Freedom to Learn

Ginny Gentles

Season 2 of the Freedom to Learn podcast makes the urgent case for returning education to states, communities, and families. In Washington, President Trump is challenging partisan teacher unions and federal bureaucrats by enacting a new K–12 scholarship tax credit, restructuring the Department of Education, and rooting out civil rights violations in schools. Each week, host Ginny Gentles speaks with policymakers and advocates about bold reforms that improve academic performance and shift power closer to students. Every episode examines what becomes possible when education is freed from union dominance and federal control. Produced by the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC.

  1. Cory Brewer on Girls’ Privacy, School Board Accountability, & The Future of Title IX Enforcement

    6D AGO

    Cory Brewer on Girls’ Privacy, School Board Accountability, & The Future of Title IX Enforcement

    When parents in a small Wisconsin town discovered that male students are allowed to use girls’ bathrooms at their local high school, they didn’t stay silent. This week on Freedom to Learn, Cory Brewer of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) unpacks what’s happening in New Richmond, and why this fight is about far more than one school district. Cory explains: What Title IX actually requires (and what it doesn’t).How regulatory “ping pong” between administrations has created confusion for school boards.Why some districts claim their “hands are tied” by federal law.How parents can respond when schools adopt unwritten policies that affect student privacy.The legal and policy reforms that are needed to restore clarity and protect girls’ spaces.We also discuss the broader constitutional principles at stake and why more families across the country are choosing to speak up. WILL Releases New Model Policy Protecting Girls Privacy at School Student Privacy in Restrooms and Locker Rooms Schoolboardpolicies.org The RESPECT Title IX Act 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe 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!

    31 min
  2. Steven Wilson on How Social Justice Ideology, Colleges of Education, & Unions Derail Education Reform

    FEB 26

    Steven Wilson on How Social Justice Ideology, Colleges of Education, & Unions Derail Education Reform

    Steven Wilson, author of The Lost Decade: Returning to the Fight for Better Schools in America, joins the podcast for a frank discussion about the entities that forced the “lost decade” in K-12 education on students, families, and school communities. We examine how colleges of education prioritize ideology; how union power and demands constrain district leadership; how the “No Excuses” charter model initially transformed outcomes for low-income students, and why some charter networks abandoned that focus. We explore the rise of anti-racism fervor that engulfed the K-12 sector, and what it will take to return to academic excellence. There are bright spots, like New York’s Success Academy network. There are hard truths that must be reckoned with. And Steven assures us that there is a healthy path forward. https://www.stevenfwilson.com/ 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe 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!

    39 min
  3. Julie Young on Getting Virtual Education, Performance-based Funding, & Education Leadership Right

    FEB 19

    Julie Young on Getting Virtual Education, Performance-based Funding, & Education Leadership Right

    Julie Young, founding president of the Florida Virtual School (FLVS), turned a two-page concept paper for a “web school” into the first statewide online public school while battling resistance from districts and unions at every step. During her 17 years at the helm, Julie grew FLVS from a small local pilot serving 77 students in 1997 into a national leader that currently educates over 200,000 Florida students annually. In today’s episode, she reveals how she navigated opposition, won over legislators, secured performance-based funding, created FLVS district franchises, and trained educators, while ensuring students received high-quality online education. Julie also delves into the differences between the emergency “Zoom schools” of the COVID era and well-designed virtual programs. Julie Young is the co-editor of Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America and author of the upcoming book Say Yes, How Virtual Became a Reality. Virtual Schools, Actual Learning, Digital Education in America 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe 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!

    40 min
  4. Lindsay Fryer on Returning Education to States, Communities, & Families

    FEB 12

    Lindsay Fryer on Returning Education to States, Communities, & Families

    Lindsay Fryer, a former senior staffer on Capitol Hill, joins the podcast to unpack the opportunities and limitations of the current push to "return education to the states."  With her pivotal role in the reauthorization that transitioned the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) from NCLB to ESSA, Lindsay offers unique insights into the federal government's influence over education, a domain traditionally managed by state and local authorities. We discuss what the administration can achieve through guidance, waivers (including Iowa’s approved waiver and Indiana’s waiver application), and other actions, and explore the roles governors, state education chiefs, and Congress play in empowering states, communities, and families. U.S. Department of Education Approves Iowa’s Returning Education to the States Waiver 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe 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!

    38 min
  5. Shelby Doyle on Polling Parents, Expanding Options, & Celebrating National School Choice Week

    FEB 5

    Shelby Doyle on Polling Parents, Expanding Options, & Celebrating National School Choice Week

    Last week, over 26,000 schools and groups held National School Choice Week celebrations to encourage parents to explore school choice options – including open enrollment, charter schools, magnet schools, microschools, homeschooling, and private schools – and urge policymakers to expand them. Shelby Doyle, Senior Vice President of Policy and National Partnerships for the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss School Choice Week, recent parent polling, the different types of school choice, and tools to help parents navigate their options. https://schoolchoiceawareness.org/national-survey-2026/ https://schoolchoiceweek.com/ https://myschoolchoice.com/ 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe 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!

    26 min
  6. Florida Commissioner of Education Stasi Kamoutsas on Florida’s School Choice Victories, Myths, & Lessons Learned

    JAN 29

    Florida Commissioner of Education Stasi Kamoutsas on Florida’s School Choice Victories, Myths, & Lessons Learned

    There’s so much to celebrate during National School Choice Week as education freedom continues to expand across the country. Governors in multiple states are opting into the federal scholarship tax credit, while participation in state school choice programs continues to grow nationwide. In this episode of Freedom to Learn, Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas joins the podcast to discuss why Florida consistently ranks as the #1 state for education freedom and what other states can learn from its success. The conversation covers Florida school choice history, myths, and lessons learned, as well as parental rights, the wide array of K-12 policies that are improving Florida’s academic outcomes, and Commissioner Kamoutsas’ priorities for the upcoming year. 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe 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!

    28 min
  7. Melissa Batie-Smoose & Vernadette Broyles on Courage, Consequences, & the Future of Title IX

    JAN 22

    Melissa Batie-Smoose & Vernadette Broyles on Courage, Consequences, & the Future of Title IX

    When Melissa Batie-Smoose took a stand to protect the women she coached, she lost her job and her coaching career. In this episode we sit down with Melissa, former associate head women’s volleyball coach at San Jose State University, and Vernadette Broyles, Melissa’s attorney, for a conversation about courage, conscience, and the future of women’s sports. As the U.S. Supreme Court considers landmark cases that could redefine sex-based protections in athletics, Melissa’s story puts a human face on what’s at stake. Melissa shares what it means to speak up and take legal action when institutions–and her fellow coaches–stay silent. We also look ahead to the legal and policy battles still to come, including why efforts like DFI’s RESPECT Title IX Act model legislation matter for restoring clarity, fairness, and safety. 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe 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!

    33 min
  8. Kate Baker Demers on School Choice Leadership, Education Savings Accounts, & National Momentum

    JAN 15

    Kate Baker Demers on School Choice Leadership, Education Savings Accounts, & National Momentum

    Kate Baker Demers, Executive Director of Children’s Scholarship Fund–New Hampshire, joins the podcast to share how a determined mom helped transform New Hampshire into a national leader in education freedom. Kate traces the origins of the state’s school choice ecosystem, from launching New Hampshire’s first education tax credit scholarship program to advancing the creation of Education Freedom Accounts (education savings accounts) that now serve thousands of families. In this episode, Kate explains how grassroots leadership, persistence through political controversy, and an unwavering focus on families expanded educational opportunity, especially for low- and middle-income students. We also explore what’s next for the school choice movement, including the promise of the new federal scholarship tax credit and why it could be a game-changer for education access nationwide. 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe 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!

    31 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Season 2 of the Freedom to Learn podcast makes the urgent case for returning education to states, communities, and families. In Washington, President Trump is challenging partisan teacher unions and federal bureaucrats by enacting a new K–12 scholarship tax credit, restructuring the Department of Education, and rooting out civil rights violations in schools. Each week, host Ginny Gentles speaks with policymakers and advocates about bold reforms that improve academic performance and shift power closer to students. Every episode examines what becomes possible when education is freed from union dominance and federal control. Produced by the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC.

Information

  • Creator
    Ginny Gentles
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Freedom to Learn
  • Show Website
    Freedom to Learn

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