The Education Gadfly Show

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Crystal McQueen-Taylor of StudentsFirstNY joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the battle royale to lift the charter cap in New York City. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber looks at the effects of closing and restarting low-performing schools as charter schools in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.Recommended content:“Charter school expansion faces tough fight in New York” —New York Times“Proof that charters benefit all public-school kids” —New York Post“Because they can: Governor Kathy Hochul’s charter school proposal is modest—so why are teachers’ unions and state legislators so determined to stop it?” —City JournalStill Rising: Charter School Enrollment and Student Achievement at the Metropolitan Level —David GriffithThe study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Whitney Bross, Douglas N. Harris, and Lihan Liu, “The effects of performance-based school closure and restart on student performance,” Economics of Education Review (June 2023)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Michael Horn joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss what schools can do to protect kids’ mental health and whether social media is making it worse. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber explores why schools seem to make more progress on math tests than reading tests.Recommended content:Michael Horn’s latest book, From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)Creating School for Every Child“Teen girls report record levels of sadness, C.D.C. Finds” —New York Times“How to help young people limit screen time—and feel better about how they look” —NPR“Is politics making kids depressed?” —Wall Street JournalJonathan Haidt’s Substack, After BabelThe study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Evan Riehl and Meredith Welch, “Accountability, Test Prep Incentives, and the Design of Math and English Exams,” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (September 26, 2022)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Scott Peters of NWEA joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss why eliminating honors classes and other advanced education opportunities in the name of equity is a mistake. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines the connection between public school choice and adult criminality.Recommended content:“How one school district is balancing excellence and equity—and another isn’t” —Brandon L. Wright“To increase equity, school districts eliminate honors classes” —Wall Street Journal“Parents speak out against school canceling honors classes in the name of racial equity” —New York Post“One-size-fits-all education doesn’t work well, but diversity advocates are hitting the accelerator” —Real Clear InvestigationsThe study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Andrew Bibler et al., “Does School Choice Increase Crime?” NBER Working Paper (February 2023)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Dale Chu joins Mike Petrilli to discuss whether Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are focusing too much on divisive culture war issues in their education platforms. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber explains how higher test scores and college aspirations affected the long-term life outcomes of Massachusetts high schoolers. Recommended content:“The GOP’s dubious ‘protect the children’ platform for 2024” —Dale Chu“Trump plays catch-up with GOP rivals on fights over race and gender in schools” —Washington Post“The Contradictions of Ron DeSantis” —AtlanticThe study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Preeya P. Mbekeani et al., “Understanding High Schools’ Effects on Longer-Term Outcomes,” Annenberg Institute at Brown University (February 2023)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Kymyona Burk and Tom Greene of ExcelinEd join Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss how Ohio, Mississippi, and other states are implementing research-based literacy policies. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber examines virtual charter schools’ effect on student achievement in Pennsylvania.Recommended content:The Mississippi study that Kymyona discussed on the show: “The Effect of Retention Under Mississippi’s Test-Based Promotion Policy” —Wheelock Education Policy Center“A new study confirms Mississippi’s promise: ensuring all students can read” —Jeb Bush and Kymyona Burk in the Magnolia Tribune“Gov. Mike DeWine enters the ‘reading wars’ with budget proposal to fund change to ‘science of reading’” —Cleveland.com“Concern over Tennessee’s third grade reading, retention law prompts flurry of bills” —Chattanooga Times Free PressThe study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Sarah A. Cordes, “Cyber versus Brick and Mortar: Achievement, Attainment, and Postsecondary Outcomes in Pennsylvania Charter High Schools,” Education Finance and Policy (February 2023)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Ashley Berner of Johns Hopkins University tells us why education savings accounts are unlikely to lead to educational pluralism. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam Tyner discusses a study on remediation for middle school students that had very different short-term versus long-term effects.Recommended content:“Will ESAs change America’s definition of ‘public education?’: An interview with Ashley Berner” —Rober Pondiscio“Partisanship and American education” —Ashley Berner“2 more states approve universal school voucher programs” —K-12 Dive“From School Choice to Parent Choice” —City JournalThe study that Adam reviewed on the Research Minute: David N. Figlio and Umut Özek, “The Unintended Consequences of Test-Based Remediation,” National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper (January 2023). Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org. 

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute tells Mike Petrilli and David Griffith why we should be happy that an increasing number of states are eliminating college degree requirements for many jobs. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber tells us about the effect of mandatory pass/fail grading on college student performance.Recommended content:“Penn.’s New Governor Strikes a Blow Against the College-Industrial Complex” —Forbes“Busting the College-Industrial Complex” —National Affairs“Utah governor wants to eliminate the ‘paper ceiling’ of degree requirements” —The Center SquareThe study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Kristin Butcher, Patrick McEwan, and Akila Weerapana, “Making the (Letter) Grade: The Incentive Effects of Mandatory Pass/Fail Courses,” National Bureau of Economic Research (December 2022)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Tim Daly of EdNavigator tells Mike Petrilli and David Griffith how districts should prepare for looming school closures. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber explains the effect of worker displacement on college enrollment. Recommended content:“We need to prepare now for the school closures that are coming” —Tim Daly“America’s public schools are losing students” —Axios“Illinois public school enrollment continues to drop, preliminary numbers show” —Chalkbeat ChicagoThe study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Veronica Minaya et al., “The effect of job displacement on public college enrollment: Evidence from Ohio,” Economics of Education Review (February 2023)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Mike Petrilli and David Griffith talk with Nicole Garnett, a professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, about the Supreme Court decisions that could legalize religious charter schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reports on a literature review about inclusion for special education students. Recommended content: “Supreme Court Opens a Path to Religious Charter Schools” —Nicole Garnett“The Education Exchange: Will Supreme Court Pave Way For Religious Charter Schools?” —Education Next“Oklahoma’s Endorsement of Religious Charter Schools Could Alter Legal Landscape for Choice” —The 74The study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Nina T. Dalgaard et al., “The effects of inclusion on academic achievement, socioemotional development and wellbeing of children with special educational needs,” Campbell Systematic Reviews (December 2022)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Mike Petrilli and David Griffith talk with Robert Pondiscio of the American Enterprise Institute about what schools should resolve to do better—and resolve to do less of—in 2023. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber tells us about the effect of school-based telemedicine clinics on student outcomes.Recommended content:“Artificial intelligence is not the end of high-school English” —Robert PondiscioSold a Story —American Public MediaThe State of State Standards for Civics and U.S. History in 2021 —Thomas B. Fordham InstituteThe study that Amber reviewed on the Research Minute: Sarah Komisarow and Steven Hemelt, “School-Based Healthcare and Absenteeism: Evidence from Telemedicine,” CALDER Working Paper (January 2023)Feedback Welcome:Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to our producer Nathaniel Grossman at ngrossman@fordhaminstitute.org.