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The president of the College Board on test blind admissions, AI cheating, and why nobody can tell what students actually know anymore. Andy opens with a deadpan welcome to an organization "that just everybody loves." Jeremy Singer, President of the College Board, doesn't miss a beat: "There's large groups on the right and the left that dislike us. So I think that's special for us." From a year of borscht in the former Soviet Union to running the SAT and its Bluebook testing app, Jeremy names the problem: an authenticity crisis. Grades are up and scores aren't, and essays come from parents, thousand-dollar-an-hour coaches and AI. In this episode: Why Jeremy thinks test blind admissions are "nuts"Add the SAT to high school GPA and you predict first-year college grades 22% better (38% for STEM)Cheating rings with someone "in a van down the block" taking the test for you, and the test-takers who suddenly got sick when handed a College Board laptopWhy AI detection is a dead end, and the comeback of the pop quizJed says reformers "screwed it up" on No Child Left Behind. Andy: "That's a caricature." Jeremy mostly sides with Andy.One state test score in 11th grade? Jed: "completely, utterly absurd"What college really costs after aid (70% of students get grants or scholarships)The College Board team loaned to the feds to rescue the FAFSAJeremy A/B tested his own twins. His advice: never do this. Show Notes & Resources: The Education Equation, Jeremy's podcastThe Education Equation with Dacia Toll (CourseMojo)Predictive validity of the SATCollege Board AI research briefsCollege Board, Education PaysCollege Board, Trends in College PricingCollege Board, Trends in Student AidTrends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025 (PDF)Andy Rotherham in TIME (2011): "Our Love-Hate Relationship with the SATs"Freddie deBoer, "You Aren't Actually Mad at the SATs"Hundreds of UC faculty call to reinstate the SAT/ACT for STEM applicants (Daily Bruin)Natalie Wexler, "Yes, Writing Does Advance Thinking"Thomas Kane & Douglas Staiger, "Rigid Rules Will Damage Schools," NYT (2001)Tom Kane, Center for Education Policy Research at HarvardJeremy Singer in The 74 on fixing the FAFSAInside Higher Ed on the FAFSA turnaroundAaron Lemon-Strauss, "The Crisis We've Been Waiting For"AIR, Project Talent twins and siblings study1980s LeningradPrevious WonkyFolk, with Derrell BradfordCharterFolk Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Guest: Jeremy Singer (President, College Board) Sponsor WonkyFolk: Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Sponsorship packages are available, including live WonkyFolk events. Reach out to Jed Wallace at [email protected] for more information. Watch the full video on YouTube. WonkyFolk is produced by CharterFolk.

Ten years ago, Nikole Hannah-Jones wrote about choosing a struggling, segregated public school for her daughter as a matter of principle. This month she wrote the sequel, and it did not go the way she hoped. Derrell Bradford read it at 6:30 on a Sunday morning and forwarded it to his mother with a text of his own: "Thank you for not doing this to me." Growing up in Southwest Baltimore, his family had debated whose address to borrow so he could escape the school he was zoned for. Here's the part that stings. Hannah-Jones spent ten years looking for a great school for her daughter. Success Academy, Achievement First, Uncommon and KIPP were, as Derrell puts it, "a 30-second walk away from PS 307." Sixty-three thousand Black families in New York City have already made that walk. She didn't. Derrell thinks he knows why: she doesn't like the policy that built them. Derrell, president of 50CAN, joins Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham. Derrell calls her a talented writer. The agreement ends there: whether the piece moves anything, why the charter movement stopped saying out loud what works, and whether the problem is courage, boredom, or plain politics. Along the way: why Derrell says "she's catching hell from Black people because Black people care about their kids," the "Bad Bet" Democrats made on education, a New York Times list of 30 school fixes that left out charter schools entirely, Jed's data putting Indianapolis charters off the charts, the daughter as the Shakespearean jester who tells the truth, and the question nobody is asking: no one has questioned her right to make that choice, so why deny it to everyone else? In this episode: Derrell's Sunday-morning read, and the text he sent his mother: "Thank you for not doing this to me"Southwest Baltimore, borrowed addresses, a scholarship to an all-boys day school, and why Derrell says "I lived it"Why Derrell thinks "the intent must have always been to write the second story"Nick Gillespie's point: compelling journalism, weak policy analysisAndy on what the article leaves out, from a school spending over $50 thousand a kid to No Child Left Behind, and why "everyone's not entitled to their own facts""She's catching hell from Black people because Black people care about their kids"Jed's two cognitive dissonances: "my kid's in a lousy school and I'm a good parent," and "I got my kid into a good school and I'm a good citizen""It's a mistake to build public policy that requires people not to act in the best interest of their own children," with Success Academy, Achievement First, Uncommon, and KIPP a 30-second walk from PS 307Derrell's "Bad Bet": Common Core, teacher eval, ESSA, Trump's first term, and Democrats trading their education agenda to win back the unionsThe New York Times' 30 ideas for fixing public schools, and why charter schools weren't one of themThe Newark school whose former principals went on to start North Star Academy and DSST, and why that history is missing from the front of the reform pipelineIndianapolis: integrated charter schools under one umbrella, new state data, and a context the rest of the country doesn't haveEmpathy for the kid, and the daughter as the Shakespearean jester who tells the truthBoredom, courage, or politics: why the sector went quiet, and what an alien would make of both parties"No one has questioned her right to make it," and a new scale lever: charters, ESAs, tax credits, and 1.6 million kids in open enrollment Show Notes & Resources: Nikole Hannah-Jones, NYT Magazine (2016)Nikole Hannah-Jones, NYT Magazine (2026)Michael Harriott's Contraband Camp podcast, with Nikole Hannah-JonesDerrell Bradford in The 74Derrell Bradford in Vital City"Markets and Monopolies: The Faces of School Choice in 2025" — Derrell Bradford, PEPG"Say It Loud" — Derrell Bradford, CharterFolk"When Cognitive Dissonance Becomes Cognitive Offloading" — Jed Wallace, CharterFolk"An Education Conservative Is a Liberal Who's Had To Do Cafeteria Duty?" — Andy Rotherham, EduwonkReason Roundtable episode Andy referencedColeman Hughes, The Free PressThe NYT's 30 ideas for fixing schools, rankedEva Moskowitz: "I sent my children to the schools I founded. It wasn't a sacrifice."The Mind Trust on 2026 ILEARN results in IndianapolisTerrance Carroll's podcast with Peter GroffMike Petrilli's roundup of responsesCharterFolk Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Guest: Derrell Bradford (President, 50CAN) Sponsor WonkyFolk: Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Sponsorship packages are available, including live WonkyFolk events. Reach out to Jed Wallace at [email protected] for more information. Watch the full video on YouTube. WonkyFolk is produced by CharterFolk.

The founder of Netflix says school is about to be unrecognizable. A former mayor is talking about reading scores. A teachers' union president is boycotting Target. Reed Hastings, Rahm Emanuel, and Randi Weingarten — Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham take the three in turn. Reed Hastings makes the technologist's case, and Andy, who moderated his conversation with Mike Goldstein, isn't buying the analogy that carries it: personalized learning is not personalized medicine. Jed has a study out of China where homework quality soared and measured learning fell behind classrooms using no AI at all. Rahm Emanuel, meanwhile, is speaking common sense about schools at a moment when common sense sounds radical — and Andy thinks that lane is worth more than the endorsement everyone else is chasing. And Randi Weingarten is boycotting Target, which Andy suspects has almost nothing to do with Target, while Jed thinks it will cost the sector something real. In this episode: Andy on Reed Hastings the technologist — "for a lot of people in Silicon Valley, technology, it is a faith"Why Hastings' analogy to personalized cancer drugs struck Andy as "almost like a category error"The Economist's write-up of a Chinese dataset: homework quality up, measured learning down against classrooms without AIJed's daughter's clinical psychology program, where a bot now stands in for a first practicum clientWhy Andy thinks the biggest gains may be teacher-facing — training, screening, and remediation rather than student tutoringCognitive offloading, and why "a crappy lesson off of ChatGPT or Claude isn't any better than getting one off of Pinterest"Jed on AI as a force magnifier arriving exactly when adult ambivalence is at its worstThe techlash, and Andy's insistence that the first response to a sweeping declaration should be more questionsLiz Cohen's "Dry January for tech," and cell phone bans as "a white flag that we don't know what to do"Virginia: Nina's CharterFolk piece, a state with roughly seven charter schools, and a law that lets only localities authorizeYoungkin's twenty lab schools — shipbuilding, aerospace on the Eastern Shore — and the politics threatening themJed's California strategy: put a charter in all fifty-six counties and force the recordWhether the 2020 presidential primary locked in the Democratic Party's posture toward charters — and what a 2028 field might doRahm Emanuel "staking out the common sense lane," and why education reads to voters as a proxy for seriousnessEnrollment decline, the end of COVID funding, and Jed's 2021 thought exercise about Sacramento UnifiedRandi Weingarten's boycott of Target, Andy's late-night Walmart story, and a corporate sector that had already decided education was a no-win proposition Show Notes & Resources: The conversation behind this episode: Reed Hastings and Mike Goldstein, moderated by Andy Rotherham (Bellwether)Reed Hastings on the impact of AI on schools (The 74)Reed Hastings on what it will take for AI to be different from other ed tech (The 74)The Economist study on AI's impact on learningSal Khan re-evaluates the impact of AI in schools — ChalkbeatBellwether on artificial intelligence"Screen Bans Can Be Education's Dry January — Time for a Much-Needed Reset" — Liz Cohen, The 74Cell phone bans — Andy Rotherham, Eduwonk"The Best Answer To Many Education Questions? Another Question" — Andy Rotherham, EduwonkThe future of charter schools in an evolving school-choice landscape — AEI survey (AZ, FL, UT)Musical chairs — Andy Rotherham, EduwonkThe AFT, Target, and teachers' retirement funds — Wall Street Journal opinionThe PBA's letter to the teachers union — New York Post (2014)Learn about and support Andy's work for Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteEduwonkCharterFolk Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Sponsor WonkyFolk: Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Sponsorship packages are available, including live WonkyFolk events. Reach out to Jed Wallace at [email protected] for more information. Watch the full video on YouTube. WonkyFolk is produced by CharterFolk.

Pat Brantley — CEO of Friendship Public Schools and a 2026 inductee into the National Charter School Hall of Fame — joins Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham for a WonkyFolk conversation recorded live in front of an audience at Friendship's Armstrong campus in Washington, DC. Pat traces her path from Newark to Princeton to Dr. Dorothy Height's civil rights work to Friendship House — and the moment the idea for a charter school was born. From there: what she says to charter critics, why she sees the public vs. public-charter divide as the sector's greatest failure, how she weighs growth against proficiency, the line-by-line math behind DC's charter budget shortfall, why hitting 50% market share makes charters "a target" rather than a protection, the case for "adopting" struggling schools, and — in a live audience Q&A — the role of Black male educators and what charter leaders owe their communities heading into the DC elections. In this episode: Pat's path from Newark to Princeton to Dr. Dorothy Height's civil rights work — and how she landed at Friendship HouseDonald Hentz, Friendship House's reinvention "to be about children," and the birth of the charter school ideaBuilding Friendship into 15 campuses serving nearly 5,000 students across DCWhy Pat names schools for local history — Friendship Armstrong, Friendship Blow Pierce — rather than erasing itWhat she says to charter critics: "I'm not listening to the critics. I'm listening to the parents."Why the public vs. public-charter divide is, in her view, the sector's greatest failureGrowth vs. absolute proficiency — and why both have to matterWhy report cards and transparent accountability still matter, and DC's new accountability frameworkThe 25-year question: does DC have a North Star, and what Indianapolis got right — and at what costThe DC budget fight — Pat's line-by-line math on the per-pupil shortfall and $50 million in fixed costs shifted off DCPSWhy hitting 50% market share gives charters "visibility" and makes them "a target" — not protectionThe case for mergers — or "adoption" — of struggling schools, and the turnaround of Friendship IdealA live audience Q&A: the ecosystem responsibility of high-performing charters, the role of Black male educators, and what charter leaders owe their communities in an election yearDorothy Height's "fist" metaphor and "one Friendship, one band, one sound" Show Notes & Resources: Pat Brantley — bio (Friendship Public Schools Leadership Team)Friendship Public SchoolsDC Charter School AllianceDC Public Charter School BoardNational Alliance for Public Charter SchoolsBellwether Guest: Pat Brantley — CEO, Friendship Public Schools; Chair, DC Charter School Alliance; 2026 National Charter School Hall of Fame inductee Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Watch the full video on YouTube. WonkyFolk is produced by CharterFolk.

Jorge Elorza — former mayor of Providence, now CEO of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) — joins Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham for a frank conversation about the federal scholarship tax credit, the Democratic Party’s education problem, and what a reset actually requires. They dig into how the new federal tax credit program actually works (and why Jorge and Arne Duncan called it a “no-brainer”), why more than thirty U.S. senators from the Dem Party are now trying to sunset the entire thing, and what that fight reveals about a Democratic brand that’s gotten badly out of step with the voters it claims to represent. Along the way: Providence’s 2.4% math proficiency, Detroit’s 80% of fourth-graders below basic, Rahm Emanuel’s urgency, Mikey Sherrill’s budget address, fake charter laws and fake science of reading bills, and why Jorge thinks the ideological map of the future isn’t left-vs-right — it’s liberalism vs. illiberalism. In this episode: Jorge’s journey from barely graduating high school to Providence mayor to DFER CEOWhat changed his mind about ed reform while in office — and his final press conference call to charterize the districtRhode Island’s most WonkyFolk fun fact: the Senate President is (or was) also the teachers union presidentHow the federal scholarship tax credit actually works — and why it’s not a voucher programWhy Jorge thinks governors have every reason to opt in, and what Jared Polis is modeling in ColoradoThe 30-senator push to sunset the program — and what it says about Democrats’ education reflexesWhy “money follows the child” is a distinctly progressive idea, not a conservative oneThe generational change Democrats need — and why Pelosi/Schumer aren’t built for itRahm Emanuel’s urgency, Mikey Sherrill’s budget address, and what real leadership on education sounds likeFake charter laws, fake science of reading bills, and the sector’s unwillingness to call balls and strikesLiberalism vs. illiberalism as the real ideological divide of the futureWhere DFER is headed: from a chapter/legislative model to executive/gubernatorial engagement Show Notes & Resources: Democrats for Education Reform (DFER)Jorge Elorza & Arne Duncan — Washington Post op-ed on the federal tax creditSenator Mark Kelly — effort to sunset the federal scholarship tax creditGovernor Jared Polis (CO) — opting Colorado into the programMatt Yglesias — Slow BoringEzra Klein & Derek Thompson — Abundance Guest: Jorge Elorza — CEO, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER); former Mayor of Providence, RI Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Watch the full video on YouTube.

AI in education — what's working, what's risky, and what charter schools should do next. Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham are joined by Bellwether's Mary Wells and Marisa Mission for a wide-ranging conversation. They dig into how AI tools are actually being used day to day, why "human in the loop" means more than just a review step, and what cognitive science tells us about the real danger of students offloading hard thinking to technology. The conversation also covers the evolving role of teachers, the economic ripple effects of AI, and why the charter school mindset of curiosity and rigor matters more than ever. In this episode: How Bellwether's team is personally using AI tools like Claude Skills and Gemini CanvasWhat cognitive offloading means and why it threatens real learningThe "ambidextrous adoption" approach to AI in schoolsWhere pockets of innovation are emerging — and the equity concerns that come with themDream Charter School's AI readiness curriculumThe bimodal classroom: AI-encouraged assignments alongside blue books and pen-and-paperWhy teacher support and family engagement are critical gaps right nowThe White House AI Policy Framework and state-level responsesWill AI cause a white-collar job apocalypse — or fuel entrepreneurship?What charter schools should be doing right now Show Notes & Resources: Bellwether AI workThe Leading Indicator: AI in Education newsletter (Marisa Mission & Alex Spurrier)Productive Struggle (Bellwether)Built for Learning case studies (Bellwether)Robin Lake / CRPE on AI in EducationDan Meyer on AI and mathAFT & Moms for Liberty on screensBlue Rose Research – AI public opinionWhite House AI Policy FrameworkDOL AI Literacy FrameworkJulia Freeland FisherChad AldermanMarguerite Roza / Edunomics Lab Guests: Mary Wells (Co-Founder, Bellwether) and Marisa Mission (Bellwether) Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Watch the full video on YouTube. WonkyFolk is produced by CharterFolk.

WonkyFolk: Lisa Keegan on Educational Opportunity, Accountability, and the Future of Reform In this episode of WonkyFolk, Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham sit down with longtime education leader and reform advocate Lisa Keegan for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about educational opportunity in America. Drawing on decades of leadership experience—from state-level policymaking to national advocacy—Keegan reflects on where the education reform movement has made real progress, where it has stumbled, and what must come next. The conversation explores: The evolving politics of school choice and accountabilityWhether reformers have lost clarity about purposeWhat data tell us about public sentiment on educational opportunityWhy durable change requires both courage and coalition-building This episode also highlights findings from the latest national survey on educational opportunity—offering a grounded look at what families actually want from schools today. If you care about governance, public trust, and the long game of education reform, this is a must-listen. 📎 Show Notes & Resources50CAN Educational Opportunity Survey (2nd Edition) https://50can.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/50CAN_EducationalOpportunitySurvey_2ndEdition.pdf

In this episode of WonkyFolk, Andy Rotherham and Jed Wallace kick off the year with a deep and thoughtful conversation with Baxter Parker, longtime Denver-based education leader and policy thinker. Together, they explore how Denver’s school reform journey—often hailed as a national model—has evolved from being described as “historic” to something more complex, contextual, and nuanced. Parker shares insights from recent studies on Denver’s portfolio strategy and its impact on student outcomes, and reflects on the shifting narratives, local politics, and policy lessons emerging from over two decades of reform. 📌 Topics include: What Denver got right—and what it’s still grappling withHow closures, autonomy, and accountability played out in practiceWhat the data actually say about academic gains and equityWhy local nuance matters more than national hype 🎓 Whether you’re a reform skeptic or a die-hard believer, this conversation offers grounded, data-informed reflections on one of the most watched experiments in urban education. 👇 Show Notes and Resources: Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public AffairsEducation Systems Leadership and Policy Institute Key Research Studies: Student-Level Study – 2024 - Study SummaryS | Technical Reporth | ​Slide Deck​o | Bennet-Boasberg EssaySystemwide and Intervention-Specific Effects of Denver Public Schools’ Portfolio District Strategy on Individual Student Achievement – Anna Nicotera, Erik Fuller, Jakob Panzer, Todd Ely, and Paul TeskeDistrict-Level Study – 2022. Study Summary | Technical ReportThe System-Level Effects of Denver’s Portfolio Strategy on Student Academic Outcomes – Anna Nicotera, David Stuit, Margot Plotz, Todd Ely, and Paul Teske Related Articles and Essays: “Dismantling Denver” – Education Next, Spring 2022, by Alan Gottlieb“Redesigning Denver’s Schools: The Rise and Fall Of Superintendent Tom Boasberg” – Education Next, Spring 2019, by Todd Ely and Paul Teske“Mastering Change: When Charter Schools and School Districts Embrace Strategic Partnership” – 2012, by Elizabeth Cooley Nelson, in CRPE“Denver Education Research Going Forward but Not Without a Fight”– Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat, July 13, 2023“Closing Struggling Schools Helped Student Achievement in Denver, Study Finds” – Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat, September 27, 2024“Denver Public Schools’ Controversial Reform Strategy Led to Significant Learning Gains for Students” – Jenny Brundin, Colorado Public Radio, September 24, 2024“The Inconvenient Success of New Orleans Schools” – Ravi Gupta, The74Million, August 25, 2025“How Denver’s School Reforms Raised Grad Rate, Got Kids Years of Extra Learning” – The74Million, February 23, 2025“Education Scarcity: A Picture Worth a Thousand Words – The Five Points of a North Star” – Jed Wallace, CharterFolk, September 14, 2025

# WonkyFolk: Year in Review - How Many Mulligans Does a Country Get? How many mulligans does a country get before there are real consequences? In this year-end conversation, Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham confront 2025's uncomfortable truths: neither party heard the message voters sent, ed reformers have gone soft on accountability, and we're spending another year arguing while kids fall further behind. They explore Virginia's accountability experiment, the problem with universal school choice that doesn't prioritize low-income students, and what made Rod Paige different—a leader with a "core of steel" anchored by clear beliefs. Plus: why Brandon Brown and Howard Fuller are calling for more courage in the charter movement, and whether public education can offer anything to compete with disruption. **Episode Highlights:** • Why 2025 was another year of missed opportunities • The retreat from meaningful accountability—and why reformers are complicit • Virginia's test: Will Spanberger build on Youngkin's reforms or tear them down? • Universal school choice without income targeting: A problem? • Revealed preferences: Leaders who oppose accountability but ensure their own kids get it • Remembering Rod Paige and the power of vision and beliefs • The courage question: Brandon Brown, Howard Fuller, and finding your moxie **Show Notes:** CharterFolk Brandon Brown interviewHess and Rotherham on cell phones and student engagement Andy on cell phone bans as surrenderAndy on what's next for education in VirginiaTennessee religious charter schools case

In this special episode of WonkyFolk, Andy Rotherham and Jed Wallace sit down with education policy legend Dr. Mike Kirst—a man whose career spans six decades of shaping education in California and beyond. From working in the Office of Management and Budget under the Great Society programs to chairing the California State Board of Education under two governors, Kirst shares an insider’s view of how education policy gets made—and remade. He walks us through his incredible journey from Harvard to Washington to Stanford, including his role in designing Title I, navigating political upheaval, and helping reinvent California’s education finance system. You’ll hear: How Mike stumbled into K–12 education policymaking—and never leftBehind-the-scenes stories from the federal and state levelsReflections on the evolution of school finance reformThoughts on what California’s education system got right—and still needs to fix This is a masterclass in education policy, history, and political resilience from someone who’s truly seen it all. Show Notes: Andy on the ESA division question: https://eduwonk.substack.com/p/will-the-trump-administration-goOverview of California's "Local Control Funding Formula" (LCFF) enacted in 2013-14: https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/lcffoverview.asp

Join Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham for an illuminating conversation with Margaret "Macke" Raymond, one of education's most influential researchers. As Director of CREDO (Center for Research on Education Outcomes) at Stanford University and Distinguished Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Macke has spent two decades producing the definitive studies on charter school performance that shape policy debates nationwide. In this episode, Macke pulls back the curtain on how rigorous education research actually works, from the methodological challenges of measuring school effectiveness to the evolution of accountability systems across states. She discusses CREDO's groundbreaking longitudinal studies, the complexities of comparing charter and traditional public schools, and why context matters more than headlines suggest. The conversation explores the intersection of research and policy-making, touching on California's "gnarly" accountability system with its 50+ indicators, the role of charter management organizations in scaling successful models, and the ongoing debates about how we measure educational success. Macke also shares insights from Stanford's "tectonics" project and reflects on how education research has evolved over her distinguished career. This is essential listening for education policy professionals, researchers, advocates, and anyone who wants to understand the data behind the debates. Macke's expertise and the hosts' thoughtful questions create a substantive discussion that goes far beyond talking points to examine the real challenges and opportunities in American education. Topics Covered: •CREDO's methodology and longitudinal research approach •Charter school performance measurement and accountability •The evolution of education policy research •State accountability systems and their effectiveness •The role of research in shaping education policy •Challenges in scaling successful educational models Resources and Links: CREDO and Macke Raymond's Work: •CREDO Charter Schools Reports: https://credo.stanford.edu/research-reports/charter-studies/ •Macke's "Fun House Mirror" Hoover Summit Introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeklNPBF9RE •Previous WonkyFolk CREDO Episode with Macke: https://www.charterfolk.org/wonkyfolk-vol-5-special-credo-episode-with-macke-raymond/ Hoover Institution Resources: •Hoover Institution K-12 Education Work: https://www.hoover.org/focus-areas/reforming-k-12-education •Education Futures Council Report: https://www.hoover.org/press/education-futures-council-unveils-report-ours-solve-once-and-for-all • Andy’s PMC fundraiser mentioned in the episode: https://profile.pmc.org/Andrew-Rotherham Additional Reading: •Tom Dee's Ed Week Article on Research and Practice: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-high-quality-research-rarely-informs-classroom-practice-why/2025/09 •Diane Ravitch's New Autobiography: https://amzn.to/3JfpRne •Andy's "Craft versus Politics" Article: https://www.the74million.org/article/rotherham-phonics-whole-language-balanced-literacy-the-problem-isnt-that-we-dont-know-how-to-teach-reading-its-politics/ •"Buck Up!" on Eduwonk: https://eduwonk.substack.com/p/buck-up About Our Guest: Margaret "Macke" Raymond is Director of the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University and Distinguished Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Her research has shaped education policy debates for over two decades. Key Discussion Points: •How rigorous education research methodology works in practice •The challenges of measuring school effectiveness across different contexts •California's complex accountability system with 50+ indicators •The role of charter management organizations in scaling success •Why context matters more than headlines in education policy •The intersection of academic research and policy implementation •Stanford's "tectonics" project and innovation in education research

Is a massive federal tax credit about to transform American education? 🎓 Join Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham as they dive deep with Shaka Mitchell from the American Federation for Children into what could be the most significant school choice development in years. This isn't your typical education policy discussion – it's about a "seismic" shift that could reshape how families access educational options nationwide. 🎙️ What You'll Discover: • The federal tax credit program that's flying under the radar • What this means for families nationwide • Why this policy could be a game-changer for low-income families • What are SGOs, and how they will play a key role • How it can look different in different states 🔥 Why This Matters: While everyone's focused on the usual education debates, a quiet revolution in school choice funding might be happening right under our noses. Don't miss this insider perspective on what could be the next big thing in education policy. 📺 Perfect for: Education leaders, policy wonks, parents exploring school options, and anyone curious about the future of American education. 📚 Show Notes & Resources • Georgetown's Edunomics Lab Analysis • AFC Federal Tax Credits Overview

Recorded live at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ annual conference in Orlando, this special episode of WonkyFolk features a candid and thought-provoking interview with education leader and author Steven Wilson. Hosts Andy Rotherham and Jed Wallace sit down with Steven to unpack his latest book, The Lost Decade, and explore what it means for the future of education reform. In their signature style—honest, informed, and unafraid of disagreement—Andy and Jed also share reflections from the conference floor and dig into the hard questions facing the charter movement today. It’s a conversation rich with insight, nuance, and vision for what comes next. 🎙️ In This Episode: • Steven Wilson breaks down the themes of The Lost Decade • Reflections on leadership, accountability, and innovation in schools • Why reform feels stuck—and what might move it forward • Conference takeaways and real-time reactions from the field • A few lively disagreements between Jed and Andy (naturally!) This is an essential listen for anyone working in or thinking about public education today. Watch it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxLaJmygER8

On this episode of WonkyFolk, Andy Rotherham and Jed Wallace dig into the surprising 4-4 split from the U.S. Supreme Court on the controversial St. Isidore religious charter school case—and what it means for the future of public education, church-state boundaries, and the charter movement. They also explore big-picture trends reshaping education, from the erosion of academic rigor in K-12 to the political dynamics behind school funding, college value, and the explosion of school choice across the country. Plus, a deep dive into Steven Wilson’s new book on merit, equity, and excellence in education—and why it may signal a turning point for liberal education reformers. 👉 Topics include: Why the SCOTUS tie wasn’t just procedural—it was a signalThe evolving politics of school choice and teacher pay in red statesAre we underestimating the college-for-all backlash?Virtual schooling and its quiet but growing policy momentumWhy merit still matters—and what Democrats risk by abandoning it 📝 Show notes include: Steven Wilson’s bookChad Aldeman on jobsEduwonk (Andy's blog) post on books4-4 Drummond decision Mark Walsh and Andy on SCOTUS cases The National Alliance’s standout amicus briefJed and Starlee's conversation Texas virtual bill Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and leave a review—every little bit helps us keep it wonky.

In this episode of WonkyFolk, Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham do what they do best—speculate wildly about the forces disrupting public education today and what might lie ahead. Prompted by Marlon Marshall’s recent insight on the need to “make progress amid the disruption,” the boys take on some of the biggest questions facing schools and policymakers right now. Will the St. Isidore Supreme Court case redefine what it means to be a public school? Could religious charter schools become a new frontier—or a new fault line—in education policy? What happens when AI enters the classroom faster than we’re ready for? And will federal funding keep pace with an increasingly decentralized education landscape? As always, Jed and Andy mix sharp analysis with insider perspective, offering a candid and occasionally irreverent take on where things stand and where they could be headed. Whether you’re a charter school leader, policy wonk, or just trying to make sense of the headlines, this episode delivers insights, laughs, and a few eyebrow-raising predictions. Takeaways: In this episode, we discuss the implications of the Supreme Court case regarding AI's role in education advocacy and school funding. We reflect on the challenges faced by school districts amid budget constraints and the increasing complexity of educational policies. The conversation emphasizes the need for education advocates to navigate the evolving landscape of technology and its impact on learning outcomes. We explore the potential consequences of the SCOTUS ruling on charter schools and the broader educational landscape across the United States. As we analyze the current state of education funding, we highlight the critical importance of maintaining equitable resources for all students. Finally, we express cautious optimism about the role of artificial intelligence as a transformative tool in education, while acknowledging the challenges ahead. Notes: Article from The Dispatch on SCOTUS decision on charter schools: https://thedispatch.com/article/supreme-court-religious-charter-schools/ EduWonk on SCOTUS: https://eduwonk.substack.com/p/wednesdays-department-of-education US News on the changing role of States in education: https://www.usnews.com/opinion/knowledge-bank/2015/12/10/new-education-law-is-bad-news-for-accountability