The Learning Curve Florida's Erika Donalds on School Choice, Edu Federalism, & K-12 Reform
Dec 10, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Erika Donalds, Chair of Education Opportunity at the America First Policy Institute and founder of numerous classical charter schools, shares her journey into education reform. She emphasizes the importance of high-quality curricula and innovative schooling methods like classical education to boost reading and math scores. Donalds advocates for parent-directed funding and expanding school choice, highlighting Florida's leadership in the movement. She also addresses the decline of civic literacy and the need for empowering states over federal control in education.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
From Personal Struggle To School Founder
- Erika Donalds recounts using education to change her family's trajectory and paying her way through college.
- She ran for school board after public schools failed her middle child and then helped found a charter school.
Classical Curriculum Builds Knowledge-Rich Learners
- Classical education pairs explicit phonics, grammar, and great books to boost content knowledge and literacy.
- Erika links teacher training and curriculum quality to stronger reading, math, and cultural literacy outcomes.
Adopt Research-Based Basics Everywhere
- Research-based methods like the science of reading and Singapore math drive early proficiency in reading and math.
- Erika argues these methods should be adopted across school models, not just in classical schools.
