

The Report Card with Nat Malkus
AEI Podcasts
The Report Card with Nat Malkus is the education podcast of the American Enterprise Institute. It is a hub for discussing innovative work to improve education – from early childhood to higher education – and the lives of America’s children. It evaluates research, policy, and practice efforts to improve the lives of families, schools and students. The Report Card seeks to engage with everyone who is interested in education in an accessible way. It brings guests that are doing compelling work across a spectrum from high level policy changes to innovations at the classroom level, work that will start conversations about improving education and the lives of children more broadly. Each episode lets listeners – policymakers, teachers, and parents –learn relevant information that they can use in their efforts to improve education.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 3, 2020 • 37min
Should college students be on campus or remote?
As college students around the country wrap up a tumultuous semester, debates about whether colleges should be in-person or remote rage on. About a month ago, Nat Malkus hosted an AEI web event centered on this issue. Panelists included Christopher Marsicano, assistant professor at Davidson College; Bridget Burns of the University Innovation Alliance; Robert Kelchen of Seton Hall University; and Elwood Robinson of Winston-Salem State University. You can catch the panel discussion on this episode of The Report Card or watch the web event in its entirety at AEI.org.

Nov 19, 2020 • 40min
The Election Is Over. What’s Next For Education?
Now that the 2020 elections have (mostly) wrapped up, what’s the education policy forecast for next year and beyond? Will education be a top priority for the Biden administration? Have voters changed the outlook for expanded private school choice? What should accountability look like in 2021? Tony Bennett, who served as Florida and Indiana’s education chief, and Joanne Weiss, who served as Chief of Staff to US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, discuss these questions and more on this episode of “The Report Card with Nat Malkus.”

Nov 6, 2020 • 57min
What will the 2020 elections mean for education?
Despite pollsters’ predictions, this election has turned out to be a nail biter. Amid this uncertainty, what’s the post-election outlook for education? On this episode of The Report Card, Nat Malkus moderates a discussion with Third Way’s Lanae Erickson, Donna Harris-Aikens of the NEA, Roberto Rodriguez of TeachPlus, and AEI’s own Rick Hess and Jason […]
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Oct 23, 2020 • 39min
Should we be sending K–12 students back to school in person?
As most schools pass the halfway point of this tumultuous semester, one question continues to loom large: Should schools be reopening for in-person learning? That contentious question was the topic of a recent AEI web event featuring Report Card host Nat Malkus; Emily Oster of Brown University; Sarah Cohodes of Columbia University; Susan Enfield of Highline Public Schools; and Marla Ucelli-Kashyap of the American […]
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Oct 8, 2020 • 36min
Rethinking School Staffing
As schools confront massive budget shortfalls in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it is critical that they examine how they might use existing funding more efficiently. On this episode of The Report Card, Nat Malkus talks with Byran Hassel about how districts might rethink their staffing models in a way that will increase students’ access to excellent teachers […]
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Sep 24, 2020 • 32min
Rethinking Teacher Benefits
Now, more than ever, it’s critical that school districts examine how to make the most of each and every dollar they receive. On this episode of The Report Card, Nat Malkus talks with Chad Aldeman about ways states and districts might rethink two of their most significant costs—pensions and healthcare. Chad is a senior associate […]
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Sep 10, 2020 • 33min
Reopening K-12 Schools: Lessons from Childcare
As K-12 classrooms remained shuttered in many parts of the country, childcare and early learning centers are reopening—or, in some cases, never closed in the first place. What lessons might they offer to school administrators and policymakers working to bring kids back to school? On this episode of The Report Card, Nat Malkus talks COVID […]
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Aug 27, 2020 • 45min
Inside School Reopening Plans: Superintendent Perspectives
Nat Malkus talks with three superintendents about the planning that went into students’ return to learning and the challenges that lie ahead
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Aug 13, 2020 • 34min
A big year for education in the Supreme Court (with Josh Dunn)
The Supreme Court released two decisions this year that could have a significant impact on the nation’s education landscape: Espinoza v. Montana—a case about a small Montana school choice program—and Our Lady of Guadalupe v. Morrissey-Bureau, which considered religious schools’ “ministerial exception” protections. On this episode, Nat Malkus discusses the potential implications of these two […]
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Jul 23, 2020 • 31min
How can schools possibly reopen this fall? A conversation with John Bailey
Only six weeks away from the start of the school year, many questions still remain as to what schooling will actually look like come fall. Is it really feasible for schools to reopen for in-person classes as President Trump and others are pushing for? On this episode, Nat Malkus poses that question to John Bailey, […]
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