When state curriculum lists go bad | Episode 1007 of The Education Gadfly Show

Karen Vaites, founder of The Curriculum Insight Project, joins us to discuss the evolving debate over curriculum reviews and state adoption policies. As more states look to third-party evaluations to guide decisions—and some consider mandating state-approved lists—how can policymakers avoid making costly mistakes?

Then on the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines new evidence on whether teacher effectiveness truly transfers when high-performing educators move into lower-achieving schools.

Recommended content:

• Educators Were Sold a Story About Phonemic Awareness —Karen Vaites, The Curriculum Insight Project
• What American Education Reformers Can Learn from England — Helen Baxendale, Education Next
• Is Teacher Effectiveness Fully Portable? Evidence from the Random Assignment of Transfer Incentives —Matthew A. Kraft, John P. Papay, Jessalynn James and Manuel Monti-Nussbaum, EdWorkingPapers (2026)

Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show in 2026? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org