The Education Exchange

Vladimir Kogan, a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Ohio State University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss a new report which finds that half of school board election races go uncontested and that incumbents are reelected more than 80 percent of the time when they run. The report, "High Turnover with Low Accountability: Local School Board Elections in 16 States," co-written with Stéphane Lavertu and Zachary Peskowitz, is available here. https://edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1213

Anna J. Egalite, a Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development in the College of Education at North Carolina State University joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic has helped drive school choice in the state of North Carolina.

Paul DiPerna, Vice President of Research and Innovation for EdChoice, dives into the shifting tides of public opinion on school choice. He discusses how support for vouchers and education savings accounts is rising, especially among minority communities. The podcast also compares polling methodologies and reveals surprising partisan divides in attitudes. DiPerna emphasizes regional differences and the role of messaging campaigns in shaping views, sparking a lively conversation on the future of educational options in America.

Angela R. Watson, a senior research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, dives into the evolving world of homeschooling. She highlights the growth from 3% to 7% participation, revealing surprising demographics that challenge common stereotypes. Discussions include how state laws affect homeschooling rates, the significance of Education Savings Accounts, and parents’ unique definitions of success that often prioritize outcomes beyond traditional college pathways. Watson's insights paint a comprehensive picture of this dynamic educational landscape.

Jason Riley, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Riley’s new book, The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don't Need Racial Preferences to Succeed.

David Figlio, the Gordon Fyfe Professor of Economics and Education at the University of Rochester, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Figlio's latest report, which investigates the effects of a Ohio school voucher program on student college success. The Effects of Ohio’s EdChoice Voucher Program on College Enrollment and Graduation, co-written with Matthew Chingos and Krzysztof Karbownik, is available now. https://www.urban.org/research/publication/effects-ohios-edchoice-voucher-program-college-enrollment-and-graduation

David Zweig joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss new book, An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions, and how the U.S. response to Covid-19 became shaped by politics.

Bhash Mazumder, a Professor of Economics at the University of California, Irvine, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss Mazumder's recent paper, which looks into the history of the Rosenwald Schools in the segregated South and their connection to political activism. "Schooling and Political Activism in the Early Civil Rights Era," co-written with Daniel Aaronson, Mark Borgschulte, and Sunny Liu, is available now. https://www.chicagofed.org/publications/working-papers/2024/2024-06

Ben Scafidi, Professor and Director of the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss the 2025 Kansas Open Enrollment Report and its implications on enrollment policies nationwide.

Michael Hartney, a fellow at the Hoover Institution and assistant professor of political science at Boston College, joins Paul E. Peterson to discuss their new joint research, which finds that states that voted for Kamala Harris in the last presidential election saw more learning loss following the Covid-19 pandemic than those that voted for Donald Trump, according to the most recent results from the 2014 National Assessment of Education Progress. "Red States Have Seen Less Learning Loss," co-written by Hartney and Peterson, is available now. https://www.educationnext.org/red-states-have-seen-less-learning-loss-post-pandemic-scores-nations-report-card-naep/