This week, guest hosts Megan Menchaca and Elizabeth Sander, education reporters at the Houston Chronicle, dive deep into the controversial Texas Education Freedom Account (TEFA) voucher program. Going beyond the political headlines, they explore:

• The Data: Do voucher programs truly expand high-quality options for lower-income families?
• The Systemic Changes: How will this shift impact funding and enrollment in public schools?
• The Real Stories: How are families navigating their choice options to find the best fit for their children?

Special thanks to our guests, Dr. David DeMatthews, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at UT Austin, Amanda Bigbee, Division Director of Policy Services at TASB, and Deanna Sheaffer, Director of Business Development at Families Empowered.

Resources:

Houston School Finder: The Houston Chronicle's custom tool for exploring and comparing public, private and charter schools in Houston.

Produced by: Owala Maima, Rico Henriquez, Briauna Derry

This episode of Growing Up in America tackles the urgent issues impacting Texas children, from the fallout of the federal government shutdown on immigration services to the shifting landscape of DEI and racial healing following the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson. Dr. Bob Sanborn and Nely Sanchez host expert guests to discuss why 4,000 immigrant students have left HISD, the current satisfaction levels with K-12 education, and new findings from the "Paving the Way for Quality" child care report. Tune in for a deep dive into public policy, community advocacy, and the fight for the quality of life for every child.

Featuring Krystal Gomez, Managing Attorney at Texas Immigration Law Council, Cherry Steinwender, Executive Director at the Center for the Healing of Racism and Kim Kofron, Director of Early Childhood Education for CHILDREN AT RISK.

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Read the latest research at CHILDREN AT RISK.

Hosts Dr. Bob Sanborn (CHILDREN AT RISK) and Owala Maima (CHILDREN AT RISK) reflect on Bad Bunny's historic performance before diving into how public health, immigration systems, and environmental policies affect children and families in Texas.

This episode features Dr. John Higgins, Cardiologist and Professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Senior education reporter Megan Menchaca of The Houston Chronicle and Deyadira Arellano, Community Organizer at Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services.

Plus, tune in for Hip Speak with our Media Culture Correspondent Anya Osundwa!