Freedom to Learn

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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Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva on Education Freedom, Flexibility, & Funding

Arkansas is streamlining the K-12 education bureaucracy, investing in educators, and expanding families’ options. On today’s episode of Freedom to Learn, Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva covers the rollout of the transformative LEARNS Act and its impact. He explains how Arkansas expanded Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) from targeted eligibility to universal access, and what it took to launch the statewide choice program that now serves about 50,000 students. Secretary Oliva also shares Arkansas’ federal waiver strategy to cut red tape and return decision-making power to the state by consolidating fragmented funding streams, reducing compliance costs, and shifting the focus from micromanaging inputs to holding schools accountable for results. 🔗 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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Michael Torres on Disrupting the SAT/ACT Duopoly, Policy Barriers, & the Fight for Assessment Choice

The Classic Learning Test is disrupting the standardized testing status quo. Michael Torres, CLT’s Director of Legislative Strategy, explains how this fast-growing exam is quietly challenging the SAT/ACT duopoly, offering a rigorous alternative with longer reading passages, no-calculator math, and a focus on true college readiness. He traces CLT’s 10-year rise from a niche option for homeschool and classical school students to widespread adoption in public systems, starting with Florida in 2023. We discuss expanding recognition across major university systems, U.S. service academies, and the shifting state and federal policies that are embracing the CLT and reshaping college admissions. Our conversation explores the high-stakes policy battle behind the scenes: how the College Board is fighting to protect its control over education, how exams influence what gets taught in classrooms, and why CLT is pushing for “assessment choice” as a natural extension of school choice. The Classic Learning Test Takes Aim at the SAT–ACT Duopoly, Education Next: https://www.educationnext.org/the-classical-learning-test-takes-aim-at-the-sat-act-duopoly/ The SAT’s Trust Fall: Legacy standardized-testing firms are cutting rigor to please students: https://jamesgmartin.center/2025/06/the-sats-trust-fall/ Advanced No More: The College Board has politicized and watered down its AP exams. It’s time for an alternative: https://jamesgmartin.center/2026/02/advanced-no-more/ Education Freedom Requires Assessment Choice: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/education-freedom-requires-assessment-choice/?mkt_tok=NDc1LVBCUS05NzEAAAGXKFUyBMy40Gviu3qkSgUmowda-Q99ea--jWa_3vsQ-AT333_9uPSM-vpECDZudWaSLhUx7iK_tqbplaBdXq_6Dtbz6NOgOXzYCxP3SSO5_3osFXc 🔗 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!

Keri Ingraham on Scaling Back Federal Dominance, Union Control, & Bloated Bureaucracy in K-12 Education

What does it actually look like to unwind federal control of education? Keri D. Ingraham, Director of the Discovery Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education, joins the podcast to discuss the first year of efforts to scale back the U.S. Department of Education and return authority to states and families. Drawing on her experience as a teacher and administrator, she argues that downsizing bureaucracy can drive efficiency, innovation, and stronger outcomes for students. She also explains how the new Education Freedom Tax Credit will expand school choice across the country, but only if all 50 states opt in. The Education Department Is Shrinking: Staff cut by half, billions saved, and states empowered: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-education-department-is-shrinking-5bf05e23?mod=commentary_article_pos2 🔗 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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Kathleen O’Toole on Classical Education, AI, & Rescuing a Lost Generation

What if the real education crisis isn’t falling test scores, but a generation losing the ability to focus deeply, think critically, or even just read an entire book? In this episode, Dr. Kathleen O’Toole of Hillsdale College explains why today’s students are less cognitively developed, and how classical education offers a powerful alternative. From the failures of literacy instruction and colleges of education to the impact of screens and COVID disruptions, we discuss what went wrong and what can be rebuilt. O’Toole makes the case for content-rich learning, great books, and the formation of the whole person, and explains why more families are turning to these models, especially now that expanding school choice programs empower families to choose a classical education option. In an AI-driven world, Dr. O’Toole argues, classical education graduates’ ability to develop their minds, acquire knowledge, and think for themselves may provide the ultimate advantage. How the Classical Education Movement Is Rescuing a Lost Generation | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics: https://spectator.org/how-the-classical-education-movement-is-rescuing-a-lost-generation/ Classical education can help students endure the age of AI - Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/13/classical-education-help-students-endure-age-ai/ Nine questions every parent should ask before choosing a school for their child: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4471562/questions-ask-parents-schools-enrolling-child-registration/ 🔗 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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Christy Wolfe on Federal Education Silos, Bipartisanship, & State Constraints

Bipartisanship may be rare in Washington, but it still exists! This week, Christy Wolfe of the Bipartisan Policy Center joins us to discuss the Commission on the American Workforce’s sweeping new blueprint to connect education to opportunity and BPC’s federal education policy action items. We cover why federal programs remain stubbornly siloed, why Congress hasn’t reauthorized major education laws, and whether the Department of Education is truly a “pass-through” agency. We also discuss resources Christy has created explaining formula funding like Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and competitive grants. She shares her views on what interagency agreements mean in practice, the real barriers to state flexibility (from waiver fatigue to talent constraints), and why some of the biggest obstacles to innovation may sit at the state, rather than the federal, level. With more than 30 years shaping federal education policy across Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Christy brings a rare, full-spectrum view of how policy is actually made and implemented. U.S. Department of Education 101: Federal Funding in K-12 Education: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/u-s-department-of-education-101-federal-funding-in-k-12-education/ Transferring K-12 Programs to Labor: Why Costs and Logistics Could Be a Problem for States and Schools: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/issue-brief/transferring-k-12-programs-to-labor-why-costs-and-logistics-could-be-a-problem-for-states-and-schools/ U.S. Department of Education 101: What are Block Grants? https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/u-s-department-of-education-101-what-are-block-grants/ What is the Title I Education Program? Five things to know about the Largest K-12 Federal Education Program for Schools: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/what-is-the-title-i-education-program-five-things-to-know-about-the-largest-k-12-federal-education-program-for-schools/ GOP Targets Government Waste, Bureaucracy in Schools Spending: https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/gop-targets-government-waste-bureaucracy-in-schools-spending/1997/05 🔗 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!

Tiffany Hoben on Financial, Academic, & Discipline Chaos in West Virginia Public Schools

In this week’s episode, Tiffany Hoben, a former teacher and administrator, exposes the deep, recurring failures in school governance and accountability revealed in her analysis of West Virginia’s Special Circumstance Reviews of districts and schools. Tiffany highlights the interconnected “braid” of financial mismanagement, inconsistent academic standards, and discipline chaos that cause school systems to break down, and emphasizes the urgent need for both structural reform and the expansion of education freedom opportunities like the state’s Hope Scholarship education savings account program. Until recently, Tiffany was the Director of Education Partnerships and Strategy at the Cardinal Institute. Last week, the Department of War (Defense) Education Activity announced that Tiffany will serve as Chief Academic Officer for DoWEA, the system that educates 67,000 military-connected children studying in 161 schools around the world. Special Circumstance Reviews as Diagnostic for Systemic Failure in West Virginia Public Schools: https://cardinalinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/SCR-as-Diagnostic-for-Systemic-Failure-in-West-Virginia-Public-Schools-01-18-26-Final-1.pdf Department of War Education Activity Announces Tiffany Hoben as Chief Academic Officer: https://www.dodea.edu/news/press-releases/department-war-education-activity-announces-tiffany-hoben-chief-academic 🔗 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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Jay Greene on Radical Graduate Student Unions, Teachers Unions, & Foreign Influence on Higher Education

Graduate student unions are supposed to advocate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions, but according to a new report, “The Radicalism of Graduate Student Unions Affiliated with the Teacher Unions,” some have become tools for foreign political agendas and radical ideologies. DFI senior fellow Jay Greene joins the podcast to discuss his research exposing union radicalism. He details how these graduate labor unions, which are often affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, are obsessed with anti-American, anti-Israel, and pro-communist activism and how university visa practices are fueling this trend. The discussion concludes with practical solutions like imposing visa limits, requiring affidavits against foreign affiliations, and conditioning federal funding to curb foreign-backed activism. The Radicalism of Graduate Student Unions Affiliated with the Teacher Unions: https://dfipolicy.org/radicalism-of-graduate-student-unions/ 🔗 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!