{View as Webpage} • April 21, 2022
Welcome to IDRA’s Federal Education Policy Update!
For almost 50 years, IDRA has advocated excellent schools for all students, using our proven model of community-centered advocacy and engagement.

Our policy advocacy, educator training and research promotes equitable educational opportunities for all students, particularly students of color, immigrant students and those from communities with limited incomes in the U.S. South.
IDRA’s work in 11 southern states and Washington, D.C. allows for a focused, robust and holistic approach to equitable policy and practice, and provides critical insights for federal policymakers.

In this edition, you will find IDRA’s statement about the recent federal hearing on book bans and academic freedom, a recap of our legislative work in Georgia, and IDRA’s testimony advocating a federal ban on corporal punishment.
IDRA Statement on the Federal Book Ban Hearing 
On April 7, 2022, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hearing to discuss the rash of book bans taking place in communities across the country. IDRA issued a statement following the hearing, uplifting the important testimony of the students, teacher, parent, librarian and civil rights icon Ruby Bridges. 

Our statement also highlights important civil rights protections for students and emphasizes the importance of a robust federal response to book bans, classroom censorship laws, and other policies that whitewash truthful discussions of history and current events and target students of color, girls and LGBTQ+ youth.  
Review of the Education Landscape Following the Georgia Legislative Session
While there were a few positive outcomes from Georgia’s 2022 legislative session, there were many bills passed that threaten efforts to ensure culturally-sustaining schools that serve all students. IDRA’s Georgia policy team provides an overview of legislative wins and challenges in this legislative wrap-up.

Be on the lookout for IDRA’s upcoming regional policy round-up with policy and advocacy highlights from states across the U.S. South. 
IDRA’s Testimony Against Corporal Punishment 
Corporal punishment is still legal in 19 states, despite a significant body of evidence showing the harms of the brutal practice. IDRA’s national director of policy, advocacy and community engagement, Morgan Craven, J.D., provided testimony to the U.S. House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education about the need for federal intervention to protect students against corporal punishment and ensure safer, more supportive schools for all young people.

Ms. Craven’s written testimony provides a robust review of the impacts of the school-to-prison pipeline, corporal punishment and research-based practices that support all students. (Also see our data dashboard on corporal punishment in U.S. states and school districts.) 
Please check out IDRA’s resources on school resource equity, culturally-sustaining schools, educational opportunities for emergent bilingual students, access and preparation for college, and ending harmful school discipline. For more information, contact Morgan Craven. 
IDRA is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to achieve equal educational opportunity through strong public schools that prepare all students to access and succeed in college.