The Education Exchange

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 twi...

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:...

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://...

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...

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. Bliebe...

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-edu...

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.ed...

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 availa...

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...

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 wit...

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://...

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.educ...

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-te...

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.edworkingpap...

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....

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 Alyos...