We’re proud to share that UT Charter School and our dedicated social work coordinator, Andrea Menchaca, were recently featured in The Utopian, the annual report published by the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. The article highlights the unique and essential work our district does to support students facing some of life’s most difficult challenges.

UT Charter School serves youth in settings that are often overlooked—residential treatment centers, hospitals and other specialized environments. These students arrive with complex life experiences, and we understand that academic success is closely tied to emotional and psychological well-being., where educators combine academic instruction with therapeutic support to meet the needs of medically fragile and neurodiverse learners.

Andrea Menchaca, is deepening and expanding our trauma-informed approach across campuses using the Neurosequential Model of Education™. Developed by Dr. Bruce Perry, the NME™ model helps educators understand how trauma affects brain development, learning and behavior. Menchaca says the framework has been integrated into teacher training and district policy, shifting the focus from behavior management to creating safe, respectful learning environments.

We invite you to read the full article in The Utopian to learn more about our mission and the impactful work happening across our district.