Are You Kidding Me?

This week, Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former fifth-grade teacher, breaks down the science of reading and its significance for K-12 education. He shares insights from his own teaching experience with traditional literacy approaches, including the challenges in retraining teachers for new, evidence-based methods. Robert also discusses the importance of knowledge-building in reading, strategies for helping older students catch up, and the potential of AI to enhance literacy instruction. A thought-provoking discussion on education awaits!

How can we ensure young Americans understand civics? Our K-12 schools have seen a significant loss in the both the quality and quantity of history and civics requirements. Is there any way reverse this trend? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Chris Sinacola, director of communications and media relations at Pioneer Institute and co-editor of Restoring the City on a Hill: U.S. History & Civics in America’s Schools. Chris discusses his new book and outlines what is behind the steady decline of history and civics education, what testing standards and results indicate about the quality of civics education in schools, the importance of connecting students with the roots of the American nation, and what it will take to preserve American tradition and history. Chris also mentions that although some of the data looks bleak, there are upward trends and ways that parents have been mobilizing to protect and improve their children’s education. ResourcesRestoring the City on a Hill: U.S. History & Civics in America’s Schools | Chris Sinacola, Jamie Gass“I’m Afraid of the Kids We’re Leaving Our Country.” A Conversation with Civics Educator Jack Miller | Naomi Schaefer RileyShow Notes0:46 | What inspired the title, Restoring the City on a Hill? 3:08 | Where are we getting civics education right?6:26 | How much do our students really know, and what motivated the need to study this issue? 10:35 | When did the decline in teaching U.S. history really start?14:57 | How can primary documents become more of the focal point in class?17:04 | How has reception of the book been, and what is the action plan? 20:17 | What role do states play in determining civics curriculum and what benchmarks students should meet?

(Note to listener: This episode contains mention of child abuse and child fatalities.) When children who are already on the radar of their child protection agency die from abuse, it is essential to ask whether and how this death could have been avoided. In particular, could the agency have prevented the death by doing something differently?In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Marie Cohen, a child welfare policy analyst, researcher, and former Washington, DC social worker. Marie authors a blog, Child Welfare Monitor, where she recently released a report analyzing the deaths of 16 children in Washington, DC in which the death was the result of child abuse, or in which child abuse could not be ruled out as a cause of death. Marie discusses her observations from working within DC’s Child and Family Services Agency and participating in a Child Fatality Review Panel in the district, noting the ways social workers were trained to focus on strengths in the families they were working with and the agency’s attempts to prevent a “savior” mentality. She also shares her experience trying to obtain data on these fatalities from the Child and Family Services Agency, noting that the lack of transparency and available data makes it difficult to determine how these deaths could be prevented in the future. Resources: We Are Not Here to Save Children: Abuse and Neglect Deaths after Contact with Child Welfare Services in the District of Columbia, 2019-2021 | Marie CohenPutting the Kids First: A Child Welfare System That Works | Naomi Schaefer RileyShow Notes: 1:07 | How did Child Welfare Monitor originate, and what work are you doing with DC in particular?3:50 | What was involved in your work with the DC Child Fatality Review panel?7:09 | What were your top-line findings when investigated the stories of the 16 children who died in DC?8:48 | How do such blatant deaths of children occur after the child protection system is already involved? 13:27 | What should states be doing to be more transparent? 15:24 | What would the response of the DC child welfare leadership be if they read this report?19:08 | What are your recommendations for greater transparency from child welfare agencies and ways to help prevents deaths like these in the future?

Discussions about the child welfare system are plagued by two false narratives. The first is that cases where children are neglected are simply instances of poverty and can be solved just by providing more material resources to the family. The second is that racial disparities in the system mean that it is plagued by systemic bias and that authorities should stop intervening so frequently in the lives of black families. This episode features a conversation between Naomi and Ian that took place at FREE Forum Denver this past November, a conference hosted by Ian as part of the FREE (family, religion, education, entrepreneurship) Initiative. In the episode, Naomi shares an overview of the child welfare system, including misconceptions about child maltreatment, and analyzes different policy approaches. She and Ian then discuss the societal trends contributing to the problems, and what steps can be taken toward reform. ResourcesThe Relationship Between Child Maltreatment and Poverty | Naomi Schaefer RileyThe Relationship Between Substance Abuse and Child Welfare | Naomi Schaefer RileyFixing Our Child Welfare System to Help America’s Most Vulnerable Kids | Naomi Schaefer RileyShow Notes0:01:50 | Naomi’s remarks begin0:02:58 | Misconceptions around neglect0:07:22 | Misconceptions around racial disparities0:13:55 | Conversation with Ian begins0:14:13 | What were the roles of faith-based organizations before a public child welfare system was created?0:17:48 | What prevents people from acknowledging that substance abuse plays a major role in child maltreatment?0:19:12 | How does the fear of stigmatizing perversely create worse outcomes for children in unsafe situations?0:21:29 | What is the role of adoption in these situations?0:24:35 | What is the ideology behind those who oppose interracial adoption?0:28:25 | What are some examples of policies or strategies that are working successfully?

Even as many parents grow increasingly dissatisfied with their local public schools, finding another option for their children is not always easy – or affordable. Publicly-funded school choice programs aim to bridge this gap, but they have faced enormous political opposition. As the education system rebuilds itself post-pandemic, is there hope that school-choice programs will gain more traction? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Darla Romfo, president and CEO of the Children’s Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to providing scholarships for low-income students to attend private schools. Darla discusses the opportunities that have opened up around school choice in recent years, the rise of homeschooling and church-based schooling, and how Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) can serve as a vehicle to help more parents gain access to educational options. She also points out that though school choice programs face opposition from some corners, support remains high among parents, Republicans, and even the majority of Democrats. ResourcesHome Schooling’s Rise from Fringe to Fastest-Growing Form of Education | The Washington PostLet Parents Choose Their Kids Schools | Darla Romfo Why We Must Eliminate Barriers to School Choice Nationwide | Ian RoweThe Death of Public School’ Review: Find a Place to Learn | Naomi Schaefer Riley Show Notes0:00:48 | What is the current climate around Educations Savings Accounts and what is the potential for growth?0:06:56 | What is the rationale behind opposition to school choice programs?0:08:27 | To what degree are finances a barrier for families considering homeschooling? 0:12:06 | What are the trends among Catholic schools with the rise of ESAs? 0:16:51 | How will states respond to the backlash against public school policies? 0:18:24 | How do organizations like CSF grow and how can listeners support school choice programs in their states?

New research shows students in 2023 are making less progress in reading and math than their counterparts were prior to the pandemic. Rather than catching up after the return to in-person schooling, students fell even further behind. How can this be and what can we do about it?In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Michael J. Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and visiting fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. Mike identifies contributing factors to the issue, such as chronic absenteeism and the lowering or elimination of assessment benchmarks. He argues that along with the need to place high expectations on students, we must learn to hold teachers and parents accountable for ensuring students learn. Lastly, Mike discusses bipartisan efforts to get America’s students back on track. ResourcesWe Can Fight Learning Loss Only With Accountability and Action | Michael J. Petrilli Unlocking the Future | Ian Rowe, Robert Pondiscio, Jessica Schurz, John BaileyShow Notes00:41 | Do we have to accept the reality that students are behind due to the pandemic?03:43 | Why is it that students are moving backwards?06:32 | Are policy leaders, parents, and educators paying attention to this issue?10:59 | Do state-takeovers of education systems help with accountability?13:35 | How do you strengthen teachers’ abilities to hold students’ accountable?16:09 | What is the political landscape around education reform? Are there any bipartisan efforts happening?22:29 | Are states mirroring other states’ policies or is there tunnel-vision when it comes to education reform?

Single-parent households are more common in the U.S. than in any other country. Can we afford to ignore this reality when discussing issues of poverty and economic mobility? This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Melissa Kearney, Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland and author of the new book “The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind.” Melissa makes a data-driven case for why the decline of marriage is a major driving factor of unequal outcomes for kids, particularly since children in two-parent households are more likely to achieve higher levels of education. She argues that while there are legitimate concerns about marriage in certain situations, the reluctance to acknowledge the importance of family structure by some scholars is counterproductive. Far from avoiding the subject, we should be collecting more data on family structure, along with race, income, and other highly studied factors, in order to more fully understand how to improve children’s outcomes. Even further, Melissa states we must re-establish the social norm of marriage, even as we seek out evidence-based policies that encourage two-parent households. Resources• The Two-Parent Privilege | Melissa Kearney • A Driver of Inequality That Not Enough People Are Talking About | Melissa Kearney• No Culture Wars, Please, We’re Academics | Naomi Schaefer Riley• The Privilege Hiding in Plain Sight | Ian RoweShow Notes• 0:00:38 | what inspired you to write this book, as an economist?• 0:06:25 | why do you think results showing the importance of two-parent families often get buried? • 0:16:10 | how do we elevate family structure as a discussion point when addressing child outcomes?• 0:20:02 | what proposals do you have for encouraging two-parent families? How skeptical are you of the solutions that have already been put forward?• 0:25:35 | is adoption a viable pathway to help build stable families?• 0:27:46 | can public dollars drive solutions for an issue that is deeply rooted in the culture?• 0:32:26 | how can your book be a catalyst for creating more unity on this issue?

Over the summer, the California State Board of Education proposed its new math framework, a nearly 1,000 page document that has generated considerable controversy. While some are criticizing the overt political content within the framework, the more important question is: Will the framework actually help students learn math?This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Brian Conrad, mathematics professor and the director of undergraduate mathematics studies at Stanford University, to discuss the new framework. Brian focuses on the framework’s pitch for schools to offer “data science” courses as an alternative to Algebra II. Brian explains that not only are these data science courses much lighter in math content, but they also have the potential to steer students off track from being able to study actual Data Science at the college level. He argues that the framework’s proposals center on optics, or “fake equity,” as opposed to changes that would actually serve disadvantaged students. As other proposals emerge in other states, without any clarity on the long term consequences for students, Brian notes that parents and university professors need to push back. ResourcesCalifornia’s Math Misadventure Is About to Go National | Brian Conrad | The AtlanticPublic Comments on the CMF | Brian ConradShow Notes1:04 | What about the proposed California Math Framework was so concerning to you?3:34 | What is data science as a field of study at the college level, and how would you describe the content of data science courses being advocated for at the high school level?6:54 | What is the best progression of math from 8th grade through high school to ensure that students are best prepared for college? 10:00 | What response did you receive when you released your public comment? 11:45 | What happened in the San Francisco experiment with the new CMF? 13:28 | What do you think about CalTech’s decision to create an alternative pathway to admission for students that don’t have access to upper level courses in math and science?18:08 | Do you think the tide is turning against “fake equity” proposals or will more of the country follow California’s footsteps?20:20 | Is the concern behind some of these new proposals that allowing certain students to excel will cause inequity? Is that concern valid?24:28 | What happens now that the new framework has passed?

On October 2nd, England’s Department of Education announced it will back all head teachers who ban smartphone use in schools, even during break times. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, during the 2019-20 school year, 77% of public schools in the U.S. said they did not allow phone use during school hours, yet many schools still struggle to enforce such policies. What can educators do to ensure distraction-free environments where students can focus on learning? Naomi and Ian are back after a few months’ hiatus and joined by Katharine Birbalsingh, founder and head teacher of Michael Community School, a free school established in 2014 in Wembley Park, London. Katharine explains Michaela’s “if we see it, if we hear it, we take it” policy on phone use in school, along with the remarkable results she has seen in student performance and behavior during the school day. Consistency in messaging and enforcement, she explains, is the key to creating a culture where teachers, parents, and even students, are in support of a phone-free environment. Beyond just banning phones, Michaela seeks to instill in students the principles of personal responsibility, self-discipline, and resilience. Katharine outlines how she applies these principles to specific issues like assigning homework, encouraging all students to see themselves as “British,” not just members of a particular racial or ethnic group, and teaching children “knowledge” over “skills.” ResourcesFinally, We’re All Wising up About the Dangers of Screen Time for Kids – Naomi Schaefer Riley, The Los Angeles TimesThe Power of Culture: The Michaela Way – book by Katharine Birbalsingh Katharine Birbalsingh on Michaela – The Report Card with Nat MalkusShow Notes0:00:50 – What is Michaela’s approach to devices in school?0:06:47 – How do you gain consistency among your team regarding phone use?0:15:14 – How replicable are Michaela’s policies, and is anyone attempting to replicate them?0:19:31 – How does a free school in England compare to a charter school in America? 0:24:42 – is the success of the Michaela model garnering attention from policymakers and leaders in education? 0:28:04 – how does E.D. Hirsch’s book, The Making of Americans, influence your educational philosophy and practice at Michaela?

75 percent of 10 year-old black children are not at grade-level proficiency in math or reading. How is this possible? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Robert Cherry, adjunct fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the new book The State of the Black Family: Sixty Years of Tragedies and Failures—and New Initiatives Offering Hope. As an economist and journalist, Robert documents how unstable family structures are contributing to the problems plaguing black communities today, including gun violence and underperformance in the classroom. Robert explains that marriage rates are significantly lower for blacks than whites, which means fewer black children are being born into two-parent families. Multi-partner fertility—having kids with multiple people—is also disproportionately high among black women. Instead of government-based solutions that try to substitute for the family, such as universal preschool, Robert advocates for policies that focus on helping the family, like home visiting programs to increase caregiver capacity. To address racial gaps in education, Robert argues for establishing stackable certificate programs to compensate vocational workers for experience, along with extending Pell Grant eligibility for apprenticeships. Resources• The State of the Black Family: Sixty Years of Tragedies and Failures—and New Initiatives Offering Hope | Robert Cherry• Distance to 100: An Alternative to Racial Achievement Gaps | Ian RoweShow Notes• 02:20 | Dynamics in the black family• 04:06 | The state of the black family 60 years ago• 05:10 | Vulnerabilities in the black community• 09:03 | Policy recommendations to support the family• 16:50 | Renewed approach to vocational training