IDRA Classnotes

The Work Ahead and the Hope That Fuels It – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 252

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 Video Prev 1 of 1 Next The Work Ahead and the Hope That Fuels It – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 252 Prev 1 of 1 Next Resources IDRA 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. hr{ border-top: 2px solid #0072CF; } The post The Work Ahead and the Hope That Fuels It – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 252 appeared first on IDRA.

From Lived Experience to Policy Change – Classnotes Podcast 251

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 Resources IDRA 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. hr{ border-top: 2px solid #0072CF; } The post From Lived Experience to Policy Change – Classnotes Podcast 251 appeared first on IDRA.

Still We Show Up and Speak Out – Classnotes Podcast 250

Classnotes Podcast (August 22, 2025). In this episode, IDRA Education Policy Fellows share their personal experiences as advocates of color in southern legislatures. They reflect on how their cultural identities shaped their work and how they found strength and clarity in the face of systemic exclusion, microaggressions, and performative policymaking. With courage and community, these fellows turned marginalization into motivation and transformed policy spaces with authenticity and purpose. 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: 24:32 min. Send comments to podcast@idra.org Watch Podcast Video Prev 1 of 1 Next Still We Show Up and Speak Out – IDRA Classnotes Podcast Episode 250 Prev 1 of 1 Next Resources IDRA 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 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 Where Power Lives and Who It Leaves Out – Classnotes Podcast 250 appeared first on IDRA.

Where Power Lives and Who It Leaves Out – Classnotes Podcast 249

Classnotes Podcast (August 4, 2025). In the first episode of this four-part series, IDRA Education Policy Fellows reflect on their hands-on advocacy during the 2025 legislative sessions in Texas and Georgia. They discuss what it was like to analyze bills, provide testimony and support coalitions – all while navigating systems of policymaking that often exclude impacted voices. Fellows explore what worked, what didn’t and what it means to be on the ground in spaces not built for them. 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: 28:53 min. Send comments to podcast@idra.org Watch Podcast Video Prev 1 of 1 Next Where Power Lives and Who It Leaves Out – Classnotes Podcast 249 Prev 1 of 1 Next Resources IDRA 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 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. hr{ border-top: 2px solid #0072CF; } The post Where Power Lives and Who It Leaves Out – Classnotes Podcast 249 appeared first on IDRA.

The Truth About Private School Vouchers – Classnotes Podcast 248

Classnotes Podcast (February 21, 2025) As activities to divert public money to private schools grow across the country and at the national level, the Texas leadership is pushing hard to establish its own voucher program. This is despite public outcry for strengthened and fully funded public education. And it is taking place in the midst of much misinformation about the proposed program. IDRA has been at the forefront of school funding equity work since its founding over five decades ago. Three people from IDRA who testified during a Senate hearing in February 2025 came together for this podcast episode to discuss the truth about the voucher program, how it would divert tons of money from the state’s grossly underfunded public schools and how it would harm Texas students. As a bonus, they share an excerpt from Liz’s daughter’s testimony as she tells how private schools refused to admit her because of her disability. Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., is IDRA’s deputy director of policy. Kaci Wright is an IDRA Education Policy Fellow. Lizdelia Piñón, Ed.D., is an IDRA education associate. Show length: 22:19 min. Send comments to podcast@idra.org Watch Podcast Video Prev 1 of 1 Next The Truth About Private School Vouchers – IDRA Classnotes Podcast 248 Prev 1 of 1 Next Resources Video: Private Schools Didn’t Choose Me – Powerful Testimony from Felicita IDRA’s Stop Vouchers webpage. Data Map: The Big Cost of Proposed Voucher Legislation – IDRA Map and Dashboard by Texas state senate districts, state house districts, traditional public school districts, and charter school districts Infographic: 5 Reasons Private School Vouchers Would Hurt Students Subscribe to IDRA’s Texas Education Policy Alert Get advocacy resources at IDRA’s SEEN website Testimony Education Savings Accounts are Inefficient and Ineffective for General Diffusion of Knowledge, Student Achievement and School Investments– IDRA Testimony against SB 2, Submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., to the Texas Senate Committee on Education K-16, January 28, 2025 Don’t Prioritize Politics and Profits Over the Families Policymakers Should Be Representing– Testimony Against Senate Bill 2, Presented by Lizdelia Piñón, IDRA Education Associate, to the Texas Senate Committee on Education (PK-16), January 28, 2025 (Plus testimony by Sixth Grader, Felicita Piñón) Education Saving Accounts Harm Texas Students’ Access to an Equitable Education– TLEEC Testimony Against Senate Bill 2, submitted by Kaci Wright to the Texas Senate Committee on K-16 Education, January 28, 2025 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. hr{ border-top: 2px solid #0072CF; } The post The Truth About Private School Vouchers – Classnotes Podcast 248 appeared first on IDRA.