The Learning Curve

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Sarah Cohodes, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, about her extensive research on charter public schools and education reform. Cohodes reflects on her academic journey and how it shaped her focus on school accountability, autonomy, and student outcomes. She explains the foundational charter school model—greater state regulatory flexibility in exchange for stronger accountability—and emphasizes the importance of rigorous authorization and data transparency. She highlights her 2021 research on charter effectiveness, showing strong gains for low-income students in urban areas and positive competitive effects on district schools. Cohodes also discusses high-performing charter networks, the importance of exceptional teachers and leaders, and Massachusetts’ charter schools’ standout success in closing achievement gaps and improving college outcomes. She concludes with a forward-looking discussion on policy solutions to address declining academic performance and how research can guide leaders and families in improving opportunities for urban students nationwide.

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and former MN Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson speak with Prof. Willard Sterne Randall, American historian and author of Alexander Hamilton: A Life and The Founders' Fortunes: How Money Shaped the Birth of America. Prof. Randall delves into the turbulent childhood of Alexander Hamilton, describing pivotal experiences that shaped his political views and led him to become a world-changing Founding Father. While working under Gen. George Washington during the American Revolution, Hamilton expanded his knowledge of constitutionalism and political economy, which, Mr. Randall tells us, led to helping create the United States and establish the new republic’s financial stability. In the 1780s, Hamilton joined James Madison and John Jay in co-authoring the Federalist Papers promoting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, famously advocating for federal executive power and the judiciary. Prof. Randall explores Hamilton’s transition into power as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, describing Hamilton’s tense political rivalry with Thomas Jefferson. Notably, Alexander Hamilton’s Report on Manufactures (1791) argued for U.S. industrial self-sufficiency, which Mr. Randall explains contributed to Hamilton’s enduring legacy. In closing, Prof. Randall explores how Hamilton’s historical significance and reputation was brought to new and wider audiences through Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit musical Hamilton.

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with with Neal McCluskey and James Shuls, co-editors of Fighting for the Freedom to Learn: Examining the Nation’s Centuries-Old School Choice Movement, about the historical roots and modern evolution of educational freedom in America. They discuss the inspiration behind the book and highlight key chapters that trace the development of school choice from the nation’s founding to today. Their conversation explores how early American leaders viewed education as essential to republican self-government and how early state constitutions supported pluralistic schooling that included religious and private institutions. McCluskey and Shuls examined the rise of the 19th-century Common School movement, its influence on public education, and the ways it departed from the Founders’ more decentralized, locally controlled vision of schooling. They also addressed major historical milestones, including the Roberts v. Boston (1850) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954) legal cases and the struggle for equal educational opportunity for Black Americans. They conclude with reflections on modern school choice debates, critiques of choice programs, and the growing legal and policy momentum behind expanding educational freedom across the United States.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and MassPotential’s Mary Tamer speak with Roxana Robinson to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Georgia O’Keeffe, the pioneering artist often called the “Mother of American Modernism.” Drawing from Robinson’s 1989 biography Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life, she traces O’Keeffe’s life from the farmlands of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin to the bustling cultural landscape of early 20th-century New York City and to North Central New Mexico. The artist’s reverence for natural landscapes, color, and light was shaped by her rural Midwestern upbringing and formal artistic training in Virginia. Robinson explains how O’Keeffe’s stark transition to city life is reflected in her artwork, which often explores the line between modernism and traditional landscape painting. O’Keeffe’s personal and professional relationship with celebrated photographer and art dealer Alfred Stieglitz marked another major turning point in her life and career. While Stieglitz championed her artistic talent, O’Keeffe also became the subject of more than 350 of his photographic portraits—some sparking public acclaim and controversy, while also helping shape her carefully constructed public image. Ms. Robinson further explores O’Keeffe’s most famous works including Cow's Skull: Red, White, and Blue and Ram's Head, White Hollyhock – Hills, as well as her large-scale, magnified floral paintings, Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 and Red Canna. From O’Keeffe’s early abstract experiments to her late-life desert visions, Robinson shares how the artist’s expansive body of work reshaped American art and left a legacy that continues to inspire artists, scholars, and students in the 21st century. She closes with a reading from her book Georgia O'Keeffe: A Life.

In this special American Revolution 250 episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Kelley Brown, Massachusetts state champion U.S. history and civics teacher, sit down with renowned Brown University historian Gordon Wood to explore the life and legacy of Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution. Drawing on his book, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, Prof. Wood examines Franklin’s journey from obscure beginnings in colonial Massachusetts to global fame as an entrepreneur, scientist, and statesman. He discusses Franklin’s embrace of Enlightenment ideals, his rise in Philadelphia through printing, publishing and civic leadership, and his immense wealth, which fueled his image as America’s quintessential self-made man. Prof. Wood also traces Franklin’s evolution from loyal British subject and aspiring gentleman to revolutionary American patriot. In closing, he highlights Franklin’s scientific genius, his pivotal diplomatic triumph in securing the 1778 French alliance, and enduring cultural symbolism as the embodiment of American ingenuity and statesmanship.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with Ron Matus, Director of Research and Special Projects at Step Up For Students in Florida and former longtime education reporter for The Tampa Bay Times. Mr. Matus reflects on his career from journalism to helping lead the nation’s largest portfolio of K–12 school choice programs. Drawing on decades of covering Florida education policy, he explains how the state became a national leader in school choice through steady, incremental expansion rather than sudden universal eligibility. Matus discusses how key U.S. Supreme Court rulings and COVID-era school disruptions accelerated parent demand for flexible options, positioning Florida as the state serving the most students through education savings accounts and scholarship tax credits. He outlines the core principles behind that growth: building durable political coalitions, focusing relentlessly on families, safeguarding program integrity, and maintaining public trust. Looking ahead, he examines challenges including scaling ESA implementation, encouraging high-quality private schools, and addressing accountability concerns.

On this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Mary Tamer of MassPotential speak with Dr. Richard Phelps, the author of Pioneer Institute's recent paper, Post-MCAS Assessments and Accountability in Massachusetts, to unpack the past, present, and future of K-12 accountability in the Commonwealth. Looking back at the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act (MERA), Dr. Phelps explores how rigorous academic standards and the original MCAS testing system helped propel Massachusetts to the top of national and international rankings in reading, math, and science. Phelps explains how Massachusetts’ 2010 adoption of Common Core national standards and the shift away from the original MCAS framework led to a dramatic decline in academic performance on NAEP after 2011. Shifting to today, Dr. Phelps discusses the implications of the 2024 ballot initiative that eliminated MCAS as a high school graduation requirement. He outlines the major takeaways from Post-MCAS Assessments and Accountability in Massachusetts, including recommendations for statewide end-of-course exams, as well as the weaknesses of portfolio assessments. He underscores why strong, independent academic oversight is essential in a post-MCAS landscape. He advocates reinstating an independent Office of Educational Quality and Accountability to deliver transparent, data-driven evaluations of school districts and ensure Massachusetts maintains high academic expectations for all students.

On this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with David Hodges, a school choice attorney with the Institute for Justice, and Ariella Hellman, director of government affairs for Agudath Israel of New England. Together, they discuss the U.S. First Circuit case Hellman v. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, exploring how Hodges and the IJ team are shaping legal arguments around private school choice and religious liberty. They also explore how Hellman’s personal journey as a mother, lawyer, and advocate highlights the real-world stakes of centuries-old anti-aid laws. From the influence of U.S. Supreme Court rulings like Trinity Lutheran, Espinoza, and Carson, to the ongoing negative impact of Massachusetts’ 1850s Know-Nothing Amendment, Hodges and Hellman explain how a positive ruling could expand educational access and opportunities for families of faith across the Bay State. They talk about their experience working together on this U.S. Circuit case, exploring some of the challenges within the Massachusetts legal process. In closing, Hodges and Hellman offer an inside look at the legal battles and personal determination necessary to shape the future of education law in the Bay State and across the U.S.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, we celebrate Black History Month as co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with A’Lelia Bundles, an accomplished journalist, television producer, and biographer of Madam C. J. Walker, about the life, legacy, and enduring significance of her remarkable great-great-grandmother. Ms. Bundles traces Walker’s journey from her birth as Sarah Breedlove in post–Civil War Louisiana through an orphaned childhood marked by poverty, labor, and faith, and into her formative years in St. Louis, where church, music, and education shaped her ambitions. She explores how Breedlove’s experiences with marriage, motherhood, and economic hardship informed her entrepreneurial drive, leading to the creation of innovative hair-care products and the launch of the Madam C. J. Walker brand. Bundles discusses Walker’s development of a national training network that empowered Black women economically, her rise as America’s first self-made female millionaire, and her philanthropic leadership. She also highlights Madam Walker's Westchester County, NY,  mansion estate "Villa Lewaro" as a Harlem Renaissance hub, and explores the cultural impact of Self Made. In closing, Ms. Bundles reads a passage from On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker.

Jay Tolson, journalist and editor known for his Walker Percy biography and work at The Hedgehog Review, guides a tour of Percy’s life. He highlights family tragedies that shaped Percy’s voice. He recounts mentorship from William Alexander Percy, Percy’s friendship with Shelby Foote, tuberculosis and conversion to Catholicism, and the themes behind The Moviegoer.