Are You Kidding Me?

Following the Dobbs decision, pregnant women uncertain about their future should be informed of all the options available to them, including adoption. For many, though, encouraging adoption is seen as coercive. Is this accurate? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Kate Trambitskaya , CEO of Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children. For over 125 years, Spence-Chapin has supported wo...

What should kids be reading in school? A movement has swept through K-12 classrooms to cancel classic texts and replace them with more racially diverse voices. Yet the very authors these activists are seeking to eliminate from school curricula influenced prominent African-American thinkers like Martin Luther King Jr. and James Baldwin. In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Dr. Anika Prather...

The push for gender-affirming therapy for young people is driven by the empirical claim that if this type of healthcare is not made widely and readily available, kids who are questioning their identity are in danger of committing suicide. This emotional extortion has caused adults to see this care as the only solution to help these children. What does the data really tell us? In this episode, Naom...

Since research suggests that past maltreatment of a child is the best predictor of future child abuse or neglect, several states have enacted a program called “birth match.” This program compares the names of parents of newborns with lists of individuals who have previously killed or seriously injured a child or had their parental rights terminated. Are these programs worthwhile? Should other stat...

Classroom instruction in the field of “Social and Emotional Learning” (SEL) has recently come under fire, particularly from conservatives. Critics see SEL as a mechanism for the government to indoctrinate students on controversial social issues. But should teachers abandon social and emotional learning altogether? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Nathaniel Grossman , a research intern...

Every child in America deserves to know that a path to a successful life exists and they have the power to follow it. But instead, kids today are besieged by two incomplete, harmful narratives. The “blame the system” narrative teaches kids they are powerless against societal forces while the “blame the victim” narrative tells them that any undesirable outcome in life is a product of their own shor...

In public schools across the country, “circle conversations“—where teachers ask personal questions of their students—is just the latest example of American classrooms focusing on everything but academic instruction. Should American teachers remain purely educators or evolve into something akin to therapists? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Daniel Buck , a Senior Visiting Fellow at the...

Description: Suicide rates in adolescents have tripled since the start of the pandemic, and 1 in 5 kids will not make it out of their childhood without a severe mental disorder. How should we address this mental health crisis to better prepare children for adolescence? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Erica Komisar , a clinical social worker, psychoanalyst, and author of Chicken Little...

Description: Starting in the late 20th century, Scandinavian countries began opening up parental leave for fathers, with Norway eventually establishing at least four weeks of parental leave for fathers alone. This approach has now caught on throughout the post-industrialized world. How have these policies affected family bonding and the well-being of children? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are jo...

Description: Controversial ideologies about race and gender are making their way into K-12 classrooms. This kind of watered-down Marxism—in which everyone is designated either oppressed or oppressor—is at odds with the longstanding American principles of equality. How should school choice advocates respond to these harmful developments? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Jay P. Greene ,...

Description: Changing the names of schools, instituting race-based affinity groups, and eliminating standardized tests are just a few of the actions that woke boards of education across the country are taking in pursuit of equity. The result is that schools are now focused on everything but academic instruction. In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Nicole Neily , president and founder of P...

Description: The recently stalled Build Back Better legislation contains $110 billion for universal pre-school for three and four-year-olds. Is a large investment in early childhood education universal pre-k necessary or beneficial for the academic and social development of American children? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Katharine B. Stevens , founder and acting CEO of the Center o...

Description: Twenty years ago, education reformers on the right and left agreed that promoting charter schools and school choice were appropriate steps to close the achievement gap and improve kids’ educational outcomes. Today, feelings among the reformers about school choice are a lot more polarized. Moreover, the recent shutdowns of many schools during the pandemic may have jeopardized Americans...

Description: There are over 70,000 adoptions of children in the United States every year, with a majority coming from foster care. Despite adoptions being more diverse and 75% of adoptive parents having a positive relationship with the birth parents, some are calling for adoption to end because it is too traumatic for children. In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Ryan Hanlon , the acting...

Description: Young people who graduate from high school, get a job, and get married before they have children are less likely to live in poverty later in life. Given the importance of this information, some have suggested that this ordering of milestones—known as “the success sequence”—be taught in K-12 schools. In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Nat Malkus, a senior fellow and deputy di...

Description: In March 2021, the California Department of Education approved the final version of the ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. In October 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill No. 101 into law, making California the first state to require an ethnic studies class for graduation. In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Dr. Wenyuan Wu , executive director of the Californians fo...

Description: A student in Boston public schools recently knocked her principal unconscious during school hours. A girl was recently sexually assaulted in a Loudon County, Virginia, school, and administrators falsely denied knowledge of its occurrence. What is causing an increase in school violence and how can administrators use their resources to improve school safety and students’ lives? In this...

Description: The child tax credit (CTC) in the United States has always required its recipients to work. Yet the recent proposal from the Biden administration eliminates the work requirement in the CTC. Ensuring that parents earn a small amount of money benefits kids and helps lift families out of poverty. How can we ensure our policies align with what’s best for kids? In this special episode, Nao...

Description: For decades, women have increasingly outnumbered men in higher education and the problem is getting worse. Men—generally speaking—prefer to work rather than go to school. Yet more traditional, blue-collar jobs now require advanced degrees. In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Kay Hymowitz , the William E. Simon Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of Cit...

Description: Educational institutions are supposed to serve the interests of children and their families. Yet parents are increasingly finding themselves coming up against a system that is turned against them. In some instances, they are even labeled by the National School Board Association as "domestic terrorists" for simply voicing their opinion. In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Chri...

Description: The American child welfare system is bent toward protecting adults, not children. Kids in danger are treated instrumentally to promote the rehabilitation of their parents, the welfare of their communities, and the social justice of their race and tribe—all with the inevitable result that their most precious developmental years are lost in bureaucratic and judicial red tape. In this sp...

Description: Oregon Governor Kate Brown recently signed a law eliminating the requirement that high school graduates be able to demonstrate an ability to read, do math, and write at a high school level. Proponents of the law claim it would promote “equitable graduation standards” that will benefit Oregon’s students of color. In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Rick Hess , a Senior Fellow...

Description: Prior to 1972, putting up a child for adoption did not require the consent of an unmarried father. Despite a Supreme Court case changing the law, many birth fathers are still unaware that they must register on a putative father registry in order to have input in their child’s future. In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Ericka Andersen , a freelance writer, digital marketing p...

Description: Every year, 23,000 children will age out of the foster care system without a loving family to take care of them. How can child welfare agencies, government, and public policy help these kids achieve upward mobility and ensure that they learn the important skills needed to have a successful life? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Tim Keller , Senior Vice President and Legal...

Description: The way we frame conversations about race has significant implications for future education policies. Talking about “achievement gaps” draws attention solely to the differences between white and black students, which can perpetuate racial stereotypes. Maybe framing the issue as an “opportunity gap” instead would encourage us to consider policies that promote equity and excellence for...