Lone Star Deep Dive

Lone Star Deep Dive

por Tonya Kleuskens

Gobierno Política

Temporada 1

Episode 18: “Facing Facts: Charter Schools in Texas – A 2025 Update”

In Episode 18, we are taking a deep dive into what Charter Schools have to teach us about publicly funding private schools in Texas. Thanks to a webinar sponsored by the Leagues of Women Voters of Dalla& Tarrant County, we're able to listen in on a discussion by leading experts on the topic. The event, titled "Facing Facts: Charter Schools in Texas," was held on April 7th, 2025. It featured Patti Everitt, a consultant on state education policy with a focus on the impact of charter schools on public education. Her work on a recent report, "Texas Board of Directors: Our Schools Our Democracy," highlights new information about the impact of charter schools on local public school districts and students. With taxpayer-funded private school vouchers on the legislative agenda, it is even more important to understand how these expanded school choice programs affect the future of public education. DIVE DEEPER! Texas Board of Directors, Our Schools Our Democracy Texas Education Agency: Financial Reports League of Women Voters of Texas: Take Action Journalist Krys Boyd, host of Think Podcast interviews Josh Cowen, author of The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers. Texas House Bill 3 full text

Episode 17: Rachel Hanes

On Episode 17, the Lone Star Deep Dive Podcast talks with Rachel Hanes, Policy Director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in both Political Science and Spanish from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, as well as a Master of Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Rachel has multiple years of experience in environmental and water policy, and she's worked extensively with nonprofits and all levels of governent. Before joining GEAA, Rachel served for three years as a program analyst for the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation in their Reclamation Law Administration Division. She also worked with the Colorado River Binational Program helping to manage and conserve water in the West. Rachel is a Texas native, having grown up in Fort Worth with frequent trips to Hill Country. Now, after short stints living and working out of state, she's thrilled to be back in San Antonio where she can merge her interests in water and environmental policy with her love of her home state and adopted city. According to the State’s 2022 water plan, water availability is expected to decline by 18%, with groundwater seeing the steepest drop. If water supply can’t keep pace with demand, estimates suggest that Texas water supply could be in big trouble by 2030. Governor Abbott has declared a water emergency for the current legislative session and there are multiple water bills to watch and encourage. So, we took advantage of our time with Rachel to discuss the potential legislation in the 2025-2026 Texas Legislature. DIVE DEEPER! To view articles related to the water fund & water supply or Water research/quality/conservation issues, please visit our website: lonestardeepdivepodcast.org/

Episode 16 - Dr. Tim Bowman

On Episode 16, the Lone Star Deep Dive chats with Dr.Tim Bowman, Professor of History and department head at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. He is the author of two books: Blood Oranges: Agriculture and Colonialism in the South Texas Borderlands (2016) and You Will Never be One of Us: A Teacher, a Court Case, and the Rural Roots of Radical Conservatism (2022). He is currently working on a book about the Texas farmworkers movement during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. DIVE DEEPER! Texas Standard: You Will Never Be One of Us shows how a small town teacher’s fight in 1975 is relevant today

Episode 15 - KERA's "Think!"

This week, we are actually bringing you an episode from a podcast hosted by journalist Krys Boyd: It's called Think, and it dives deep on topics that would be of interest to those who enjoy Lone Star Deep Dive. Plus, it's based out of KERA studios in Dallas, so it has Texas roots. On the episode we're sharing here, Krys interviews Josh Cowen, author of The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers. In the book, Cowel lays bare the surprising history of tax-funded school choice programs in the United States and warns of the dangers. A former evaluator of state and local school voucher programs, Cowen demonstrates how, as such programs have expanded, so too has the evidence-informed case against them. DIVE DEEPER! Think is a national, talk radio program, hosted by acclaimed journalist Krys Boyd and produced by KERA — North Texas’ PBS and NPR member station. Each week, listeners across the country tune in to the program to hear thought-provoking, in-depth conversations with newsmakers from across the globe. Previous guests on the program include former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and John Kerry, actor Bryan Cranston, Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz, Melinda Gates, author Malcolm Gladwell, Jane Goodall, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Rev. Jesse Jackson and more. Since launching in November 2006, Think and Krys Boyd have earned more than a dozen local, regional and national awards, including the 2013 Regional Edward R. Murrow award for breaking news coverage. To date, Think can be heard on more than 200 public radio stations across the country, from Alaska to New York City. In addition to the radio program, Think also is among the most-downloaded local podcasts in the public radio system. Krys Boyd is host and managing editor of Think from KERA in Dallas If you are listening in the Amarillo, Texas area, you can catch Think on air on High Plains Public Radio's all-news and information station, HPPR Connect (94.9 FM). Think airs every weekday at 11:00 am CT; it's also streaming online at that time. (For the stream, visit the HPPR home page, click "All Streams" at the top of the page, and select "HPPR Connect.") For on-demand listening of current and past episodes, visit their show page.

Episode 14: Dr. Brian Ingrassia

On Episode 14, the Lone Star Deep Dive Podcast spotlights Dr. Brian M. Ingrassia, an associate professor of history at West Texas A&M University. We asked him to join us to talk about a new series of articles about the Comstock Law of 1873 that is being published by the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (SHGAPE), and why that and similar laws may be relevant in today’s politics (especially with regards to proposed restrictions on women's reproductive freedom). In addition to his work as an educator, Brian is a prolific author and editor. He has published two books on the cultural aspects of American sports: The Rise of Gridiron University: Higher Education's Uneasy Alliance with Big-Time Football (published by the University Press of Kansas in 2012) and Speed Capital: Indianapolis Auto Racing and the Making of Modern America (published by the University of Illinois Press in 2024). He also edits The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, published by Cambridge University Press. Brian lives in Amarillo, Texas. DIVE DEEPER! Visit the SHGAPE blog for the series of articles about Anthony Comstock and the laws he helped get passed in 1873. The inaugural post is live now, and new installments will appear in coming months. These articles will be published in the aforementioned Journal of theGilded Age and Progressive Era under the name "The History and Legacy of Anthony Comstock and the Comstock Laws."

Episode 13: Danna Gonzalez

On Episode 13 of the Lone Star Deep Dive Podcast, we talked to an Amarillo College student that started a voting advocacy group on campus. Danna Gonzalez, President of the Voters Voice Club, shared with us her passion for getting young people involved in politics, engaged with elections, and empowered by making their opinions heard at the polls. Voters Voice is a nonpartisan club open to Amarillo College students with a goal of educating, mobilizing, and spreading awareness to the student body about voting, civic duties, and current affairs.The group currently has 10 Volunteer Deputy Registrars ready to help any student looking to register to vote, and they'll be hosting a table at a resource fair on Tuesday, Sept. 17th -- National Voter Registration Day. DIVE DEEPER! Follow Voters Voice AC on Instagram!

Episode 12: Catlow Shipeck

On Episode 12 the Lone Star Deep Dive Podcast features Catlow Shipper presenting “Utilizing the Run-Off: Shifting to a “Hydro-Local” Approach”, during the Stewarding Our Water Future Conference this year. Catlow Shipek has a MSc in Watershed Management from the University of Arizona and over 15 years of experience in applied watershed management and planning, and policy specializing in urban applications like water harvesting, green infrastructure, stream restoration, and eco-sanitation. Catlow serves as the co-lead of the Santa Cruz Watershed Collaborative and has served on the Citizens’ Water Advisory Committee for Tucson Water including Chair of the Conservation & Education subcommittee, Tucson’s Complete Streets Coordinating Council, and on the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resource and the Environment’s Advisory Board. DIVE DEEPER! Major grant support provided from the Tecovas Foundation. Learn more about Ogallala Commons. For access to complete recordings from the Stewarding Our Water Future Conference, March 2024, contact Darryl Birkenfeld at darryl@ogallalacommons.org

Episode 11: Dr. David Haukos

On Episode 11 the Lone Star Deep Dive Podcast features David Hauls Ph.D. presenting “Playas: Keystone Ecosystems of the Southern High Plains”, during the Stewarding Our Water Future Conference this year. David Haukos Ph.D. is currently the Unit Leader of the Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Kansas State University. Previously, he was the Regional Migratory Management specialist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. David developed a deep appreciation and strong connection with playa wetlands during nearly three decades of researching, managing, and educating others on playas in the Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico. DIVE DEEPER! Major grant support provided from the Tecovas Foundation. Learn more about Ogallala Commons. For access to complete recordings from the Stewarding Our Water Future Conference, March 2024, contact Darryl Birkenfeld at darryl@ogallalacommons.org

Episode 10: Andrew Millison

On Episode 10 the Lone Star Deep Dive Podcast features Andrew Millison presenting “Practices to Move from Water Scarcity to Water Abundance”, during the Stewarding Our Water Future Conference this year. Andrew Millison is the founder of Oregon State University’s Permaculture Design program, where he introduced a revolutionary ecological design system into the mainstream university establishment, educating tens of thousands of students. His popular YouTube Channel boasts hundreds of thousands of subscribers with tens of millions of views, where he documents the most impactful ecological projects on Earth and presents them in both an artistic and technical manner. DIVE DEEPER! Major grant support provided from the Tecovas Foundation. Watch Andrew Millison on his YouTube Channel. Learn more about Ogallala Commons. For access to complete recordings from the Stewarding Our Water Future Conference, March 2024, contact Darryl Birkenfeld at darryl@ogallalacommons.org

Episode 9: Dr. Sam Hege

On Episode 9 the Lone Star Deep Dive Podcast features Sam Hege presenting “Migrating to the Ogallaga: Using Historical Analysis to Imagine New Hydrologic Cycles”, during the Stewarding Our Water Future Conference this year. Sam Hege Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Program in Agrarian Studies at Yale University. He received his Ph.D. in History from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, NJ, and his research broadly examines the history of the Ogallala Aquifer as a source of profit, migration, work, and activism. DIVE DEEPER! Major grant support provided from the Tecovas Foundation. Learn more about Ogallala Commons. For access to complete recordings from the Stewarding Our Water Future Conference, March 2024, contact Darryl Birkenfeld at darryl@ogallalacommons.org.

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