Friends, This is a deepening manufactured crisis in Texas public education. Despite surpluses in state dollars, our governor refuses to finance our schools.  His is a classist and racist neoliberal agenda—one of acquisition by dispossession. And all with our hard-earned tax dollars. -Angela Valenzuela ..read more

This is a powerful, evidence-based piece on a study by Paradigm that explains well a dynamic in hiring practices that results in white candidates having at least twice the chance of getting hired relative to Black, Brown, nonbinary, disabled, and female candidates of any race—including within firms that are explicitly committed to a diverse workplace. Key quote based on study results: Because white people – and white men in particular – historically have been the majority group in most organizations, especially in leadership roles, job candidates recommended through employee referral programs ..read more

What a touching day today at the Latinx graduation that had to get pulled together in 6 weeks because Senate Bill 17 made cuts to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that resulted in the cancellation of our students' graduation ceremony.  SB 17 is part of a larger scorched earth policy agenda that is very racist and fearful of a browning America. All should read mine and Dr. Zamora’s piece on the matter: Zamora, E. & Valenzuela, A. (2023, Feb. 13). "Anti-DEI Law Implementation Has Been a Disaster," Texas Observer. For the record, there's nothing to fear and everything to gain. T ..read more

As I look at these 2021 figures and consider yesterday's post on how the Latinx —along with the Black, Asian, and Lavender—graduation ceremony was recently eliminated at UT, I think of the contributions we all make with our labor and taxes to our great state of Texas.  It's not only backward but discriminatory for UT to be a public institution that we all pay into for our beautiful heritage ceremonies that are open to all—to get callously disregarded. Excuse me, we're a diverse state and nation. Let's embrace, not shun, it. This should be of particular concern to taxpayers who w ..read more

Important read by UT History professor Dr. Peniel E. Joseph. I couldn't agree more. What's happening in Texas right now is most definitely an assault. It's Texas manifesting the intent of the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 about which I just posted. If you want to ruin your day, just keyword the words, "abolish" and "eliminate" to learn of their explicit intent of a "scorched earth" administration should Donald Trump get elected. These are not my words, but their words as you can also see from this recent April 19, 2024 New York Times article by  Jonathan Cha ..read more

Friends, WE CANNOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, LET TRUMP WIN. We must get the word out on this extremist "planned coup" laid out in Project 2025 in anticipation of a Trump presidency.  It's being spearheaded by The Heritage Foundation and their large network of neoliberal and authoritarian populist supporters. It is over 900 pages long. Just keyword-search the words "abolish" and "eliminate" to get a sense of just how scorched earth their agenda is. Do watch the whole video with Velshi on MSNBC (posted below).  For ease, here is a partial transcript of Velsh ..read more

Friends, It's such a vast juxtaposition to be sharing with you our upcoming event, "Education with Heart: A Community Conversation," taking place this Saturday, May 4, from 10AM-3PM while simultaneously witnessing state violence and repression at this very moment at UT Austin. This is playing out on college campuses nationwide, as well, as we know. Like my grandfather, who was a Baptist minister, used to say, "El diablo anda afuera," meaning that "the devil is running amok."  It sure feels like it. I hear students tell me that they are fearful, that they feel bruised, that they are angry ..read more

Friends, April has been a busy travel month. I'll soon post on what's happening right now with the protests at UT Austin. I've definitely kept up throughout. In the meantime, this is a must-listen to podcast that's illuminating of how people in power are able to carry out their agenda even when the science doesn't back them up.  For our friends from Houston that experienced the takeover of their district last year, this will definitely resonate. So terribly concerning. -Angela Valenzuela  “Welcome to Unraveling Education, the podcast that's part storytelling, part information and par ..read more

Friends, View here. So happy to share this Instagram video by youth organization, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) headed by Cameron Samuels and his outstanding team...Da'Taeveyon Daniels, Christianna, Angel Huang, Haydn, and the rest of them who came from as far as El Paso and Beaumont.  Specifically, I highlight here Saturday evening's anti-book-banning event at Book People this weekend here in Austin, Texas. It was livestreamed on Instagram. You can view the video here.  It was awesome hanging out with Children's Defense Fund Texas Program ..read more

  Friends, Happy to share this podcast Interview that took place during the pandemic on Ethnic Studies, CRT, and where we should be headed in education with Dr. Abdín Noboa-Rios and Dr. Tony Baez. You can link directly to this interview below or view it here on Youtube. I listened to it recently and happened to like my responses to Drs. Noboa-Rios and Baez' questions.  As I think about Ethnic Studies and Critical Race Theory (CRT), my biggest concern is not solely with the mischaracterizations but also with the anti-intellectual agenda of not wanting to know minoritized or s ..read more