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The Education Gadfly Show

Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Education Policy
School Choice
Education Reform
Charter Schools
Accountability In Education
Educational Reform
Public Schools
NAEP
Artificial Intelligence
Immigration
Education Savings Accounts
Private School Choice
School Performance Measurement
High-Dosage Tutoring
Covid-19 Pandemic
Special Education
Student Achievement
Education Finance
Federal Educational Choice For Children Act
Education

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, a... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes541Founded20 years ago
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PoliticsEducationNews

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Artwork for The Education Gadfly Show

Latest Episodes

Patrick McAlister, principal of PM Strategies and former director of the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, and Shaina Cavazos, the office’s current director, join The Education Gadfly Show to discuss charter growth after the replic... more

Jonathan Plucker, a research professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Education, and Fordham’s own Alicia Anderson, policy and editorial associate, join The Education Gadfly Show to discuss new research on how little states and the federal government... more

YouTube

Melissa Arnold Lyon joins The Education Gadfly Show to discuss Fordham’s new report, A Crowded Table: Teacher Union Strength in 2026, and what has changed in state education politics since Fordham’s 2012 analysis of teacher union power. How influenti... more

YouTube

On this week’s solo episode of The Education Gadfly Show, Mike Petrilli discusses President Trump’s Education Freedom Tax Credit, including how it works, why he has concerns about its design, and why he still thinks states, including blue states, sho... more

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Recent Guests

Jonathan Plucker
Research professor at Johns Hopkins School of Education; leads IES-funded research center on advanced education
Johns Hopkins University
Episode: Only pennies for advanced learners | Episode 1020 of The Education Gadfly Show
Alicia Anderson
Policy and editorial associate at Fordham
Fordham Institute
Episode: Only pennies for advanced learners | Episode 1020 of The Education Gadfly Show
Melissa Arnold Lyon
Author of the study A Crowded Table, Teacher Union Strength in 2026
University at Albany
Episode: The state of teacher union power | Episode 1019 of The Education Gadfly Show
Jacob Oliva
Arkansas Education Secretary
Arkansas Department of Education
Episode: Can Arkansas make teaching great again? | Episode 1017 of The Education Gadfly Show
Christy Wolfe
Director of K-12 Education at the Bipartisan Policy Center
Bipartisan Policy Center
Episode: From schools to systems: Rethinking improvement | Episode 1016 of The Education Gadfly Show
Jay Plasman
Author of Fordham's study on industry-recognized credentials
The Ohio State University
Episode: College or career? The credential tradeoff | Episode 1013 of The Education Gadfly Show
Jean-Claude Brizard
President and CEO of Digital Promise
Digital Promise
Episode: AI in schools: Promise or pitfall? | Episode 1012 of The Education Gadfly Show
Bibb Hubbard
Founder and CEO of Learning Heroes
Learning Heroes
Episode: Too many A’s, not enough honesty? | Episode 1011 of The Education Gadfly Show
Robin Lake
Director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education
Center on Reinventing Public Education
Episode: Can schools keep up with AI? | Episode 1009 of The Education Gadfly Show

Hosts

Mike Petrilli
Host of The Education Gadfly Show; Fordham Institute
David Griffith
Co-host, provides commentary and discussion

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 52 ratings
  • Testing

    Here’s the thing you missed in your April discussion about state testing: the teachers and children who endure it year after year are humans. Sure, you need the data, but the testing format and rules are awful because the atmosphere is foreign and miserable. Testing weeks are demoralizing for all involved because there is no reward for doing well, and everyone is so worried about breaking a rule. Your researchers better go back to the drawing board to make testing happen in short spurts with qui... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    DA DUDE IZ ME!
    United Statesa year ago
  • Among the best education podcasts

    The coverage is grand in breadth and depth with a keen eye for current trends and historical references. It’s a quality podcast with matter-of-fact coverage and helps you evolve your thinking on the myriad of issues at play as we all (in our own ways) work to improve educational and life outcomes for all of the students, families, and educators the education system serves.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DJCurrySpice
    United States4 years ago
  • Informative and enteraining!

    A super interesting look at educational policy in an easy to consume package! The Education Gadfly Show features fascinating guests and great conversation. It's a must listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Arlie K
    United States5 years ago
  • Witty and engaging!

    Big fan of their guests and the topics they cover. They're great at getting many perspectives.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Pedroalen
    United States6 years ago
  • Well-informed and fun policy and politics

    Even if you don’t agree with many of Education Gadfly’s positions - I’m at best mixed on that score - this is a reliably well-informed, fun, and witty discussion of the most pressing policy and political issues in education. Should be on your subscription short list.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Charliejrz
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Clear, data-driven policy discussions with accessible explanations.
Balanced, engaging coverage of education reform topics.
Thoughtful guests that mix research with practical policy.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

From schools to systems: Rethinking improvement | Episode 1016 of The Education Gadfly Show
Q: What are some of the newer ideas connected to post-secondary workforce and the role of high school policy in this commission's report?
The newer ideas extend beyond school accountability to connect high school policy with post-secondary and workforce outcomes, including treating states as a unit and introducing Beating the Odds funding that increases federal support when states meet goals in academic achievement, thereby tying funds to district-wide and state performance rather than solely individual schools.
Should blue states opt into Trump’s education tax credit? | Episode 1018 of The Education Gadfly Show
Q: What is the core design feature of the Education Freedom Tax Credit and why is it controversial?
It allows individuals to donate to scholarship-granting organizations and claim a tax credit, but the states must opt in and governors can influence which groups or students are eligible, raising concerns about equity, targeting, and oversight.
College or career? The credential tradeoff | Episode 1013 of The Education Gadfly Show
Q: How do you think about this? Is this sort of good news or bad news?
The guest suggests that while there is a short-term income boost for some credentials, the long-term benefits are not uniform and depend on credential type and field; overall, the news is nuanced with potential benefits for some groups and declines for others.
The leaky college pipeline for high-achieving, low-income students | Episode 993 of The Education Gadfly Show
Q: Tell us more about why HALO kids are outnumbered in the top achievement quintile by affluent peers, and what implications this has for policy.
Stéphane explains that the gap emerges as early as third grade and expands dramatically by high school, with fewer low‑income students accessing advanced coursework and selective colleges. The implication is that policy needs to start early, ensuring access to rigorous coursework and environments with high‑achieving peers, such as automatic enrollment in advanced classes.
TFA, Gen-Z, and AI | Episode 989 of The Education Gadfly Show
Q: Where do you see the organization going from here in the next five years?
The next phase focuses on lifting up alumni, expanding leadership roles across systems, deepening early engagement with talent on campuses, and ensuring AI and technology are used to augment teaching while driving literacy gains.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Education Gadfly Show

What is The Education Gadfly Show about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The podcast takes a policy-forward look at education, often centering Fordham Institute analysis and current research. Episodes feature an in-house host duo plus a Research Minute that summarizes new findings, followed by expert guests who dig into topics like science of reading, AI in schools, school choice, curriculum reviews, and early childhood policy. Noteworthy is the consistent pairing of rigorous data with practical policy implications, plus a guest roster that spans university scholars, education nonprofits, and policy organizations. Listeners are likely education policymakers, researchers, teachers, and advocates who want timely, data-informed perspectives on US education reform and its real-world effects.

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How many listeners does The Education Gadfly Show get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Education Gadfly Show?

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How many subscribers and views does The Education Gadfly Show have?

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Which podcasts are similar to The Education Gadfly Show?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Education Gadfly Show:

1. The Report Card with Nat Malkus
2. The Education Exchange
3. KCRW's Left, Right & Center
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

How many episodes of The Education Gadfly Show are there?

The Education Gadfly Show launched 20 years ago and published 541 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Education Gadfly Show?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Education Gadfly Show?

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What guests have appeared on The Education Gadfly Show?

Recent guests on The Education Gadfly Show include:

1. Jonathan Plucker
2. Alicia Anderson
3. Melissa Arnold Lyon
4. Jacob Oliva
5. Christy Wolfe
6. Jay Plasman
7. Jean-Claude Brizard
8. Bibb Hubbard

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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