Martin West

Martin West, a Harvard education professor, and Andrew Rotherham, co-founder of Bellwether, delve into the Trump administration's dramatic budget cuts to the Department of Education. They discuss the controversial push to dismantle the department amid rising concerns over educational access and federal involvement. The conversation highlights the potential chaos of disbanding federal oversight, especially regarding special education and funding equity. Both guests stress the need for strategic reforms to modernize the education system and advocate for community engagement in shaping future policies.

Martin West, Academic Dean at Harvard Graduate School of Education and researcher on student achievement, sheds light on alarming trends in U.S. education. He discusses how students' dwindling reading and math scores predate the pandemic and the potential distractions of technology and social media. West also explores the faster decline of girls' scores and emphasizes the need for political accountability in education policy. He warns that these educational failures pose long-term risks to economic success and the nation's global standing.