The Education Gadfly Show
Thomas B. Fordham Institute
For more than 15 years, the Fordham Institute has been hosting a weekly podcast, The Education Gadfly Show. Each week, you’ll get lively, entertaining discussions of recent education news, usually featuring Fordham’s Mike Petrilli and David Griffith. Then the wise Amber Northern will recap a recent research study. For questions or comments on the podcast, contact its producer, Stephanie Distler, at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 8, 2021 • 29min
#777: O-H-I-O: School reform victories in the Buckeye State - 07/08/21
On this week’s podcast, Chad Aldis, Fordham’s vice president for Ohio policy, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the big ed reform victories this past legislative session on private school choice, charter schools, and accountability. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how parents use education savings accounts.
Jul 1, 2021 • 26min
#776: Can curriculum reform succeed where the rest of standards-based reform failed? - 07/01/21
On this week’s podcast, Morgan Polikoff, Associate Professor of Education at USC, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss his new book, Beyond Standards: The Fragmentation of Education Governance and the Promise of Curriculum Reform. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how the spread of universal free meals affects students’ perceptions of safety.
Jun 23, 2021 • 21min
#775: The State of State Standards for Civics and U.S. History - 06/23/21
On this week’s podcast, Jeremy Stern, coauthor of Fordham's new report, The State of State Standards for Civics and U.S. History in 2021, joins Mike Petrilli, David Griffith, and Checker Finn to discuss what the analysis found.
Jun 16, 2021 • 27min
#774: Research Deep Dive: The impact of urban charter schools - 06/16/21
On this week’s podcast, Brian Gill, senior fellow at Mathematica and director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith for the fourth installment of our Research Deep Dive series, this one focusing on the impact of urban charter schools on student outcomes—for those in both the charter and traditional public schools.
Jun 10, 2021 • 27min
#773: Should schools offer a virtual option this fall? - 06/10/21
On this week’s podcast, Derrell Bradford, newly appointed president of 50CAN, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss whether New York City and other major districts should still offer a virtual option this fall. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how well Arkansas’s middle and high school postsecondary-readiness metrics predict college outcomes.
Jun 2, 2021 • 22min
#772: What’s going to happen to the NAEP reading test? - 06/02/21
On this week’s podcast, Checker Finn joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the current kerfuffle over the NAEP reading assessment. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines whether alternative certification policies increase the number of new teachers of color.
May 27, 2021 • 28min
#771: Same old, same old: How districts are spending federal relief dollars (so far) - 05/26/21
On this week’s podcast, Chad Aldeman, policy director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the latest trends in school district spending of federal relief funds. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how learning acceleration can recover learning loss.
May 20, 2021 • 25min
#770: Hooray for Florida’s new school choice legislation - 05/20/21
On this week’s podcast, Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up for Students, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss the potential impact of and lessons from Florida’s new school choice expansion. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how users engage with professional learning that takes place online.
May 12, 2021 • 24min
#769: Should we break up behemoth school districts? - 05/12/21
On this week’s podcast, Howard Husock, adjunct scholar in Domestic Policy Studies at AEI, joins Mike Petrilli and David Griffith to discuss his new report, “The case for breaking up big urban school systems.” On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines children’s learning outcomes when they read on paper versus digital devices.
May 5, 2021 • 23min
#768: Debating Biden’s universal pre-K plan - 05/05/21
On this week’s podcast, Mike Petrilli, Checker Finn, and David Griffith discuss President Biden’s proposal for universal preschool. On the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines how school board size affects charter schooling and teacher salaries.
