Freedom to Learn

Ginny Gentles
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

On this season of Freedom to Learn, we're exploring the implementation of education policies that put power back where it belongs, closest to students. Each episode will reveal how policymakers and advocates are turning historic legislative victories into education freedom reality for millions of parents and students. Over the last two years, our Freedom to Learn guests have made the case for creating a new Education Freedom Tax Credit, expanding state education savings account programs, returning education to states, communities, and families, and ending the era of union dominance. Join us this season as we explore what's possible when education is student-centered and free from bureaucratic control. Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute.

  1. 5d ago

    Patrick Wolf on Arkansas’s Education Freedom Accounts, Universal Access, & Early Results

    When Arkansas’s Education Freedom Accounts went universal last year, enrollment soared by 212% to 44,524 students. Dr. Patrick Wolf joins the podcast to discuss who’s participating, why families choose the program, and how the funds are used. Dr. Wolf’s new report on the program also examines rural access to education options, participation among students with disabilities, program accountability, and early academic achievement results. Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/offices/office-of-school-choice-and-parent-empowerment/education-freedom-accounts 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicySubscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes!📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

    Patrick Wolf on Arkansas’s Education Freedom Accounts, Universal Access, & Early Results

  2. Sep 24

    Patrick Graff on the Education Freedom Tax Credit’s 52 Million Eligible Students, 121 Million Potential Donors, & 31 Participating States

    The new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit could reshape the K-12 education landscape faster than most people realize. American Federation for Children senior fellow Patrick Graff’s new research reveals who can fund and who can receive tax credit-funded scholarships. Ginny Gentles and Patrick discuss how the new federal tax credit works, the 52 million students who could qualify for tax credited-funded scholarships, the 121 million taxpayers who are eligible to claim the tax credit and fund scholarships, and why state participation will determine which families benefit. They also explore the program’s potential to generate billions in new K-12 education funding. Who Can Receive a Scholarship? The Eligible K-12 Student Population Under the New Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC): https://www.federationforchildren.org/new-estimates-project-that-52-million-k-12-students-eligible-for-the-education-freedom-tax-credit-eftc/ Who Can Fund a Scholarship? Updated Donor Estimates under the New Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC): https://www.federationforchildren.org/who-can-fund-a-scholarship-under-the-eftc/ Federal School Choice Could Be Huge: Possibly many billions in scholarships, even with modest donor uptake, The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/federal-school-choice-tax-credit-donations-patrick-graff-report-3044cba3 EFTC participating states for 2027: https://www.irs.gov/government-entities/federal-state-local-governments/federal-scholarship-tax-credit-fstc 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicySubscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes!📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

    Patrick Graff on the Education Freedom Tax Credit’s 52 Million Eligible Students, 121 Million Potential Donors, & 31 Participating States

  3. Sep 17

    Mandy Drogin on Texas Education Freedom Accounts, Great Books, & the Classroom Comeback

    Texas families are demanding more education options and expecting more of the education system. Ginny Gentles talks with Mandy Drogin, host of the Parent Empowerment podcast, about the 120,000 students benefiting from Texas’s education freedom accounts this year, the huge demand from families of students with special needs, and the growing marketplace of schools, tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and more. Mandy also makes the case for classical education and the Great Books, exposes what she calls the “education cartel,” and previews her upcoming book, Classroom Comeback: How Americans Can Make Education Great Again. Texas Education Freedom Accounts: https://educationfreedom.texas.gov/ Classroom Comeback: How Americans Can Make Education Great Again: https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/classroom-comeback/?srsltid=AfmBOor8PeL5Gbm7C9vRBz7Og_qFgna3E71qM9jN5LCA5TzDxMblsWcN 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicySubscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes!📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

    Mandy Drogin on Texas Education Freedom Accounts, Great Books, & the Classroom Comeback

  4. Sep 10

    Daniel Buck on Fixing Classroom Chaos, Balancing Teacher Prep Programs, & Addressing the Teacher-Parent Divide

    This week on Freedom to Learn, DFI Guest Host Angela Morabito is joined by Daniel Buck, American Enterprise Institute Research Fellow and Director of the Conservative Education Reform Network (CERN). Daniel breaks down the student behavior crisis facing America’s K–12 classrooms, explaining how persistent low-level disruptions contribute to teacher burnout. He also reveals the progressive ideological imbalance facing teacher preparation programs today and what can be done to fix it, defends the importance of standardized testing, and shares how schools can restore the parent-teacher divide. Pedagogy of the Progressives: A Review of Syllabi from Graduate Schools of Education, Sept. 9, 2026, by Daniel Buck: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/pedagogy-of-the-progressives-a-review-of-syllabi-from-graduate-schools-of-education/ Colleges Train Future Teachers to Push Woke Agenda, Aug. 11, 2026, by Angela Morabito: https://www.realcleareducation.com/2026/08/10/colleges_train_future_teachers_to_push_woke_agenda_1199374.html 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicySubscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes!📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

    Daniel Buck on Fixing Classroom Chaos, Balancing Teacher Prep Programs, & Addressing the Teacher-Parent Divide

  5. Sep 3

    Under Secretary Nicholas Kent on Alternative Pathways, Reforming Accreditation, & Transparency in Higher Education

    We’re back with another episode of Freedom to Learn, with DFI’s Angela Morabito filling in for Host Ginny Gentles. This week, U.S. Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent joins the podcast to give an inside look on how the The Department of Education is bringing transparency to higher education’s foreign financial ties, partnering with the U.S. Department of the Treasury to better manage student loans, dismantling the accreditation monopoly by encouraging competition and ending administrative bloat, and the Education Department’s efforts to implement Workforce Pell to expand alternative pathways to education outside of the traditional 4-year college degree. 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicySubscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes!📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

    Under Secretary Nicholas Kent on Alternative Pathways, Reforming Accreditation, & Transparency in Higher Education

  6. Jul 30

    RE-RELEASE: Gov. Jeb Bush on School Choice Victories, Union Lawsuits, & Why Reform is Never Complete

    This week on Freedom to Learn, we’re re-releasing our conversation with Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush on the Florida teachers union's lawsuit targeting the state's education freedom programs and why he believes it is destined to fail. Governor Bush reflects on the bold reforms that transformed Florida from one of the nation's lowest-performing education systems into a national leader in student achievement and parental choice. He also makes the case for returning more authority from Washington to the states, tackles persistent myths about school choice and accountability, and shares the philosophy that guided his work for the last three decades: "Success is never final. Reform is never complete." 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicySubscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes!📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

    RE-RELEASE: Gov. Jeb Bush on School Choice Victories, Union Lawsuits, & Why Reform is Never Complete

  7. Jul 23

    RE-RELEASE: Bill Jacobson on Intersectionality, Anti-American Ideology, & How to Stop It

    Intersectionality has quietly become the unseen driver behind today’s divisive education policies, anti-American sentiments, and campus radicalization. This week on Freedom to Learn, we are re-releasing our episode featuring William A. Jacobson, Cornell Law School professor and founder of the Legal Insurrection Foundation. He sounds the alarm on this dangerous ideological “mother’s milk” that feeds critical race theory, DEI, and even some acts of domestic extremism and describes how teachers unions and colleges of education pushed intersectionality into K-12 classrooms. He also provides concrete actions policymakers should take to confront intersectionality directly, including executive orders and guidance, federal funding oversight, and congressional hearings. Intersectionality: The Rise of a Dangerous Anti-American Ideology and How to Stop It: https://dfipolicy.org/report-intersectionality/ The Root Cause: DEI Won't Disappear Until This Is Stopped: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/4611193/dei-wont-disappear-until-intesectionality-is-stopped/ 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicySubscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes!📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

    RE-RELEASE: Bill Jacobson on Intersectionality, Anti-American Ideology, & How to Stop It

  8. Jul 16

    RE-RELEASE: DFI’s Paul Zimmerman on Title IX, the RESPECT Title IX Act, & the Need for Congressional Action

    On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for women and girls, ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox that schools may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex without violating Title IX or the Constitution. DFI filed an amicus brief supporting West Virginia and Idaho and has been at the forefront of the fight to restore Title IX to its original promise. DFI filed the first-in-the-nation lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s unlawful Title IX rewrite and helped secure the first preliminary injunction blocking the rule. But even after this important Supreme Court victory, the Title IX regulatory ping-pong is far from over. This week on Freedom to Learn, we are re-releasing a June 2025 episode featuring DFI Senior Policy and Regulatory Counsel Paul Zimmerman. Paul explains Title IX’s original purpose of ensuring equal educational opportunity on the basis of sex, the law’s regulatory evolution and the policy whiplash of recent years, and efforts by federal regulators to inject gender ideology into schools while weakening parental rights, due process, and free speech. The episode concludes with a permanent solution: DFI’s RESPECT Title IX Act. The comprehensive model law would end the regulatory whiplash by codifying enduring protections for women’s and girls’ sports and intimate spaces, campus due process, free speech, religious liberty, and parental rights. DFI's RESPECT Title IX Act: dfipolicy.org/titleix DFI Amicus Brief: West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox: https://dfipolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/BPJ-SCOTUS-Amicus-Brief-9.19.2025.pdf 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicyFollow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicySubscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes!📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

    RE-RELEASE: DFI’s Paul Zimmerman on Title IX, the RESPECT Title IX Act, & the Need for Congressional Action
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On this season of Freedom to Learn, we're exploring the implementation of education policies that put power back where it belongs, closest to students. Each episode will reveal how policymakers and advocates are turning historic legislative victories into education freedom reality for millions of parents and students. Over the last two years, our Freedom to Learn guests have made the case for creating a new Education Freedom Tax Credit, expanding state education savings account programs, returning education to states, communities, and families, and ending the era of union dominance. Join us this season as we explore what's possible when education is student-centered and free from bureaucratic control. Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute.

Information

  • Creator
    Ginny Gentles
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Freedom to Learn
  • Show Website
    Freedom to Learn

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