The Education Exchange

Amber Northern, a senior advisor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss her efforts on reforming the Institute of Education Science. The full report, "Reimagining the Institute of Education Sciences: A Strategy for Relevance and Renewal," is available now. https://ies.ed.gov/ies/2026/02/reimagining-ies

Jon Shields, a professor of American politics in the government department at Claremont McKenna College, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Shields' latest research, which uses the Open Syllabus database to see how contentious issues are being taught on college campuses.

Paola Sapienza, the J-P Conte Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how political opinions are represented on college campuses, with more students closer to the center than not.

Richard D. Kahlenberg, Director of the American Identity Project at the Progressive Policy Institute, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Kahlenberg's new report, which investigates how American Quarterly has covered American studies and history in the wake of President Donald Trump's one-sided treatment. "The Distortion of American Studies: How the Field’s Leading Journal Has Embraced a Worldview as Slanted as Donald Trump’s," co-written with Lief Lin, is available now at Progressive Policy Institute. https://www.progressivepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/PPI_The-Distortion-of-American-Studies.pdf

Jeff Denning, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs and Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Denning's latest research, "Easy A’s, Less Pay: The Long-Term Effects of Grade Inflation," co-written with Rachel Nesbit, Nolan Pope, and Merrill Warnick.

Julie Young, the former Vice President of Education Outreach and Student Services for Arizona State University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss her upcoming book, Say Yes: How Virtual Became Reality.

John Schilling, representing the 50 State Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Coalition and Defense of Freedom Institute, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss new Federal scholarship tax credit program, and how states are preparing for its launch in 2027.

John Singleton, an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Rochester, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Singleton's latest research, which uses large-language AI models to determine the viewpoints and priorities of school board members in California. "Identity and Ideology in the School Boardroom," co-written with Barbara Biasi, Minseon Park, and Seth D. Zimmerman, is available now at NBER.org.

Marlon Marshall, the Chief Executive Officer of City Fund, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how City Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies are committing $20 million to create new charter schools in connection with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

M. Danish Shakeel, a Professor and the director of the E. G. West Centre for Education Policy at The University of Buckingham, UK, joins Paul E. Peterson to Shakeel's latest research, which investigates achievement and inequality trends in the United States between 2005 and 2024. "The Nation’s Achievement Inequality Report Card: An Assessment of Test Score and Equality Trends in Traditional Public, Charter, Catholic, and Department of Defense Schools," co-written with Misty Gallo and Patrick J. Wolf, is available now. https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai26-1378.pdf

Emily Putnam-Hornstein, the John A. Tate Distinguished Professor for Children in Need at the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how funds are distributed to foster children in the United States. "No, States Aren’t “Stealing” from Foster Children," co-written with Naomi Schaefer Riley, is available now at AEI. https://www.aei.org/op-eds/no-states-arent-stealing-from-foster-children/