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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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes538Founded20 years ago
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EducationPoliticsNews

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Artwork for The Education Gadfly Show

Latest Episodes

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

YouTube

Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva joins The Education Gadfly Show to discuss the sweeping Arkansas LEARNS reforms, from early literacy and teacher pay to career pathways, parent empowerment, and new approaches to teacher preparation. Why did A... more

YouTube

Christy Wolfe, director of K–12 policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, joins the Education Gadfly Show to discuss a new report on the American workforce—and what it means for K–12 education. As policymakers call for a clearer national talent strateg... more

YouTube

On this week’s episode, Mike Petrilli is joined by David Griffith and Brian Fitzpatrick to discuss Fordham’s latest report, From the Teacher’s Desk: A Science of Reading Progress Report. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of K–3 teachers, ... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

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
Drew Bailey
Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine
UC Irvine
Episode: What the fadeout effect means for testing, accountability, and school choice | Episode 1008 of The Education Gadfly Show
Karen Vaites
Founder of The Curriculum Insight Project
The Curriculum Insight Project
Episode: When state curriculum lists go bad | Episode 1007 of The Education Gadfly Show
Amber Northern
Research Minute host, Fordham Institute
Fordham Institute
Episode: Mike gives easy A’s a big ole F | Episode 1006 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.

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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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Which podcasts are similar to The Education Gadfly Show?

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

1. Have You Heard
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. Interesting Times with Ross Douthat
4. Conversations with Tyler
5. The Argument

How many episodes of The Education Gadfly Show are there?

The Education Gadfly Show launched 20 years ago and published 538 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?

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What guests have appeared on The Education Gadfly Show?

Recent guests on The Education Gadfly Show include:

1. Jacob Oliva
2. Christy Wolfe
3. Jay Plasman
4. Jean-Claude Brizard
5. Bibb Hubbard
6. Robin Lake
7. Drew Bailey
8. Karen Vaites

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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