The Education Exchange

The President and CEO of EdChoice, Robert Enlow, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the growing popularity of education savings accounts in the United States, and how to best implement this universal choice option.

The department chair and professor of economics in the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, Orgül Öztürk, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Öztürk's latest research, which investigates the outcomes of the South Carolina’s Teacher Advancement Program. “Teacher Performance Pay, Coaching, and Long-Run Student Outcomes,” co-written with Sarah Cohodes and Ozkan Eren, is available now. https://blueprintlabs.mit.edu/research/teacher-performance-pay-coaching-and-long-run-student-outcomes/

An Assistant Professor at Yale SOM and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance, Barbara Biasi, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the impacts of Wisconsin's Act 10, from student performance to teacher pay. “Wisconsin’s Act 10, Flexible Pay, and the Impact on Teacher Labor Markets” is available now at Education Next. https://www.educationnext.org/wisconsin-act-10-flexible-pay-impact-teacher-labor-markets/

An Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Rochester, John Singleton, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the benefits of and drawbacks to having educators serving on school boards. Singleton and co-author Ying Shi recently published "School Boards and Education Production: Evidence from Randomized Ballot Order." https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pol.20200435 Singleton was recently a speaker on the third session of “Should School Boards Run Schools? A virtual conference series on school governance,” hosted by Harvard's Program on Education Policy and Governance. https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/taubman/programs-research/pepg/events/school-boards-conference-2023

A Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and a Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, Chester E. Finn, Jr., joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the latest NAEP results in civics and history, and what might be contributing to the decline in student proficiency in these subjects. “Will Dismal New National Test Results in Civics and History Finally Spark Improvements?” is available now at EducationNext.org. https://www.educationnext.org/will-dismal-new-national-test-results-civics-history-finally-spark-improvements-naep/

An Associate Professor of Public Policy & Political Science at the University of California, Berkley, Sarah F. Anzia, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Anzia's new research, which looks into how city employees were important drivers in the transformation of city governance from patronage to a civil-service system. "The Political Influence of City Employees: Civil Service Adoption in America," co-written with Jessica Trounstine, is available now. https://gspp.berkeley.edu/research-and-impact/working-papers/the-political-influence-of-city-employees-civil-service-adoption-in-america

The Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Professor of American Politics at Boston College, R. Shep Melnick, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Melnick's latest book, The Crucible of Desegregation: The Uncertain Search for Educational Equality, and the state of racial segregation today. The Crucible of Desegregation: The Uncertain Search for Educational Equality is available now from The University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo194238421.html

A research professor at Georgetown University and director of the Edunomics Lab, Marguerite Roza, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how school districts have spent their federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, and what impact that has had on learning. “The Massive ESSER Experiment: Here’s what we’re learning,” co-written with Katherine Silberstein, is available now at Education Next.org: https://www.educationnext.org/the-massive-esser-experiment-heres-what-were-learning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer

A senior fellow at the American Federation for Children, Corey DeAngelis, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how Education Savings Accounts programs have expanded in states, and where that leaves the school choice movement today.

The co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, Michael B. Horn, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how AI programs like ChatGPT can be put to productive use in the classroom. "To Teach Better Writing, Don’t Ban Artificial Intelligence. Instead, Embrace it," co-written with Daniel Curtis, is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/teach-better-writing-dont-ban-artificial-intelligence-instead-embrace-it-inviting-chatgpt-into-classroom/

A Professor Emerita at University of Hawaii Hilo, Nina Buchanan, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the charter school movement in Hawaii, and how they incorporate the indigenous language and cultures of the islands into learning.

The professor and associate dean for research in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Paul T. von Hippel, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss year-round academic calendars, and how changing calendars won't undo learning losses accrued during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Busting the Myths About Year-Round School Calendars,” co-written with Jennifer Graves, is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/busting-the-myths-about-year-round-school-calendars/

An associate professor at Williams College, Owen Thompson, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Thompson’s latest research, which looks into whether gifted and talented programs are also drivers of racial segregation in schools.

The former Massachusetts Secretary of Education, Jim Peyser, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Peyser's tenure in the Charlie Baker administration, and what could be ahead for education reform in the state.

The Barnett Family Professor at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, Thomas S. Dee, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how enrollment in K-12 public schools decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic, and where those students who left the public system are now being educated. Dee's report, "Where the Kids Went: Nonpublic Schooling and Demographic Change during the Pandemic Exodus from Public Schools," is available now. https://www.urban.org/research/publication/where-kids-went-nonpublic-schooling-and-demographic-change-during-pandemic

The co-leader of the Eversheds Sutherland Business and Commercial Litigation team, Rocco E. Testani, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the recent decision in the William Penn School District et al. v. Pennsylvania Department of Education case in Pennsylvania, which ruled Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional.

A former U.S. Senator and Representative from Texas, and Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, Phil Gramm, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Gramm's new book, “The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate.” “The Myth of American Inequality,” co-authored with Robert Ekelund and John Early, is available now from Rowman & Littlefield.

An assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma, Daniel Hamlin, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Hamlin's latest research, which presents new evidence on virtual schooling in the state of Oklahoma, and how reading and math scores of virtual charter school students compares to their peers in district-run public schools.

An Adviser to the Office of the Chief Economist for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank, Harry Patrinos, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted learning across the globe, and how the World Bank is working to support learning recovery.

The Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, Eric Hanushek, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Hanushek's latest report, which breaks down the lifetime income students could lose as a result of schooling disruptions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Hanushek's essay, "The Economic Cost of the Pandemic," is available now. http://hanushek.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Hanushek%202022%20HESI%20EconomicCost.pdf

A senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, Andy Smarick, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the consolidation of modern school districts, and how the increased size of districts can restrict choice options and responsiveness to families. Smarick's piece, "Too Big to Succeed: It’s time to break up the nation’s largest school districts," is available now at City Journal. https://www.city-journal.org/time-to-break-up-nations-largest-school-districts

The John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame, Nicole Stelle Garnett, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how recent decisions by the Supreme Court in Carson v. Makin and Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue could pave the way for religious charter schools. Garnett's feature, "Supreme Court Opens a Path to Religious Charter Schools: But the trail ahead holds twists and turns," is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/supreme-court-opens-path-to-religious-charter-schools/

An editor at the Harvard Salient, William Brown, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the revival of the Salient and the publication's efforts to bring an undergraduate conservative viewpoint to Harvard University.

A Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, Virginia Lovison, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Lovison's latest research, which investigates what effect teacher turnover and alternative certification programs has on student achievement. Lovison's paper, “The Effects of High-performing, High-turnover Teachers on Long-run Student Achievement: Evidence from Teach For America,” is available now. https://edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai22-675.pdf

A Faculty Research Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Eric S. Taylor, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Taylor's latest research, which demonstrates how evaluation programs that reward teachers for student performance leads to higher performing teachers. The paper, "Employee Evaluation and Skill Investments: Evidence from Public School Teachers," is available at NBER.org. https://www.nber.org/papers/w30687

The senior director of policy, research, and evaluation at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Drew Jacobs, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Jacobs' latest report, which found that charter school enrollment increased while district school enrollment decreased in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Changing Course: Public School Enrollment Shifts During the Pandemic,” co-written with Debbie Veney, is available now. https://www.publiccharters.org/our-work/publications/changing-course-public-school-enrollment-shifts-during-pandemic

An adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins School of Education and the former superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, Joseph Olchefske, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the history of student-based budgeting, its origins in Seattle, and how parent empowerment following the Covid-19 pandemic could lead to more unbundling of school services.

An Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, Beth Schueler, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Schueler's latest research, which investigates the impact of state takeovers of failing school districts on learning. The report, "Evaluating Education Governance: Does State Takeover of School Districts Affect Student Achievement?," co-written with Joshua F. Blieberg, is available now. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pam.22338

The president of 50CAN, Derrell Bradford,, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the results of the 2022 midterm elections and its possible ramifications on education in the United States. For more on the election, please see "What the 2022 Midterm Election Results Will Mean for Education Policy," by Frederick Hess. https://www.educationnext.org/what-the-2022-midterm-election-results-will-mean-for-education-policy/

The director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, Robin Lake, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the latest CRPE report, which outlines the path to recovery for students after schools closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The report, "The State of the American Student: Fall 2022," is available now at CRPE.org. https://crpe.org/the-state-of-the-american-student/

The editor-in-chief of Education Next and member of the National Assessment Governing Board, Martin R. West, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the latest release of National Assessment of Educational Progress data, which shows math and reading scores fell between 2019 and 2022. West breaks down the 2022 NAEP results in “Nation’s Report Card Shows Steep Declines in Student Learning.” https://www.educationnext.org/nations-report-card-shows-steep-declines-in-student-learning/

The co-leader of the Eversheds Sutherland Business and Commercial Litigation team, Rocco E. Testani, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the influx of Covid-19 relief funds into schools, and whether or not the money will lead to improved performance for students.

The founder and chairman of Step Up For Students, John Kirtley, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how choice programs, including tax credits and charter schools, are serving students and families in Florida.

A Senior Advisor at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, George Parker, and the CEO of 7 Ventures, Michelle Rhee, join Paul E. Peterson to discuss how Parker, as president of the Washington Teachers' Union, and Rhee, as Chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools, were able to implement a performance pay plan for teachers in the district.

The Founder of Propel America, Paymon Rouhanifard, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how to best help students transition from high school to the workforce.

A Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Parag A. Pathak, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Pathak's recent working paper, which investigates the effects of busing on integration, achievement, and college enrollment. “Still Worth the Trip? School Busing Effects in Boston and New York,” co-written with Joshua Angrist, Guthrie Gray-Lobe, and Clemence M. Idoux, is available now. https://www.nber.org/papers/w30308

The director of education reform at Reason Foundation, Aaron Garth Smith, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Smith's latest analysis, which shows per-pupil spending increased in 49 out of 50 states during the 2020 fiscal year, while student enrollment declined in 22 states, plus the district of Columbia. Smith's report, "K-12 Education Spending Spotlight: An in-depth look at school finance data and trends," co-written with Jordan Campbell, is available now at reason.org. https://reason.org/commentary/k-12-education-spending-spotlight/

The editor-in-chief of Education Next and member of the National Assessment Governing Board, Martin R. West, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the latest release of National Assessment of Educational Progress data, which shows test performance dipped for most fourth-grade students in both math and reading since the beginning of the pandemic.

An assistant policy researcher at RAND, Melissa Kay Diliberti, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Diliberti's recent report, which collects survey responses from school districts through the 2021-22 academic year, and how schools are expecting teacher shortages for 2022-23. The report, "Districts Continue to Struggle with Staffing, Political Polarization, and Unfinished Instruction," co-written with Heather L. Schwartz, is available now. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA956-13.html

The director of the Center for School and Student Progress at NWEA, Karyn Lewis, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Lewis' new research brief, which finds signs of student performance in math and reading rebounding during the 2021-22 academic year. The research brief, "Student achievement in 2021–2022: Cause for hope and continued urgency," co-written with Megan Kuhfield, is available now. https://www.nwea.org/content/uploads/2022/07/Student-Achievement-in-2021-22-Cause-for-hope-and-concern.researchbrief-1.pdf

An Assistant Professor at George Mason University, David Houston, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the 2022 Education Next Survey, on which both Houston and Peterson are co-authors. "Partisan Rifts Widen, Perceptions of School Quality Decline: Results of the 2022 Education Next Survey of Public Opinion," by David M. Houston, Paul E. Peterson, and Martin R. West, is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/partisan-rifts-widen-perceptions-school-quality-decline-results-2022-education-next-survey-public-opinion

A Post Doctoral Researcher at the Harvard Kennedy School, M. Danish Shakeel, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss their new study, which finds that student achievement has increased since the 1970s. "A Half Century of Student Progress Nationwide" is available now at EducationNext.org. https://www.educationnext.org/half-century-of-student-progress-nationwide-first-comprehensive-analysis-finds-gains-test-scores/

An Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, George Bulman, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic affected enrollment and performance in community colleges in California. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Community College Enrollment and Student Success," by Bulman and Robert W. Fairlie, is available now. https://www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai22-602.pdf

The founder of Vertex Partnership Academies, a nonprofit charter school network, Ian Rowe, joins Paul Peterson to discuss the opening of Vertex Academies, a new charter high school set to open this month in the Bronx, New York City.

An adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute and superintendent of Partnership Schools, Kathleen Porter-Magee, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how enrollment in Catholic schools increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. Porter-Magee's brief, "Catholic School Enrollment Boomed During Covid. Let’s Make It More Than a One-Time Bump," co-written with Annie Smith and Matt Klausmeier, is available now. https://www.manhattan-institute.org/catholic-school-enrollment-boomed-during-covid

The 11th Secretary of Education of the United States, Betsy DeVos, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss her experience in the U.S. Department of Education, and her new book, Hostages No More: The Fight for Education Freedom and the Future of the American Child. A review of the book by Peterson for Education Next is available now: "In New Book, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Emerges as a Modern Alyosha." https://www.educationnext.org/hostages-no-more-school-choice-advances-farther-than-anticipated/

An assistant professor of political science at Boston College, Michael Hartney, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Hartney's new book, how influential teachers unions are in shaping educational policy, and how parents have fared in their own efforts. Hartney's book, How Policies Make Interest Groups: Governments, Unions, and American Education, will be available in Sept. 2022 by the University of Chicago Press.

A Distinguished Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution and director of the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University, Macke Raymond, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss CREDO's latest study, which shows growth for students attending Innovation Network and charter schools in Indianapolis. The "2022 Indianapolis CREDO Study" is available now. https://www.themindtrust.org/indycredo/

A University Professor in Economics and the College and the Harris School of Public Policy, Director of the Development Innovation Lab, Michael Kremer, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Kremer's latest working paper, which examines the impact of enrolling in Bridge International Academies in Kenya. Kremer's paper, "Can Education be Standardized? Evidence from Kenya," co-written with Guthrie Gray-Lobe, Anthony Keats, Isaac Mbiti, and Owen Ozier, is available now. https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/2022-68/

A senior writer and national correspondent at The 74, Beth Hawkins, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the ramifications of the Minneapolis teacher strike, which ended in March 2022. "Minneapolis Teacher Strike Lasted 3 Weeks. The Fallout Will Be Felt for Years," by Hawkins is available now at The 74. https://www.the74million.org/article/minneapolis-teacher-strike-lasted-3-weeks-the-fallout-will-be-felt-for-years/