Policy & Advocacy
Understanding which federal and Texas state officials control the levers of education policy and criminal justice reform — and why engaging them is essential to lasting change.
Why This Page Exists
Systemic change does not happen by accident. It happens when advocates, educators, and community members understand exactly which officials hold authority over the policies that shape lives — and then engage those officials with evidence, persistence, and purpose.
This page is a resource for anyone working at the intersection of education equity and criminal justice reform. It identifies the key federal and Texas state policy makers whose decisions directly affect school funding, juvenile justice, reentry policy, and voting rights — and explains why each position matters.
Knowing who these decision-makers are, what authority they hold, and how to reach them is the first step toward holding them accountable.
— Joseph Baker
Federal Officials & Bodies
These federal officials and agencies set the national framework for education funding, civil rights enforcement, and criminal justice policy. Their decisions cascade down to every state and school district.
Why It Matters
Title I funding — the primary federal mechanism for supporting low-income schools — is administered through this office. Changes to Title I allocation formulas, accountability requirements, or school choice policy have immediate consequences for the communities Joseph Baker serves.
Why It Matters
The Civil Rights Division of the DOJ is the primary federal enforcer of voting rights protections and school desegregation orders. The AG's priorities determine whether federal civil rights law is actively enforced or allowed to atrophy.
Why It Matters
Major federal criminal justice reform — from the First Step Act to voting rights restoration — moves through this committee. Engaging committee members directly is essential for advocates seeking federal legislative change.
Why It Matters
Reauthorization of ESSA, changes to Title I funding formulas, and expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to incarcerated students all originate in this committee. Advocates must engage members here to shape federal education policy.
Why It Matters
Commission reports on school discipline disparities, voting rights, and criminal justice have historically shaped federal policy conversations. Submitting testimony and research to the Commission is a direct pathway to federal policy influence.
Why It Matters
BJS data is the evidentiary foundation for criminal justice reform advocacy. Understanding how to read, cite, and challenge BJS data is essential for anyone making evidence-based arguments for policy change.
Why It Matters
OJJDP grants fund the reentry programs, mentorship initiatives, and school-based intervention programs that Joseph Baker's advocacy supports. Federal funding priorities set here determine what resources are available at the community level.
Texas State Officials & Bodies
These Texas officials and agencies control the state-level policies that most directly affect education equity and criminal justice in Texas — from school funding formulas to juvenile detention standards.
Why It Matters
TEA controls the funding formulas and accountability systems that determine resource allocation for Title I schools across Texas. The Commissioner's priorities directly shape what support is available to the students Joseph Baker's Empowerment Series serves.
Why It Matters
Texas school discipline reform — including changes to zero-tolerance policies that feed the school-to-prison pipeline — must pass through this committee. Engaging committee members is essential for advocates seeking state legislative change in education.
Why It Matters
School finance equity — ensuring that low-income and minority students receive adequate resources — is fought and won in this committee. Advocates must engage House members here alongside their Senate counterparts.
Why It Matters
TBCJ sets the policy framework for education and rehabilitation programs inside Texas prisons, including the Windham School District. Advocates seeking to expand prison education, improve reentry support, or reform disciplinary practices must engage this board.
Why It Matters
TJJD facilities are among the primary venues for Joseph Baker's youth justice lectures. The board's policies on education access, disciplinary practices, and reentry support directly determine the environment in which that work happens.
Why It Matters
Voting rights restoration for formerly incarcerated Texans — including accurate information about when voting rights are restored after completing a sentence — is administered through this office. Misinformation and administrative barriers to voting are civil rights issues that Joseph Baker's research directly addresses.
Why It Matters
THECB controls college access policy for formerly incarcerated students, including financial aid eligibility and dual-credit programs that create pathways from Title I high schools to higher education — the exact pipeline Joseph Baker's work is designed to build.
Why It Matters
State-level criminal justice reform — from sentencing reform to reentry program funding — moves through this committee. Advocates must engage committee members with research and testimony to advance evidence-based policy change.
Data & Sources
The figures below are drawn from government agencies, peer-reviewed research, and established policy organizations. All statistics should be verified directly from the primary sources listed — data is updated periodically by each agency. Joseph Baker's advocacy work is grounded in these sources and cross-referenced through NCRRRI research.
TEA Dropout & Completion Reports
Annual statewide dropout rates, graduation cohort data, and at-risk student breakdowns by district and demographic.
Visit source →TEA — Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR)
School and district accountability ratings, student performance data, and demographic breakdowns for all Texas public schools.
Visit source →National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
State-by-state graduation rates, dropout data, and longitudinal education statistics for federal comparison.
Visit source →TDCJ Annual Statistical Report
Population data, recidivism rates, education program enrollment, and cost-per-incarceration figures for Texas state prisons.
Visit source →Texas Juvenile Justice Department — Research & Statistics
Youth recidivism outcome reports, population data, and program effectiveness studies for the Texas juvenile justice system.
Visit source →Windham School District Annual Performance Report
Education outcomes for incarcerated Texans — GED completion, vocational training, and post-release employment data.
Visit source →Bureau of Justice Statistics — Survey of Prison Inmates
National data on educational attainment of incarcerated individuals, offense types, and demographic breakdowns.
Visit source →RAND Corporation — Correctional Education Study
The most comprehensive meta-analysis of prison education effectiveness, documenting a 43% recidivism reduction and 5-to-1 ROI.
Visit source →Alliance for Excellent Education
Research on the economic and social cost of high school dropouts, including the dropout-to-incarceration pipeline.
Visit source →Sentencing Project — State-by-State Data
Felony disenfranchisement, racial disparities in sentencing, and state-level criminal justice reform tracking.
Visit source →For Texas-specific cross-agency analysis, Joseph Baker's research through NCRRRI synthesizes TEA, TJJD, and TDCJ data with a civil rights and equity lens. Contact Joseph directly to request research briefs.
Take Action
Understanding who holds power is only the beginning. Joseph Baker's advocacy work is built on the principle that informed communities can — and must — engage these officials directly. Whether through public testimony, legislative visits, voter education, or coalition building, every person has a role to play in shaping the policies that govern our schools and our justice system.