Freedom to Learn
Season 2 of the Freedom to Learn podcast makes the urgent case for returning education to states, communities, and families. In Washington, President Trump is challenging partisan teacher unions and federal bureaucrats by enacting a new K–12 scholarship tax credit, restructuring the Department of Education, and rooting out civil rights violations in schools. Each week, host Ginny Gentles speaks with policymakers and advocates about bold reforms that improve academic performance and shift power closer to students. Every episode examines what becomes possible when education is freed from union dominance and federal control. Produced by the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC.
Freedom to Learn
Latest Episodes
Ron Matus on Florida’s School Choice Families, Educators, & à la Carte Options
Over a million Florida K-12 students attend a school of choice through magnet programs, open enrollment, career and technical academies, and charter and lab schools. Over 500,000 Florida students participate in the state’s education savings acc...
Amber Northern on Teachers Unions’ Strength, Perception, & Politics
Teacher unions have long dominated education politics, but their influence is waning. Amber Northern of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute joins Freedom to Learn to discuss a new report ranking teacher union strength across all 50 states....
Governor Jeb Bush on the School Choice Victories, Union Lawsuits, & Why Reform is Never Complete
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush joins Freedom to Learn to discuss the Florida teachers union's latest lawsuit targeting the state's education freedom programs and why he believes it is destined to fail. Governor Bush reflects on the bold refor...
Assistant Secretary Kirsten Baesler on Returning Education to the States with Waivers, Ed-Flex Authority, & Funding
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Kirsten Baesler joins the podcast to discuss what “returning education to the states” looks like in practice. With Iowa and Louisiana receiving waivers to consolidate stat...
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Danyela Souza Egorov on New York City’s Soaring Spending, Plummeting Enrollment, & Chronic Absenteeism
New York City spends $42,000 per pupil, but student outcomes are mediocre and families are fleeing the system. Danyela Souza Egorov joins Freedom to Learn to discuss the city’s shrinking enrollment, increasingly empty school buildings,...
