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 • 61 episodes
Freedom to Learn
Latest Episodes
Debra Tisler on IDEA at 50, Due Process Costs, & the Fight for Services for Students with Disabilities
Despite the existence of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law that has been in place for 50 years, many parents face acrimonious, heartwrenching, and expensive fights to ensure that their children’s unique needs...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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31:35
Cory Brewer on Girls’ Privacy, School Board Accountability, & The Future of Title IX Enforcement
When parents in a small Wisconsin town discovered that male students are allowed to use girls’ bathrooms at their local high school, they didn’t stay silent. This week on Freedom to Learn, Cory Brewer of the Wisconsin Institute for Law...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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31:00
Steven Wilson on How Social Justice Ideology, Colleges of Education, & Unions Derail Education Reform
Steven Wilson, author of The Lost Decade: Returning to the Fight for Better Schools in America, joins the podcast for a frank discussion about the entities that forced the “lost decade” in K-12 education on students, families, and scho...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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38:35
Julie Young on Getting Virtual Education, Performance-based Funding, & Education Leadership Right
Julie Young, founding president of the Florida Virtual School (FLVS), turned a two-page concept paper for a “web school” into the first statewide online public school while battling resistance from districts and unions at every step. During her...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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39:55
Lindsay Fryer on Returning Education to States, Communities, & Families
Lindsay Fryer, a former senior staffer on Capitol Hill, joins the podcast to unpack the opportunities and limitations of the current push to "return education to the states." With her pivotal role in the reauthorization that transitioned ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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38:25