Freedom to Learn

Joe Connor on ESAs, SGOs, & the EFTC

School choice is expanding nationwide, creating new opportunities for parents to shape their children’s education. Joe Connor, founder and CEO of Odyssey, joins the podcast to discuss Texas’s landmark education savings account launch, the evolution of school choice programs in Missouri, Utah, Iowa, and Wyoming, and the opportunities and challenges of the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit. Joe explains how technology can make these programs easier for families to access, how multiple funding sources could expand educational options, and why strong implementation and accountability are essential to advancing education freedom. 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Alan Levine on Jewish Day Schools, EFTC Scholarships, & Informing Donors

The new Education Freedom Tax Credit could make a wide array of educational options attainable for millions of students next year. Alan Levine, CEO of the Jewish Education Access Fund, joins the podcast to explain how the tax credit offers a once-in-a-generation chance to expand access to schools that reflect families' values. Alan explains what donors and families need to know about pledges, donations, and state opt-ins before the credit takes effect on January 1, 2027. Jewish Education Access Fund: https://www.access-fund.org/ Federal Scholarship Tax Credit temporary rules: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/02/2026-20264/federal-scholarship-tax-credit Federal Scholarship Tax Credit proposed rules: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/02/2026-20277/federal-scholarship-tax-credit 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Ashling Preston on New York’s Opt-In, Treasury’s New Rules, & Implementing the Education Freedom Tax Credit

The Education Freedom Tax Credit is poised to expand opportunities for students nationwide, but what has to happen before it launches on January 1, 2027? Ashling Preston of the American Federation for Children joins Freedom to Learn to identify the steps state leaders and scholarship-granting organizations need to take now. She also explains how taxpayers can prepare to fund scholarships for eligible students in participating states. With implementation around the corner, the opportunity is enormous, the excuses are running out, and the push for all 50 states to opt in is on. https://federalscholarships.com/ Federal Scholarship Tax Credit temporary rules: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/02/2026-20264/federal-scholarship-tax-credit Federal Scholarship Tax Credit proposed rules: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/02/2026-20277/federal-scholarship-tax-credit New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s opt-in statement: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-kathy-hochul-180 Regulations.gov Federal Scholarship Tax Credit comment portal: https://www.regulations.gov/document/IRS-2026-1354-0001 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Averel Meden on What New Education Freedom Tax Credit Rules Mean for States, SGOs, & Families

What if families in your state could unlock thousands of dollars for their children's education thanks to a new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, but your state hasn't opted in yet? Averel Meden of the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Coalition joins the podcast to explain the Treasury Department’s newly released rules governing the tax credit for donations to scholarship granting organizations, how to talk to state leaders, and key dates leading to the 2027 tax credit implementation. Averel explains how this $1,700 federal tax credit could generate scholarships that benefit 96% of students nationwide. She also encourages listeners to engage in the 60-day comment period for the proposed rules and build public awareness about the EFTC through friends, families, schools, and faith communities. Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Coalition: https://fedscholarshiptaxcredit.org/ The Trump Administration’s announcement of the proposed tax credit rules: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0641 Proposed Regulations: Federal Scholarship Tax Credit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/02/2026-20277/federal-scholarship-tax-credit Temporary Regulations: Federal Scholarship Tax Credit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/02/2026-20264/federal-scholarship-tax-credit 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Patrick Wolf on Arkansas’s Education Freedom Accounts, Universal Access, & Early Results

When Arkansas’s Education Freedom Accounts went universal last year, enrollment soared by 212% to 44,524 students. Dr. Patrick Wolf joins the podcast to discuss who’s participating, why families choose the program, and how the funds are used. Dr. Wolf’s new report on the program also examines rural access to education options, participation among students with disabilities, program accountability, and early academic achievement results. Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/offices/office-of-school-choice-and-parent-empowerment/education-freedom-accounts 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Patrick Graff on the Education Freedom Tax Credit’s 52 Million Eligible Students, 121 Million Potential Donors, & 31 Participating States

The new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit could reshape the K-12 education landscape faster than most people realize. American Federation for Children senior fellow Patrick Graff’s new research reveals who can fund and who can receive tax credit-funded scholarships. Ginny Gentles and Patrick discuss how the new federal tax credit works, the 52 million students who could qualify for tax credited-funded scholarships, the 121 million taxpayers who are eligible to claim the tax credit and fund scholarships, and why state participation will determine which families benefit. They also explore the program’s potential to generate billions in new K-12 education funding. Who Can Receive a Scholarship? The Eligible K-12 Student Population Under the New Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC): https://www.federationforchildren.org/new-estimates-project-that-52-million-k-12-students-eligible-for-the-education-freedom-tax-credit-eftc/ Who Can Fund a Scholarship? Updated Donor Estimates under the New Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC): https://www.federationforchildren.org/who-can-fund-a-scholarship-under-the-eftc/ Federal School Choice Could Be Huge: Possibly many billions in scholarships, even with modest donor uptake, The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/federal-school-choice-tax-credit-donations-patrick-graff-report-3044cba3 EFTC participating states for 2027: https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/federal-scholarship-tax-credit-fstc 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Mandy Drogin on Texas Education Freedom Accounts, Great Books, & the Classroom Comeback

Texas families are demanding more education options and expecting more of the education system. Ginny Gentles talks with Mandy Drogin, host of the Parent Empowerment podcast, about the 120,000 students benefiting from Texas’s education freedom accounts this year, the huge demand from families of students with special needs, and the growing marketplace of schools, tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and more. Mandy also makes the case for classical education and the Great Books, exposes what she calls the “education cartel,” and previews her upcoming book, Classroom Comeback: How Americans Can Make Education Great Again. Texas Education Freedom Accounts: https://educationfreedom.texas.gov/ Classroom Comeback: How Americans Can Make Education Great Again: https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/classroom-comeback/?srsltid=AfmBOor8PeL5Gbm7C9vRBz7Og_qFgna3E71qM9jN5LCA5TzDxMblsWcN 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Daniel Buck on Fixing Classroom Chaos, Balancing Teacher Prep Programs, & Addressing the Teacher-Parent Divide

This week on Freedom to Learn, DFI Guest Host Angela Morabito is joined by Daniel Buck, American Enterprise Institute Research Fellow and Director of the Conservative Education Reform Network (CERN). Daniel breaks down the student behavior crisis facing America’s K–12 classrooms, explaining how persistent low-level disruptions contribute to teacher burnout. He also reveals the progressive ideological imbalance facing teacher preparation programs today and what can be done to fix it, defends the importance of standardized testing, and shares how schools can restore the parent-teacher divide. Pedagogy of the Progressives: A Review of Syllabi from Graduate Schools of Education, Sept. 9, 2026, by Daniel Buck: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/pedagogy-of-the-progressives-a-review-of-syllabi-from-graduate-schools-of-education/ Colleges Train Future Teachers to Push Woke Agenda, Aug. 11, 2026, by Angela Morabito: https://www.realcleareducation.com/2026/08/10/colleges_train_future_teachers_to_push_woke_agenda_1199374.html 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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Under Secretary Nicholas Kent on Alternative Pathways, Reforming Accreditation, & Transparency in Higher Education

We’re back with another episode of Freedom to Learn, with DFI’s Angela Morabito filling in for Host Ginny Gentles. This week, U.S. Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent joins the podcast to give an inside look on how the The Department of Education is bringing transparency to higher education’s foreign financial ties, partnering with the U.S. Department of the Treasury to better manage student loans, dismantling the accreditation monopoly by encouraging competition and ending administrative bloat, and the Education Department’s efforts to implement Workforce Pell to expand alternative pathways to education outside of the traditional 4-year college degree. 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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RE-RELEASE: Gov. Jeb Bush on School Choice Victories, Union Lawsuits, & Why Reform is Never Complete

This week on Freedom to Learn, we’re re-releasing our conversation with Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush on the Florida teachers union's lawsuit targeting the state's education freedom programs and why he believes it is destined to fail. Governor Bush reflects on the bold reforms that transformed Florida from one of the nation's lowest-performing education systems into a national leader in student achievement and parental choice. He also makes the case for returning more authority from Washington to the states, tackles persistent myths about school choice and accountability, and shares the philosophy that guided his work for the last three decades: "Success is never final. Reform is never complete." 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

RE-RELEASE: Bill Jacobson on Intersectionality, Anti-American Ideology, & How to Stop It

Intersectionality has quietly become the unseen driver behind today’s divisive education policies, anti-American sentiments, and campus radicalization. This week on Freedom to Learn, we are re-releasing our episode featuring William A. Jacobson, Cornell Law School professor and founder of the Legal Insurrection Foundation. He sounds the alarm on this dangerous ideological “mother’s milk” that feeds critical race theory, DEI, and even some acts of domestic extremism and describes how teachers unions and colleges of education pushed intersectionality into K-12 classrooms. He also provides concrete actions policymakers should take to confront intersectionality directly, including executive orders and guidance, federal funding oversight, and congressional hearings. Intersectionality: The Rise of a Dangerous Anti-American Ideology and How to Stop It: https://dfipolicy.org/report-intersectionality/ The Root Cause: DEI Won't Disappear Until This Is Stopped: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4611193/dei-wont-disappear-until-intesectionality-is-stopped/ 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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RE-RELEASE: DFI’s Paul Zimmerman on Title IX, the RESPECT Title IX Act, & the Need for Congressional Action

On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for women and girls, ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox that schools may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex without violating Title IX or the Constitution. DFI filed an amicus brief supporting West Virginia and Idaho and has been at the forefront of the fight to restore Title IX to its original promise. DFI filed the first-in-the-nation lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s unlawful Title IX rewrite and helped secure the first preliminary injunction blocking the rule. But even after this important Supreme Court victory, the Title IX regulatory ping-pong is far from over. This week on Freedom to Learn, we are re-releasing a June 2025 episode featuring DFI Senior Policy and Regulatory Counsel Paul Zimmerman. Paul explains Title IX’s original purpose of ensuring equal educational opportunity on the basis of sex, the law’s regulatory evolution and the policy whiplash of recent years, and efforts by federal regulators to inject gender ideology into schools while weakening parental rights, due process, and free speech. The episode concludes with a permanent solution: DFI’s RESPECT Title IX Act. The comprehensive model law would end the regulatory whiplash by codifying enduring protections for women’s and girls’ sports and intimate spaces, campus due process, free speech, religious liberty, and parental rights. DFI's RESPECT Title IX Act: dfipolicy.org/titleix DFI Amicus Brief: West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox: https://dfipolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BPJ-SCOTUS-Amicus-Brief-9.19.2025.pdf 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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Peter Murphy & Jim Blew on Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Implementation, Treasury Guidance, & Governor Opt-Ins

A new federal tax credit could dramatically expand educational opportunities for millions of students next year. Jim Blew of the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Coalition and Peter Murphy of the Invest in Education Coalition join the podcast to describe how the new “Education Freedom Tax Credit” will incentivize private donations to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs), empowering parents to choose the schools and services that meet their children’s needs. Together, they tackle the biggest objections from critics, walk through how coalition-building helped pass the law and shape the rulemaking process, and make the case for why governors should opt in so families in every state can benefit. The conversation also covers public school student participation, homeschool student access, what needs to happen before implementation, and, of course, pervasive myths. Treasury Previews Education Freedom Tax Credit Guidance: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0527 Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit: State Participation Status: https://dfipolicy.org/education-freedom-tax-credit/ 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Ron Matus on Florida’s School Choice Families, Educators, & à la Carte Options

Over a million Florida K-12 students attend a school of choice through magnet programs, open enrollment, career and technical academies, and charter and lab schools. Over 500,000 Florida students participate in the state’s education savings account and tax credit scholarship programs. Ron Matus, director of Research & Special Projects at Step Up for Students, joins the podcast to share the stories of the families and educators driving innovation and expanding opportunities across the state. We explore the growth of the ESA programs, how students with disabilities benefit, rural school choice options, the rise of specialized à la carte options, and the surprising growth in Catholic school enrollment. Catholic School Update Brief 2026: https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Catholic-school-update-brief-2026-final-approved.pdf Next Steps Blog: https://nextstepsblog.org/author/ron-matus/ 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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Amber Northern on Teachers Unions’ Strength, Perception, & Politics

Teacher unions have long dominated education politics, but their influence is waning. Amber Northern of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute joins Freedom to Learn to discuss a new report ranking teacher union strength across all 50 states. She explains why union membership declined in almost every state, which states remain union strongholds, and how the growing number of school choice advocates, parent groups, and education reform organizations are reshaping the balance of power in state education policy. We dig into the data on collective bargaining, strikes, stakeholder perceptions, and political influence as we explore the evolving role of teacher unions in America. A Crowded Table: Teacher Union Strength in 2026: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/crowded-table-teacher-union-strength-2026 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Governor Jeb Bush on the School Choice Victories, Union Lawsuits, & Why Reform is Never Complete

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush joins Freedom to Learn to discuss the Florida teachers union's latest lawsuit targeting the state's education freedom programs and why he believes it is destined to fail. Governor Bush reflects on the bold reforms that transformed Florida from one of the nation's lowest-performing education systems into a national leader in student achievement and parental choice. He also makes the case for returning more authority from Washington to the states, tackles persistent myths about school choice and accountability, and shares the philosophy that guided his work for the last three decades: "Success is never final. Reform is never complete." 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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Assistant Secretary Kirsten Baesler on Returning Education to the States with Waivers, Ed-Flex Authority, & Funding

Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Kirsten Baesler joins the podcast to discuss what “returning education to the states” looks like in practice. With Iowa and Louisiana receiving waivers to consolidate state activities funds and about ten more states in discussions with the U.S. Department of Education, we dig into the opportunities provided by the waivers and how the iterative application process is unfolding. We also cover Ed-Flex authority, interagency agreements, the cumbersome competitive grant process, and Assistant Secretary Baesler’s vision for transparency and assessments. Trump’s K-12 Leader: Let’s Improve Assessment Without Sacrificing Accountability: https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-trumps-k-12-leader-lets-improve-assessment-without-sacrificing-accountability/2026/05 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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Danyela Souza Egorov on New York City’s Soaring Spending, Plummeting Enrollment, & Chronic Absenteeism

New York City spends $42,000 per pupil, but student outcomes are mediocre and families are fleeing the system. Danyela Souza Egorov joins Freedom to Learn to discuss the city’s shrinking enrollment, increasingly empty school buildings, and soaring spending. Danyela urges city leaders to make responsible decisions, tackle the city’s chronic absenteeism crisis, and prioritize students and families rather than powerful unions. The conversation covers foolish COVID-era policies that reshaped public education, why parents are demanding more options, and what the federal scholarship tax credit could mean for New York families seeking educational freedom. What to Do About NYC’s Empty Schools: https://manhattan.institute/article/what-to-do-about-nycs-empty-schools?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social The Ghost Classrooms Haunting America’s Education System: https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-ghost-classrooms-haunting-americas-education-system?author=Danyela+Souza+Egorov&category=undefined&elementPosition=0&row=3&rowHeadline=Latest+News&rowType=Vertical+Carousel&title=The+Ghost+Classrooms+Haunting+America?s+Education+System Schools Received More Money Than Ever. Parents Aren’t Seeing The Results: https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-spending-more-than-ever-on-education-is-it-getting-us-anything Chronic Absenteeism Is Hampering School Improvement Efforts in New York City: What Can Be Done About It? https://manhattan.institute/article/chronic-absenteeism-hampering-school-improvement-efforts-new-york-city 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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Bill Jacobson on Intersectionality, Anti-American Ideology, & How to Stop It

Intersectionality has quietly become the unseen driver behind today’s divisive education policies, anti-American sentiments, and campus radicalization. William A. Jacobson, Cornell Law School professor and founder of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, joins the podcast to sound the alarm on this dangerous ideological “mother’s milk” that feeds critical race theory, DEI, and even some acts of domestic extremism. Bill describes how teachers unions and colleges of education pushed intersectionality into K-12 classrooms. And he provides concrete actions policymakers should take to confront intersectionality directly, including executive orders and guidance, federal funding oversight, and congressional hearings. Intersectionality: The Rise of a Dangerous Anti-American Ideology and How to Stop It: https://dfipolicy.org/report-intersectionality/ 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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Sarah Parshall Perry on ABA Accreditation, Teachers Unions, & Gender Ideology

Sarah Parshall Perry of Defending Education joins Freedom to Learn for a fast-moving conversation on the biggest legal and policy fights in education today. We cover the launch of Defending Education’s new litigation center, the power of accrediting bodies like the American Bar Association, and what’s at stake for free speech and parental rights in K–12 and higher ed. We also get into gender secrecy policies, teachers unions’ political spending, and the growing push to turn classrooms into activist spaces. Plus, a new rapid-fire round! Wall Street Journal: How the ABA Spreads DEI in Law Schools: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/american-bar-association-dei-law-school-accreditation-36e77872 National Review: The ABA Is a Joke. So Why Is It Still Accrediting Law Schools? https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/the-aba-is-a-joke-so-why-is-it-still-accrediting-law-schools/ 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

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