The Education Gadfly Show

Thomas B. Fordham Institute
  • 4.5 (48)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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, at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

  1. 2D AGO

    Success stories shouldn’t be a secret | Episode 1004 of The Education Gadfly Show

    This week on The Education Gadfly Show, we’re joined by Karin Chenoweth, founder of Democracy and Education and author of Schools that Succeed, to talk about what she’s learned from years of visiting successful classrooms, schools, and districts across the country. We explore a deceptively simple question: Why don’t educators, policymakers, and researchers spend more time studying success? Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern highlights new evidence from New York City showing that small public high schools significantly boost graduation rates and college enrollment, especially for disadvantaged students. Recommended content:  Schools that Succeed —Karin ChenowethLearning from greatness: The conversation continues —Holly Korbey, The Bell RingerBest practices are the worst —Jay P. Greene, Education NextEffects of New York City’s small schools of choice on postsecondary degree attainment and employment —Rebecca Unterman and Miki Shih, MDRC (2026)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show in 2026? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

    38 min

  2. JAN 28

    National School Choice Week: Why “school choice” matters—and where ESAs fit | Episode 1003 of The Education Gadfly Show

    This week on The Education Gadfly Show, we’re marking National School Choice Week with a conversation with Shelby Doyle of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. We talk about why the movement emphasizes school choice rather than educational choice—and whether the growing focus on education savings accounts is a good development for the movement. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern breaks down new evidence on how disability identification varies by student family income, raising important questions about equity, access to services, and how schools classify and support students. Recommended content:  National School Choice Week 2026 — National School Choice Awareness FoundationEducation savings accounts: Boffo or bonkers? | Episode 1002 of The Education Gadfly ShowEducational choice is giving new hope to Catholic schools —Mike McShane for the Thomas B. Fordham InstituteSchool-based disability identification varies by student family income — Nicholas Ainsworth, Christopher Cleveland, Leah R. Clark, Jacob Hibel, Quentin Brummet, Andrew Saultz, Emily Penner, Michelle Spiegel, Paul Yoo, Juan Camilo Cristancho, Paul Hanselman, and Andrew Penner, EdWorking Papers (2026)Minorities Are disproportionately underrepresented in special education —Morgan, Paul L.; Farkas, George; Hillemeier, Marianne M.; Mattison, Richard; Maczuga, Steve; Li, Hui; Cook, Michael, Educational Researcher (2015)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show in 2026? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

    24 min

  3. JAN 21

    Education Savings Accounts: Boffo or bonkers? | Episode 1002 of The Education Gadfly Show

    This week on The Education Gadfly Show, Mike Petrilli goes solo. After recently playing ESA skeptic at an international school choice conference, Mike walks through where he now stands on Education Savings Accounts—laying out the strongest arguments in their favor and explaining why he’s increasingly unconvinced the tradeoffs are worth it. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern highlights new research using Michigan data to examine what happens when students with disabilities switch from traditional public schools to charter schools, focusing on changes in attendance and academic outcomes. Recommended content: Joyful classrooms, but zero public transparency: Inside an ESA micro-school | Episode 987 of The Education Gadfly Show —Thomas B. Fordham InstituteRethinking ESA policy design — Katherine Bathgate, EdChoiceHow Do Charter Schools Serve Students with Disabilities? Lessons from Michigan —Scott Imberman and Andrew Johnson, REACH (2026)Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show in 2026? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

    35 min

  4. JAN 14

    Is tutoring the next big thing? | Episode 1001 of The Education Gadfly Show

    This week, we’re joined by Liz Cohen, vice president of policy at 50CAN, to discuss her book, The Future of Tutoring. Mike and David ask her some tough questions on whether tutoring is worth the investment, and she provides some excellent answers. Then on the Research Minute, Amber highlights new evidence showing that students’ family background plays a key role not just in college major choice, but also in who goes on to graduate school and how earnings unfold over time. Recommended content:  The Future of Tutoring, Lessons from 10,000 School District Tutoring Initiatives —Liz CohenSCHOOLED: Should tutoring play a big role in America’s schools going forward? —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham InstituteThe narrow path to do it right: Lessons from vaccine making for high-dosage tutoring —Mike Goldstein and Bowen Paulle for the Thomas B. Fordham InstituteFamily Background and College Major Choice: Evidence on Major Earnings Growth —Margaret Leighton, Education Finance and Policy (2026) Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show in 2026? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

    33 min

  5. JAN 7

    An Education State of the Union | Episode 1000 of The Education Gadfly Show

    This week, we’re marking a major milestone—Episode 1,000 of The Education Gadfly Show. Instead of focusing on a single topic, we’re branching out for a big-picture conversation about the state of education policy—past, present, and future—with Rick Hess and Tom Loveless, the original co-host of the show and its very first guest. In particular, we wonder whether we were too pessimistic back in the No Child Left Behind era, why education outcomes and other social indicators turned south in the 2010s, and how to kick start progress again. Then, on the Research Minute, we’re thrilled to welcome Amber Northern back to the show after a long hiatus, as she reflects on what education research has taught us since we started podcasting in 2006—and how its use by policymakers has evolved. Recommended content: SCHOOLED: Learning from Rod Paige, Jim Hunt, and Lou Gerstner —Michael J. Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham InstituteNow’s a perfect time to catch up on episodes you may have missed. From advanced education and measuring school quality to reducing chronic absenteeism, you can find past episodes here: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/resource-types/podcast Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show in 2026? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

    39 min

  6. 12/17/2025

    The good, the bad, and the best research of 2025 | Episode 999 of The Education Gadfly Show

    This week, Mike Petrilli looks back at the highs and lows of education reform in 2025 as we wrap up our final episode of the year. Then, on the Research Minute, David Griffith closes things out with a countdown of his top five studies of 2025—plus one bonus pick. Recommended content: Wonkathon 2025: What will make science of reading laws succeed? —Thomas B. Fordham Institute2025 Eddies —PIE NetworkWas 2025 a good year for education reform? —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLEDHave you subscribed to Schooled? Don’t miss out on the education reform community’s hot takes! Click the link below: https://schooledbymikepetrilli.substack.com/ David’s Top Research Minutes of 2025 5. Gender Gaps in the Early Grades: Questioning the Narrative that Schools are Poorly Suited to Young Boys Featured in Episode 9884. How Test Optional Policies in College Admissions Disproportionately Harm High-Achieving Applicants from Disadvantaged Backgrounds Featured in Episode 9553. When Decentralization Works: Leadership, Local Needs, and Student Achievement Featured in Episode 9852. The Effects of Universal School Vouchers on Private School Tuition and Enrollment: A National Analysis Featured in Episode 9861. Who Wants to Be a Teacher in America? Featured in Episode 992Bonus: The Impact of Cell Phone Bans in Schools: Evidence From Florida See also: Cutting the cord: Early evidence on cellphone policy implementation —Alicia Anderson, Thomas B. Fordham Institute-- Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org Share Subscribe now

    31 min

  7. 12/10/2025

    Is the “college enrollment crisis” a myth? | Episode 998 of The Education Gadfly Show

    This week, we’re joined by Matt Barnum, Chalkbeat’s Ideas editor, to unpack whether college enrollment is truly declining—or whether the national narrative has gotten ahead of the data.  Then, on the Research Minute, Fordham’s new national research manager Brian Fitzpatrick highlights evidence from D.C. Public Schools showing that teacher monitoring improves instruction and student outcomes—especially for teachers under pressure to raise test scores.  Recommended content:  Is college enrollment really plummeting? — Matt Barnum, Chalkbeat IdeasIt’s Too Early to Write Off College Degrees —Callum Borchers, The Wall Street JournalDoes Monitoring Change Teacher Pedagogy and Student Outcomes? —Aaron Phipps, Journal of Labor Economics, The University of Chicago Press Journals (2025)-- Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

    29 min

  8. 12/03/2025

    Moving from science of reading laws to science of reading success | Episode 996 of The Education Gadfly Show

    This week, we’re joined by Wonkathon winner Eric Tucker—CEO and president of The Study Group—to talk about his first-place entry on what it will take for the science of reading laws to succeed. Then, on the Research Minute, David Griffith highlights a study showing how much valuable information is lost when individual test questions are collapsed into a single score—and why states could produce better value-added measures by using the rich data they already collect.   Recommended content:  Science of reading 2.0: Assessment in the service of learning as the backbone of science-powered reading improvement — Edmund W. Gordon and Eric Tucker for the Thomas B. Fordham InstituteWonkathon 2025: What will make science of reading laws succeed? —Thomas B. Fordham InstituteDo Test Scores Misrepresent Test Results? An Item-by-Item Analysis —Jesse Bruhn, Michael Gilraine, Jens Ludwig, and Sendhil Mullainathan, EdWorkingPapers (2025)-- Don’t miss our December 4 webinar, Implementation Is Where It’s At: What’s Next for the Science of Reading?, happening at 3:00 p.m. ET. Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

    31 min
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4.5
out of 5
48 Ratings

About

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, at sdistler@fordhaminstitute.org.

Information

  • Creator
    Thomas B. Fordham Institute
  • Years Active
    2006 - 2026
  • Episodes
    524
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Education Gadfly Show
  • Show Website
    The Education Gadfly Show

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