While many higher education institutions highlight their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), recent legislation and policies across several Southern states have indicated significant pushback against these initiatives, with some states enacting bans or restrictions on DEI efforts on college campuses. This essay will examine the…

The year 2021 marked the 10-year anniversary of the Texas Association for Literacy Education (TALE). The current study is a historical inquiry that explores the following research questions: (a) between the years 2011 and 2021, what contributions gave value to the mission of promoting literacy and enhancing the lives of all Texas citizens…

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act specifies that families should be include in the special education process and they must provide informed consent. However, families from Spanish-speaking backgrounds, often report barriers to participation. In this study, we provided a forum for Spanish-speaking families to tell their stories using…

Protecting children and investing in their education and wellbeing can often feel like a battle. The seat that the author now holds at the proverbial education table is crucial in not only developing a well-rounded and well-equipped student body, but it is also in seeing herself as a role model to future leaders--both women and future leaders of…

The role of the principal includes various obligations and responsibilities, including leading the school's special education (SPED) program. Many aspects inform how SPED students respond to the curriculum, including their learning needs, race, socioeconomic class, and other aspects that intersect and make their needs more complex. The researcher…

Students with disabilities are an increasing subpopulation in higher education. Recently, research has put an emphasis on students' voices to explore their academic learning experiences, as well as the learning strategies they use to overcome learning barriers. This study aimed to investigate the academic learning experiences of students with…

The Advocacy Development Committee has a mission to "advocate about, advocate for, and support the importance of lifelong literacy learning in and through education." Educators continue facing challenges. The committee explores ways that literacy educators can advocate, such as making self-care a priority, educating oneself, joining a…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Equity Matters." Contents include: (1) Families Insist on Equitable School…

We report findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) college students' perceptions of their on-campus experiences. Participants reported their lived experiences of campus culture at PWIs Deep South. The data was viewed through a minority stress theory framework. Four major…

This issue's Featured Article is bold! Readers are challenged to be advocates with loud voices, ready to push back on current legislation intended to silence voices in our classrooms and on our bookshelves. The author provides readers with an overview of laws and legislation currently impacting teachers and provides ideas for what you, as an…

In the United States, there is a nationwide shortage of bilingual teachers, but limited research on factors that contribute to their burnout and attrition. This exploratory multiple case study aimed to identify stressors unique to Spanish-English bilingual teachers and how they cope with these stressors. Interviews with two dual language immersion…

This exploratory piece is intended to set the stage for an ongoing conversation about Open Educational Resources (OER). The current OER landscape has hundreds of repositories and thousands of curated guides and lists for finding OER--few of which "talk" to each other behind the scenes, resulting in separate and often redundant resources…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Legacies Shaping Public Education." Contents include: (1) Valuable from the…

In 2023, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools elevated the voices of charter school students, educators, families, and advocates. The organization persevered through challenges and expanded access to high quality public charter schools for a greater number of students around the nation. This annual report covers what the sector…

The number of emergent bilingual students in the United States increased by over half a million students between 2010 and 2020, and Texas' school counselor ratios do not reflect the minimum ratio recommended nationally, nor do they reflect the recommended ratio by The Texas Counseling Association, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals,…