The Education Gadfly Show

This week, we’re joined by Wonkathon winner Eric Tucker—CEO and president of The Study Group—to talk about his first-place entry on what it will take for the science of reading laws to succeed. Then, on the Research Minute, David Griffith highlights a study showing how much valuable information is lost when individual test questions are collapsed into a single score—and why states could produce better value-added measures by using the rich data they already collect.   Recommended content:  Science of reading 2.0: Assessment in the service of learning as the backbone of science-powered reading improvement — Edmund W. Gordon and Eric Tucker for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute Wonkathon 2025: What will make science of reading laws succeed? —Thomas B. Fordham Institute Do Test Scores Misrepresent Test Results? An Item-by-Item Analysis —Jesse Bruhn, Michael Gilraine, Jens Ludwig, and Sendhil Mullainathan, EdWorkingPapers (2025) -- Don’t miss our December 4 webinar, Implementation Is Where It’s At: What’s Next for the Science of Reading?, happening at 3:00 p.m. ET. Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, Mike Petrilli returns for a solo episode to dig into artificial intelligence—not classroom tools or teaching tips, but the big-picture implications of AI for what students need to learn as work, citizenship, and even human flourishing rapidly evolve. Then, on the Research Minute, David Griffith highlights a study linking the recent rise in child labor violations to declining school attendance—especially among Black youth and students living on farms. Recommended content:  A “Zero-Based Budgeting” Approach for High School Course Requirements in the Age of AI — Michael J. Petrilli for The Center on Reinventing Public Education The illusion of learning: The danger of artificial intelligence for education — Robert Pondiscio, Thomas B. Fordham Institute AI Will Transform The Workplace. Will Education Keep Up? — Matt Gandal, Forbes Contemporary Child Labor and Declining School Attendance in the U.S —Lucy C. Sorensen, Melissa Arnold Lyon, Ji Hyun Byeon, and Stephen B. Holt, EdWorkingPapers (2025) -- Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, we’re joined by longtime special education advocate Elizabeth Yancy Bostic to discuss what could happen for students with disabilities if federal oversight and enforcement of IDEA are scaled back. Drawing on more than two decades of experience supporting families, including her own, as they navigate services, Elizabeth explains why strong oversight matters and what is at risk for students and districts when those safeguards erode. Then, on the Research Minute, David Griffith shares a study from Sweden that tracks the long-term outcomes of students attending for-profit versus nonprofit charter high schools. Recommended content:  ‘Educational exile’: How Trump’s layoffs threaten students with disabilities — Susan Haas, Education Week CRPE on special education: Great diagnosis, wrong prescription — Chester E. Finn, Jr., Thomas B. Fordham Institute Schooling for Profit: Long-run Effects of Private Providers in Public Education —Petter Berg (2025)  Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, we’re joined by Ohio State’s Stéphane Lavertu, author of Fordham’s new study, The Leaky Pipeline: Assessing the college outcomes of Ohio’s high-achieving low-income students. The report examines the experiences of Ohio’s high-achieving, low-income—or “HALO”—students and finds that access to advanced learning opportunities plays a major role in whether they make it to four-year colleges. Then, on the Research Minute, David Griffith spotlights a decades-long British study that followed the same individuals from childhood to age fifty—revealing how early cognitive skills shape lifelong outcomes, from education and occupation to wages. Recommended content:  The Leaky Pipeline: Assessing the college outcomes of Ohio’s high-achieving low-income students —Stéphane Lavertu, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Excellence Gaps by Race and Socioeconomic Status —Meredith Coffey and Adam Tyner, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Building a Wider, More Diverse Pipeline of Advanced Learners —The National Working Group on Advanced Education Cognitive Skills Beyond Childhood —Uta Bolt, The Economic Journal (2025)  Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, Fordham’s President Emeritus Checker Finn joins the show to unpack a troubling trend—the collapse of graduation standards—and why it matters for every American student. Then, on David Griffith’s first Research Minute, a new study looks at the demographics of college applicants interested in teaching in America—and explores why some who enter similar “helping professions,” like nursing and social work, steer clear of the classroom. Recommended content:  High school graduation standards have collapsed. Does it matter? —Michael J. Petrilli, Schooled Are high school graduation standards too low? —Michael J. Petrilli, Schooled The end of MCAS is the end of an era. Now let’s figure out what comes next. —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Who wants to be a teacher? — Robert Chung, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Who wants to be a teacher? — Brendan Bartanen, Andrew Avitabile, and Andrew Kwok, EdWorking Papers (2025) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, we’re joined by Bryan Hassel, co-president of Public Impact, to discuss how redesigning school staffing—through models like Opportunity Culture—can boost both teacher retention and student success. Then, on Adam Tyner’s final Research Minute, he shares a study on how ending compulsory religious education in German schools shaped students later in life—making them less religious, but more likely to work and earn higher incomes as adults. Recommended content:  Opportunity Culture —Public Impact Think Again: Do the returns to teacher experience fizzle out? —Anne Podolsky and Linda Darling-Hammond for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute Here’s how we hold on to experienced teachers: Give them the support they need —Linda Darling-Hammond and Michael J. Petrilli for the Hechinger Report Can Schools Change Religious Attitudes? — Benjamin W. Arold, Ludger Woessmann and Larissa Zierow, The Journal of Human Resources (2025) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, Mike Petrilli flies solo to discuss New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to eliminate gifted education in the early grades—and how progressives can be persuaded to champion advanced learning opportunities for all students. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam Tyner reviews a new study on how parental education shapes excellence gaps among students. Recommended content:  How can we depolarize “gifted education”? —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLED Building a wider, more diverse pipeline of advanced learners — The National Working Group on Advanced Education The war against gifted education continues, Zohran Mamdani edition —James Pethokoukis, Faster, Please Gifted, talented and Zohran Mamdani —The Wall Street Journal Five facts about the first-generation excellence gap —Uditi Karna, John A. List, Andrew Simon and Haruka Uchida, NBER 2025 Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, Aneesh Sohoni, CEO of Teach for America, joins The Education Gadfly Show to discuss TFA’s impact in the classroom and beyond, why teaching is a compelling opportunity for Gen Z college graduates, what corps members are saying about AI in the classroom.  Then, on a special Research Minute, Adam Tyner shares findings from Who’s on Board? School Boards and Political Representation in an Age of Conflict, Fordham’s brand new report by David Houston and Michael Hartney surveying school board members across the country. Recommended content:  Could an AI-driven “job apocalypse” push the best and brightest into teaching? —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Who’s on Board? School boards and political representation in an age of conflict —David M. Houston and Michael T. Hartney for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (October 2025) Upcoming webinar on October 14 at 3:00 PM ET:  Are school boards out of touch with their constituents? Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, Fordham’s president emeritus Checker Finn and Laura Hamilton of the Center for Assessment join us for a polite debate on whether school quality should be judged by more than test scores. On the Research Minute, Adam Tyner unpacks a massive study of ten million students that tracks how gender gaps in math and reading develop from kindergarten through fifth grade—and what that means for the narrative about boys and school. Recommended content The mixed blessing of new school measures —Chester E. Finn, Jr., Thomas B. Fordham Our assessment systems should reflect the purposes of public education —Laura Hamilton, Center for Assessment #971: A “Quality Check” on school accountability, with Tom Toch and Lynn Olson —The Education Gadfly Show Do we know how to measure school quality? —Van Schoales, Education Week Gender Gaps in the Early Grades: Questioning the Narrative that Schools are Poorly Suited to Young Boys — Megan Kuhfeld and Margaret Burchinal, Annenberg Institute at Brown University (2025) Redshirt the boys—Richard V. Reeves for The Atlantic Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, Chandler Fritz, author of Harper’s Magazine’s cover story The Homemade Scholar, shares what he discovered when teaching in an ESA-funded micro-school—including a lackluster curriculum but undeniably joyful kids. On the Research Minute, Adam Tyner unpacks California’s big school-spending surge—showing that despite major funding increases, starting teacher pay hasn’t risen and staffing levels have barely changed. Recommended content The Homemade Scholar —Chandler Fritz, Harper’s Magazine The “à la carte education” accountability conundrum —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Student experience data is sending a message. Will we listen? —Dr. Deborah A. Gist for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute Why I’m wary of universal education savings accounts —Chester E. Finn, Jr., Thomas B. Fordham Institute Doing educational equity right: School finance —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Teacher Staffing Trends in California: Assessing the Impact of Recent Spending —Julien Lafortune, Iwunze Ugo, and Brett Guinan, PPIC (2025) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

This week, Mike Petrilli digs into the latest NAEP results—and explores whether the rise of smartphones and social media might help explain them. It’s another solo episode, just Mike and the mic. On the Research Minute, Adam Tyner shares a new REACH study showing that school voucher programs have boosted private school enrollment by just 3 percent so far—but are already putting upward pressure on tuition. Recommended content The Best Takes on the Worst NAEP Scores Ever —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLED Schools, but not states, should ban phones —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLED Cellphone bans are not enough —Henry Seton for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute Student Test Scores Keep Falling. What’s Really to Blame? —Martin R. West, Education Week Pay Attention, Kid!—Daniel T. Willingham, EducationNext The Effects of Universal School Vouchers on Private School Tuition and Enrollment: A National Analysis —Douglas N. Harris and Gabriel Olivier, REACH (2025) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

Ashley Jochim, principal at the Center on Reinventing Public Education and mom of four, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith on the Education Gadfly Show to continue our debate on private school choice and regulation. She also discusses how Democrats’ defense of public schools often clashes with families’ real experiences, and why clear, consumer-facing information is essential to making choice work.  On the Research Minute, Adam Tyner highlights a new NBER study from Chicago showing that giving principals more autonomy can boost student achievement— though effects vary widely depending on leadership capacity. Recommended content  Unfettered Choice Has Not Delivered on Promises to Milwaukee Families —Ashley Jochim, Education Next Innovation, regulation, and school choice, with Mike McShane | Episode 984 of The Education Gadfly Show  Overregulated charter schools: Fact or fiction? —Michael J. Petrilli The mixed blessing of new school measures—Chester E. Finn, Jr. When decentralization works: Leadership, local Needs, and student achievement—C. Kirabo Jackson, NBER (2025) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

Mike McShane, Director of National Research for EdChoice, joins us on the Education Gadfly Show to debate tradeoffs when it comes to regulation and innovation in the charter school and private school choice sectors. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam Tyner shares a report from the Urban Institute looking at college and career indicators and how they relate to research on post-high school outcomes.  Recommended content:  On school choice: Overregulated charter schools: Fact or fiction? —Michael J. Petrilli School choice should take the road less traveled —Robert Enlow and Michael Q. McShane, Education Next  Charter school regulation means keeping the destination in sight —Thibaut Delloue From the Research Minute: Which college and career readiness standards best align with positive outcomes after high school? —Kristin Blagg, The Urban Institute (July 2025)  The vibes for career-tech programs are great. But they’re too rare. —Michael J. Petrilli -- Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

ERS president and managing partner Jonathan Travers joins Mike Petrilli on The Education Gadfly Show to talk about school district budgeting during uncertain times. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam Tyner shares a new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality looking at district policies on pay bumps for teachers with master’s degrees, and how the money could be better spent. Recommended content: The degree dilemma: School districts spend millions on ineffective master’s degree premiums —Katherine Bowser, National Council on Teacher Quality (August 2025)Close bad schools and expand good ones —Chad Aldeman When—and why—legislated school finance reforms don’t increase state education spending —Amber Northern and Jeff Murray An in-depth look at how Texas makes teacher merit pay work —Jessica Poiner The ESSER hangover is here —Marguerite Roza Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

On this week’s solo episode, Mike shares his thoughts on whether it’s ever okay to let schools opt out of state standardized tests and use nationally normed assessments instead.  Then, on a special Research Minute, Fordham’s own Adam Tyner and David Griffith share results from their brand new report about the pressure on teachers to give higher grades in the name of equity.  Recommended content:  Welcome to Lake Wobegon, Oklahoma —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute When private schools take public dollars: What's the place of accountability in school voucher programs? — Michael J. Petrilli, Chester E. Finn, Jr., Christina Hentges, and Amber M. Northern for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (2009) Evaluating the content and quality of next generation assessments —Nancy Doorey and Morgan Polikoff for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (2016) -- “Equitable” grading through the eyes of teachers —David Griffith and Adam Tyner for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (2025) Grade inflation: Why it matters and how to stop it —Adam Tyner, Thomas B. Fordham Institute -- Don’t forget to sign up for a special webinar on equitable grading practices hosted by Jessica Grose of the New York Times on Wednesday, September 10 from 12-1 pm ET: Does "equitable" grading lower expectations for students? -- Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to Alicia Anderson at aanderson@fordhaminstitute.org.  

This week, Matthew Kraft, professor of education and economics at Brown University, joins The Education Gadfly Show to discuss the intersection of education policy and climate change. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam Tyner examines whether an elite “exam school” led to better educational outcomes for its students. Recommended content:  On education and climate change Education and climate change: Synthesizing the evidence to guide future research —Matthew Kraft, Sohil Malik, and Grace Falken, Anneberg Institute EdWorkingPaper (2025) Does spending on school facilities raise student test scores? —Amber M. Northern, Ph.D., Thomas B. Fordham Institute How school HVAC systems affect learning —Ali Schalop, Thomas B. Fordham Institute The Research Minute Optimal school system and curriculum design: Theory and evidence —Glenn Ellison & Parag A. Pathak, National Bureau of Economic Research (2025) Threading the needle on selective enrollment public schools —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Feedback welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to Alicia Anderson at aanderson@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show, Ben Austin, Founding Director of Education Civil Rights Now, joins us to discuss why the Democratic Party lost its way on education policy—and what it must do to rebuild credibility and improve its chances in national elections. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam shares a new study on state takeovers of school districts, examining who benefits and how these interventions impact district finances. Recommended content:  “Democrats have lost their way on education policy. Here’s how to get back on track.” —Ben Austin, The Hill “Democrats need to break up with Randi Weingarten” —Ben Austin, The Hill “Trump’s school choice initiative puts Democratic governors in a bind” —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute “Help wanted: Ed-reform governors needed (again)” —Chester E. Finn, Jr., Thomas B. Fordham Institute “How state takeovers of school districts affect education finance, 1990 to 2019”—Melissa Arnold Lyon,  Joshua Bleiberg, and Beth Schueler, Education Finance and Policy (2025) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Alicia Anderson at aanderson@fordhaminstitute.org.  

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show, Mike returns for another solo episode, reflecting on the role of regulation in school choice—is it stifling innovation or saving us from bad schools? Then, on the Research Minute, Adam covers a study looking at the relationship between timed math testing and anxiety among fourth- and fifth-grade students. Recommended content: “Democrats’ School Choice Dilemma” —Michael J. Petrilli, for the Wall Street Journal “Seizing educational dynamism” —Stéphane Lavertu and Tim Rosenberger, Thomas B. Fordham Institute “School Choice Should Take the Road Less Traveled” —Robert Enlow and Michael Q. McShane, Education Next “Of School Choice, Regulation, and the Real Road-Least Traveled” —Jed Wallace, CharterFolk “It’s One Small, Ugly School Choice Expansion” —Michael Q. McShane, for the Wall Street Journal “Math anxiety in elementary students: Examining the role of timing and task complexity” —Kathrin E. Maki, Anne F. Zaslofsky, Robin Codding, and Breanne Woods, ScienceDirect (2024) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show, Brian Jodice, National Press Secretary for the American Federation for Children joins us for a lively debate on the federal school choice provision embedded in the newly enacted “One Big Beautiful Bill”—including its potential impact in blue states. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam reviews a new Education Next study showing that a low-cost college-planning course can boost success for high-achieving, low-income students. Recommended content:  “Democrats’ School Choice Dilemma” —Michael J. Petrilli, for The Wall Street Journal “Federal school choice skeptics are tilting at windmills” —Shaka Mitchell, for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute “College Counseling in the Classroom” —Joshua Hyman, Education Next “#974: The Risks of the Educational Choice for Children Act, with Jon Valant” —Education Gadfly Show, Thomas B. Fordham Institute Education Gadfly Show #974: The Risks of the Educational Choice for Children Act, with Jon Valant Education Gadfly Show #963: All about the Educational Choice for Children Act, with Jim Blew  Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.  

  On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Doug Harris, director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice (REACH), joins us to discuss a new website aimed at advancing evidence-based education policy and supporting more effective decision-making in schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Meredith Coffey examines new data from Massachusetts that reveal lasting post-pandemic shifts in school enrollment, particularly in the middle grades and in higher-income districts. Recommended content:  “AEFP Live Handbook of Education Policy Research” —Association for Education Finance & Policy (AEFP) “School Enrollment Shifts Five Years After the Pandemic” —Abigail Francis and Joshua Goodman, EdWorkingPapers (June 2025) “Analyzing homeschooling demographics and families’ definitions of student success” —Jeff Murray, Thomas B. Fordham Institute “Fixing IES” —Chester E. Finn, Jr., Thomas B. Fordham Institute Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.