Morgan Craven

Morgan Craven, J.D., is IDRA’s National Director of Policy, Advocacy and Community Engagement. She supports the integration and coordination of national and state policy reform efforts impacting school finance, school discipline and safety, education for emergent bilingual students, preparation and access to higher education, and community-led, culturally-sustaining schools.

In addition to crafting community-centered policy positions and advocacy strategies, Morgan spearheads IDRA’s critical work to expand access to policymaking spaces for impacted communities, particularly for students and families of color, families with limited incomes, and recent immigrant populations.

Morgan received a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Stanford University, with a secondary focus in African and African American Studies. She received a law degree from Harvard Law School.

Previously, Morgan directed Texas Appleseed’s School-to-Prison Pipeline Project. In that role, she led and supported local- and statewide campaigns to address the practices and systems that push young people out of school and into the justice system. She has presented research and data to policymakers, collaborated with community-based, state, and national advocacy organizations, and developed policies related to school discipline, school policing, and school climate.

Prior to her work at Texas Appleseed, Morgan served as a briefing attorney for Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson at the Supreme Court of Texas and as a staff attorney at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, where she represented students with disabilities in school discipline and court cases, and individuals and families in housing and public benefits cases.