Freedom to Learn

Last month, Governor Greg Abbott signed the nation’s largest day-one universal school choice program into law. Madison Yandell, the governor’s education advisor, and Vanessa Tanner, chief of staff to Texas House Public Education Committee Chairman Brad Buckley, join the podcast to discuss how education savings accounts (ESAs) finally passed in Texas and the roles of various stakeholders in the legislative process. Madison and Vanes...

New Hampshire is now the 17th state to offer an education freedom program to every student in the state. Governor Kelly Ayotte recently signed legislation that expanded eligibility for the state’s education savings accounts (ESA) program to all K-12 students, regardless of their family income. Jody Underwood joins the podcast to discuss how her organization helps New Hampshire families navigate their growing options. Jody shares in...

Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funding. My colleague Paul Zimmerman joins the podcast to explain Title IX’s original intent to ensure equal educational opportunities regardless of sex, the regulatory evolution and whiplash in recent years, and regulators' attempts to push gender ideology and weaken parental rights. We conclude with a discussion about DFI’s ...

Erin Lee, executive director of Protect Kids Colorado, shares her harrowing experience navigating gender ideology’s impact on her daughter. She discusses the alarming rise of rapid onset gender dysphoria, the cult-like mentality surrounding gender identity, and the challenges parents face in protecting their children from school policies and societal pressures. Erin shares practical steps parents can take to protect their children ...

The U.S. House budget reconciliation bill includes a federal tax credit that could make K-12 scholarships available to students in every state across America. Tony de Nicola, Invest in Education chairman, joins the podcast to discuss the Educational Choice for Children Act’s (ECCA) strong support in Congress, the White House, and the public. De Nicola shares his personal education journey and explains why expanding school choice is...

Starlee Coleman, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ new CEO, joins the podcast to celebrate National Charter Schools Week and the 30th anniversary of the federal Charter School Program. Coleman discusses her 25 years of fighting for education freedom, from overhauling over 100 Texas charter regulations to securing bipartisan wins. Get the scoop on federal policy threats, rural charter growth, and the St. Isidore Supreme ...

David Zweig joins Freedom to Learn to discuss his new book, "An Abundance of Caution: American Schools, the Virus, and a Story of Bad Decisions," a piercing exposé of America’s COVID-era school closure debacle. Zweig reveals how media, health “experts,” and teachers unions ignored real-time evidence, amplified fear, and prioritized politics over children, with devastating class-based consequences. His book uncovers the gr...

Maine State Representative Laurel Libby joins Freedom to Learn to share the personal and political fallout from her public stand on women’s sports. After posting a photo exposing a biological male’s victory in a girls’ track event, Libby was censured by Maine’s Democratic majority and stripped of her voting rights in the legislature. In this candid conversation, Libby discusses the policy shifts in Maine, the federal legal battles ...

When asked, “Should we keep men out of women’s sports?” the vast majority of the American people respond with a resounding “Yes!” May Mailman, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Policy Strategist, joins Freedom to Learn to discuss executive orders related to protecting women's sports and spaces and restoring biological truth. We explore the implications of these orders, public support for reality and common sense, an...

Arizona mother Jenny Clark shares her family's challenging educational journey and how these experiences led her to establish Love Your School, an organization that provides personalized support for parents navigating educational options. Jenny describes how Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) provide families, including families of students with disabilities, with the flexibility to tailor their children’s education to better m...

Do school choice programs really increase segregation, harm rural communities, and deny students with disabilities access to services? Dr. Michael McShane, Director of National Research at EdChoice, joins Freedom to Learn to tackle these and other pervasive education myths. Mike addresses the fearmongering tactics used by opponents and emphasizes the importance of factual evidence in the debate. He explains what studies reveal abou...

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into California’s practice of requiring schools to lie to parents about their child's "gender identity." Julie Hamill, founder of the California Justice Center, joins Freedom to Learn to explain how California’s zealous embrace of gender ideology violates both the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Title IX and puts federal funding...

Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA), a former teacher in inner-city Los Angeles and California State Assembly member, joins Freedom to Learn to discuss the need for education freedom options that prioritize student success. We address the impact of prolonged Covid-era school closures and the harm caused by powerful political forces, like teachers unions and the politicians they control. As Chair of the U.S. House Education and Workforce...

Recently confirmed U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon joins Freedom to Learn to discuss her plans to reduce bureaucracy at the federal Department of Education while ensuring critical federal funding streams like IDEA and Title I continue to reach states and students. Secretary McMahon also dives into the Trump administration's efforts to enhance educational freedom for parents, strengthen federal research, and tackle th...

While awaiting President Trump’s specific plans to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education and “send education back to the states,” congressional committees are holding hearings to explore the policy possibilities. In this episode, Dr. Lindsey Burke, Director of the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, and I reflect on our recent congressional testimonies before a U.S. House Appropriation subcommittee. We discu...

Louisiana was a rare bright spot amid grim Nation’s Report Card math and reading results. Dr. Cade Brumley, Louisiana’s superintendent of education, joins Freedom to Learn to discuss the state's impressive progress and his ambitions for further improvement. He shares insights into the policies driving success–a reading revival focused on the Science of Reading, empowering teachers, and expanding educational freedom for familie...

When asked “Should we keep men out of women’s sports?” the vast majority of the American people respond with a resounding “Yes!” May Mailman, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Policy Strategist, joins Freedom to Learn to discuss the recent executive orders related to protecting women's sports and spaces and restoring biological truth. We explore the implications of these orders, public support for reality and common...

In this episode of Freedom to Learn, Walter Blanks Jr., spokesperson for the American Federation for Children, shares his personal story of escaping a failing school—thanks to a mother who refused to accept the status quo. He reveals how a school choice scholarship in Ohio transformed his future and why he’s fighting to give every child the same opportunity. Walter also breaks down Tennessee’s landmark Education Freedom Act, exposi...

This week on Freedom to Learn, we break down a major development in Tennessee’s education landscape—the passage of the Education Freedom Act of 2025. Passed during an emergency legislative session, this new statewide program expands school choice while making historic investments in public education. Governor Bill Lee, in his State of the State address, declared, “Tennessee will strive to have the best public schools in the nation ...