Coda Rayo-Garza, PhD, serves as the Senior Director of Research and Data at Every Texan. A fronteriza born and raised in Laredo, Texas, Coda is a daughter of immigrants and a first-generation college graduate. Her diverse career spans the nonprofit and government sectors, including previous work as a Lecturer of Political Science.
Coda earned her B.A. in Philosophy from Texas State University, followed by an M.A. in Political Science and a PhD in Applied Demography from the University of Texas at San Antonio. In addition to her research, she is a co-founder of Fiesta Wishes and serves on the Board of Directors for CommuniCare Health Centers. She is also the co-author of Latinos in the US: Diversity and Change (2nd Edition), published by Polity Press.
Where to find me during session: Crunching numbers and defending survey data
My surprising hobby: I play the drums
What can be done to address the barriers that often make it difficult for disadvantaged children to succeed in school? Noted education researcher Helen Ladd of Duke University proposes three
With just a few days left in the 2013 legislative regular session, details and summary information on the 2013 and 2014-15 state budget deals are finally starting to emerge. The conference
“When it comes to funding priorities for Texas children, legislators appear to be facing similar tough choices as they work to finalize the state budget. The Senate and House have
Today, we sent a letter to the budget conferees outlining our recommendations for reconciling the differences between the House and the Senate regarding health and human services and public and
“Texans want our public schools to prepare children to be ready for college or to make a living after high school. Texans have lots of ideas about how to make
At CPPP, we believe in the people of Texas. And we believe that all Texans deserve a chance to live a safe and healthy life–seeing a doctor when they need
Stay up with what the cool kids are watching. A study on wealth inequality went viral on YouTube this week. Dan Ariely, best-selling author of Predictably Irrational, and a Harvard
“Helping needy families with children is both in their interest and in ours as a society. One way we help is through cash assistance for the poorest families, though we
By Lauren Stebbins Financial education has the potential to put students on the right path to building the skills that are so important for building financial security. Smarter Texans Save,
Today we released a new data tool that finds that what a two-parent household with two children in Texas must earn to cover basic expenses like affordable housing, food, child
