How a Texas Charter School is Democratizing Higher Ed

To outsiders, the area around McAllen, Texas is best known for other reasons: It's ground zero in the immigration wars. This is where Donald Trump wants to build the first part of his new border wall. It's home to the country's largest immigration detention center, the place where children infamously got separated from their parents. But there's another story playing out here. McAllen is also home to IDEA Public Charter Schools, a fast-growing charter network with ambitions that extend far beyond providing good K-12 schools. IDEA wants to democratize higher education, making it routine for thousands of low-income Hispanic families in the Rio Grande Valley, who never before even considered college. Based on my visits there, they are well on their way.