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.
Podcasting since 2024 • 50 episodes
Freedom to Learn
Latest Episodes
Lindsey Burke on Returning Education to the States through IAAs, RIFs, & Bureaucratic Consolidation
Lindsey Burke returns to Freedom to Learn to discuss the Trump administration’s plans to “return education to the states.” Lindsey, who serves as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Programs at the U.S. Department of Education (ED), discusses ...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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25:14
Neal McCluskey & James Shuls on Fighting for the Freedom to Learn: Examining the Nation’s Centuries-Old School Choice Movement
Neal McCluskey and James Shuls join the podcast to discuss their new book, which has a fantastic title: Fighting for the Freedom to Learn: Examining America’s Centuries-Old School Choice Movement. We talk about the true origins of educ...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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41:56
Re-Release: Senator Ted Cruz on School Choice, the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), & 529 Plan Expansion
This week on Freedom to Learn, we’re re-releasing a fan favorite: U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. He takes us behind the scenes of how the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit became law—and why he’s fought for school choice for decades. We are grateful this ...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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22:00
Lauren May on Expanding School Choice, Unbundling Education, & Empowering Parents in Florida
Lauren May, Director of Advocacy at Step Up for Students – the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization (SGO) – joins the podcast this week to dispel education freedom myths, explain how Florida became a national leader in educational...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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33:19
Andy Smarick on an AI Moratorium, Innovation’s Seductive Promises, & Edu-Fads that Harm Students
Will AI revolutionize education or steal students’ opportunity and ability to learn? Andy Smarick, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, worries that AI is a threat to learning, and we’re just letting students outsource their education to A...
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Episode 10
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38:21