Annual Mesa Comunitaria
Your feedback
We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
Listen to every episode!To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.
The post Evaluating Shared Family Leadership in Education – Part 2 – Podcast Episode 227 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (August 17, 2022) Effective evaluation is critical to understanding more than just whether or not an initiative worked. It can provide insights into what makes it work and how success can be sustained. But evaluating family engagement efforts requires innovation. Aurelio Montemayor and Nancy Chavkin wrote about their innovation in a chapter, “Harnessing the Power of Family Leadership for Immigrant Students” in a new book, A Place Called Home: School-University-Community Collaboration and the Immigrant Educational Experience, by Jack Leonard and Martin Reardon.
In this first of two episodes, Aurelio and Nancy describe three key factors of IDRA’s family leadership in education work and why evaluation methods have to be different for collaborative community projects. They give specific examples of leadership projects led by families in South Texas.
Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., is IDRA’s Family Engagement Coordinator. Nancy Chavkin, Ph.D., is Regents’ Professor and University Distinguished Professor Emerita of Social Work at Texas State University.
Send comments to podcast@idra.org
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ResourcesA Place Called Home: School-University-Community Collaboration and the Immigrant Educational Experience, by Jack Leonard and Martin Reardon
IDRA Education CAFÉ Model
6 Principles for Family Leadership in Education – Infographic
IDRA EAC-South Family Engagement Web-based Technical Assistance Package
Liderazgo Familiar Intergeneracional: Intergenerational Family Leadership as a New Paradigm of Family Engagement, by Aurelio Montemayor and Nancy Chavkin, for VUE Voices in Urban Education, September 2016
Community Groups and Parents Survey Peers about Graduation Policy (report)
RGV Equal Voice Network Education Working Group Hosts Second Annual Mesa Comunitaria
Your feedback
We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
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The post Parents Modeling Math in Everyday Life – Podcast Episode 95 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (September 13, 2011) In an atmosphere of heated debate about immigration policy across the country, the education of ... read more
The post Immigrant Children’s Rights to Attend Public Schools – Podcast Episode 94 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (August 26, 2011) At a time when we need more students to excel in science, technology, engineering and ... read more
The post Science Success for English Learners – Podcast Episode 93 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (August 9, 2011) Armed with actionable knowledge, parents are able to work with their schools to bring about ... read more
The post Parents Using Data to Improve Schools – Podcast Episode 92 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (June 27, 2011) IDRA’s Quality Schools Action Framework emphasizes connections among schools and communities to secure success for ... read more
The post A New Model for Community Engagement in Education – Podcast Episode 91 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (May 31, 2011) Schools are more successful when they actively embrace the cultural and racial diversity of their ... read more
The post A Discussion about Diversity Training – Podcast Episode 90 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (May 20, 2011) For more than a decade, IDRA has been an innovator in holding conferences focused on ... read more
The post Parent Institutes for Education – Podcast Episode 89 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (April 29, 2011) There has never been a time in the history of education in this country in ... read more
The post The Civil Rights Issue of Our Generation – Podcast Episode 88 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (April 18, 2011) Mathematics literacy is essential for any child to be prepared for the future. Many understand ... read more
The post Higher Math for All – Podcast Episode 87 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (March 29, 2011) Often, the concept of college readiness has meant offering specific courses at the high school ... read more
The post Principal on Creating a College Going Culture – Podcast Episode 86 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (March 10, 2011) In education, as in everything else, problem solving requires first a clear definition of the ... read more
The post Connecting Every Student to a Meaningful Future – Podcast Episode 85 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (February 25, 2011) Familiar questions have been buzzing around the latest release of PISA test results showing low ... read more
The post Valuing Students and Children – Podcast Episode 84 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (February 11, 2011) Start with a school that is failing and reshape it into a space where students ... read more
The post Principal on Dramatic School Transformation – Podcast Episode 83 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (January 31, 2011) Research shows that providing intensive, content-rich and collegial learning opportunities for teachers can improve both teaching and student learning. IDRA has seen that when teachers come together as a community of practice to share questions, successes, lessons learned and to support each other, the teachers feel valued and renewed. And importantly, their students do better in school. Josie D. Cortez, M.A., an IDRA senior education associate, outlines four key elements that are critical to successful teacher communities of practice. Josie is interviewed by Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., director of the IDRA Texas Parent Information and Resource Center.
Show length: 15:30.
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Resources Valuing Youth- Reflections from a Professional Learning Community
By Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., and Josie Danini Cortez, M.A., IDRA Newsletter (2007)
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/reflections-from-a-professional-learning-community/
Professional Learning Communities: Overcoming the Roadblocks
By Nan Lujan & Barbara Day, The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin (Winter 2010)
https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-2071788431/professional-learning-communities-overcoming-the
New Eyes: Meeting Challenges Through Communities of Practice
National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc. (March 2007)
http://www.ideapartnership.org/documents/NewEyes-3-HTQ.pdf
Building School-Based Teacher Learning Communities: Professional Strategies to Improve Student Achievement
By Milbrey McLaughlin and Joan E. Talbert (2006)
http://www.amazon.com/Building-School-based-Teacher-Learning-Communities/dp/0807746797
Schools that Learn: A Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, Parents, and Everyone that Cares About Education
By Peter M. Senge, Nelda H. Cambron McCabe, Timothy Lucas, Art Kleiner, Janis Dutton, Bryan Smith (2000)
http://www.amazon.com/Schools-That-Learn-Discipline-Fieldbook/dp/0385493231
Your feedback We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
Listen to every episode! To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.
The post Teacher Communities of Practice – Podcast Episode 82 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (December 9, 2010) Across the country, people are looking for strategies to strengthen public education so that all students graduate ready for college and career. IDRA recently released a new book, Courage to Connect: A Quality Schools Action Framework, that shows how communities and schools can work together to be successful. IDRA senior education associates, Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., and Bradley Scott, Ph.D., talk about the book and how it is being used in different settings. Aurelio and Bradley are interviewed by Christie Goodman, APR, IDRA communications manager.
Show length: 14:35.
Send comments to podcast@idra.org.
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Resources Courage to Connect: A Quality Schools Action Framework
http://www.idra.org/change-model/college-bound-determined/
IDRA News Release “A Quality Schools Action Framework – New IDRA Book Frames School Change for Student Success”
http://www.idra.org/resource-center/a-quality-schools-action-framework/
Hear Podcasts about the Quality Schools Action Framework
http://www.idra.org/change-model/courage-to-connect/hear-podcasts-framework/
Your feedback We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
Listen to every episode! To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.
The post Tool for Building Quality Schools – Podcast Episode 81 appeared first on IDRA.
Classnotes Podcast (November 16, 2010) IDRA has developed a unique bilingual (Spanish/English) set of early childhood materials that is based on the art of storytelling. Semillitas de Aprendizaje focuses on literacy development and has culturally-relevant materials for 3- and 4-year-old children. Juanita García, Ph.D., an IDRA education associate, and Nilka Avilés , Ed.D., an IDRA senior education associate, describe the first set of theme-based materials that is available, 10 big books, and how they’ve been used with teachers to align with Head Start competencies and Ellen Galinsky’s seven life skills every child needs.
Juanita and Nilka are interviewed by Christie Goodman, APR, IDRA communications manager.
Show length: 14:24.
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Resources Semillitas de Aprendizaje
Semillitas de Aprendizaje is a unique bilingual (Spanish/English) set of early childhood materials by the Intercultural Development Research Association that is based on the art of storytelling. Semillitas de Aprendizaje focuses on literacy development and has culturally-relevant materials for 3- and 4-year-old children. The series includes a set of 10 big books, a set of 10 corresponding small readers, Caritas series – letters home with family activities, a set of 15 preschool math and self-concept books, and a curriculum for teachers. The big books are the first in series available for purchase.
http://www.idra.org/Quality_Early_Education/Semillitas/
Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs
By Ellen Galinsky
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Mind-Making-Ellen-Galinsky/?isbn=9780061732324
Video Interview with Ellen Galinsky
Ellen Galinsky speaks to Katie Couric about her new book, Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500803_162-20003607-500803.html
Your feedback We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to podcast@idra.org.
Listen to every episode! To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.
The post Bilingual Stories for Young Learners – Podcast Episode 80 appeared first on IDRA.