How a teacher lost faith in education (with Freddie deBoer)

Freddie deBoer is a writer, academic, and former teacher whose research and experience challenge one of society’s most deeply held beliefs: that education is the great equaliser.

After teaching students at every level - from special education classrooms to college lecture halls - Freddie had a change of heart. He came to believe that intelligence is largely inherited, that academic ability is far more stable than we like to admit, and that expecting every child to succeed in the same system can actually be cruel.

We explore the moment that led Freddie to question the promise of education, why well-funded interventions and elite schools rarely change outcomes, and what a more humane and realistic approach to schooling could look like.

📘 Check out The Cult of Smart — Freddie’s book on meritocracy, inequality, and the myth of potential
📰 Read his essays on education, politics, and culture at freddiedeboer.substack.com

Thom and Aidan left boring, stable careers in law and tech to found FarmKind, a donation platform that helps people be a part of the solution to factory farming — regardless of their diet. While the podcast isn’t about animal welfare, it’s inspired by their daily experience grappling with a fundamental question: Why do people so rarely change their minds, even when confronted with compelling evidence? This curiosity drives their exploration of intellectual humility and the complex factors that enable (or prevent) meaningful belief change.

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Email us at hello@changedmymindpod.com