WonkyFolk

CharterFolk

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Education
Updated Biweekly

WonkyFolk is a discussion series between Andy Rotherham and Jed Wallace intended to provide an informative and engaging forum where education reformers can grapple with tough issues related to our shared quest to improve public education in our country.

1d ago

Vol 37 - Reed, Rahm, and Randi: The New Three R's in Education?

The founder of Netflix says school is about to be unrecognizable. A former mayor is talking about reading scores. A teachers' union president is boycotting Target. Reed Hastings, Rahm Emanuel, and Randi Weingarten — Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham take the three in turn. Reed Hastings makes the technologist's case, and Andy, who moderated his conversation with Mike Goldstein, isn't buying the analogy that carries it: personalized learning is not personalized medicine. Jed has a study out of China where homework quality soared and measured learning fell behind classrooms using no AI at all. Rahm Emanuel, meanwhile, is speaking common sense about schools at a moment when common sense sounds radical — and Andy thinks that lane is worth more than the endorsement everyone else is chasing. And Randi Weingarten is boycotting Target, which Andy suspects has almost nothing to do with Target, while Jed thinks it will cost the sector something real. In this episode: Andy on Reed Hastings the technologist — "for a lot of people in Silicon Valley, technology, it is a faith"Why Hastings' analogy to personalized cancer drugs struck Andy as "almost like a category error"The Economist's write-up of a Chinese dataset: homework quality up, measured learning down against classrooms without AIJed's daughter's clinical psychology program, where a bot now stands in for a first practicum clientWhy Andy thinks the biggest gains may be teacher-facing — training, screening, and remediation rather than student tutoringCognitive offloading, and why "a crappy lesson off of ChatGPT or Claude isn't any better than getting one off of Pinterest"Jed on AI as a force magnifier arriving exactly when adult ambivalence is at its worstThe techlash, and Andy's insistence that the first response to a sweeping declaration should be more questionsLiz Cohen's "Dry January for tech," and cell phone bans as "a white flag that we don't know what to do"Virginia: Nina's CharterFolk piece, a state with roughly seven charter schools, and a law that lets only localities authorizeYoungkin's twenty lab schools — shipbuilding, aerospace on the Eastern Shore — and the politics threatening themJed's California strategy: put a charter in all fifty-six counties and force the recordWhether the 2020 presidential primary locked in the Democratic Party's posture toward charters — and what a 2028 field might doRahm Emanuel "staking out the common sense lane," and why education reads to voters as a proxy for seriousnessEnrollment decline, the end of COVID funding, and Jed's 2021 thought exercise about Sacramento UnifiedRandi Weingarten's boycott of Target, Andy's late-night Walmart story, and a corporate sector that had already decided education was a no-win proposition Show Notes & Resources: The conversation behind this episode: Reed Hastings and Mike Goldstein, moderated by Andy Rotherham (Bellwether)Reed Hastings on the impact of AI on schools (The 74)Reed Hastings on what it will take for AI to be different from other ed tech (The 74)The Economist study on AI's impact on learningSal Khan re-evaluates the impact of AI in schools — ChalkbeatBellwether on artificial intelligence"Screen Bans Can Be Education's Dry January — Time for a Much-Needed Reset" — Liz Cohen, The 74Cell phone bans — Andy Rotherham, Eduwonk"The Best Answer To Many Education Questions? Another Question" — Andy Rotherham, EduwonkThe future of charter schools in an evolving school-choice landscape — AEI survey (AZ, FL, UT)Musical chairs — Andy Rotherham, EduwonkThe AFT, Target, and teachers' retirement funds — Wall Street Journal opinionThe PBA's letter to the teachers union — New York Post (2014)Learn about and support Andy's work for Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteEduwonkCharterFolk Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Sponsor WonkyFolk: Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Sponsorship packages are available, including live WonkyFolk events. Reach out to Jed Wallace at jed@charterfolk.org for more information. Watch the full video on YouTube. WonkyFolk is produced by CharterFolk.
May 22

Vol 36 - A Conversation with Pat Brantley, CEO of Friendship Public Schools

Pat Brantley — CEO of Friendship Public Schools and a 2026 inductee into the National Charter School Hall of Fame — joins Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham for a WonkyFolk conversation recorded live in front of an audience at Friendship's Armstrong campus in Washington, DC. Pat traces her path from Newark to Princeton to Dr. Dorothy Height's civil rights work to Friendship House — and the moment the idea for a charter school was born. From there: what she says to charter critics, why she sees the public vs. public-charter divide as the sector's greatest failure, how she weighs growth against proficiency, the line-by-line math behind DC's charter budget shortfall, why hitting 50% market share makes charters "a target" rather than a protection, the case for "adopting" struggling schools, and — in a live audience Q&A — the role of Black male educators and what charter leaders owe their communities heading into the DC elections. In this episode: Pat's path from Newark to Princeton to Dr. Dorothy Height's civil rights work — and how she landed at Friendship HouseDonald Hentz, Friendship House's reinvention "to be about children," and the birth of the charter school ideaBuilding Friendship into 15 campuses serving nearly 5,000 students across DCWhy Pat names schools for local history — Friendship Armstrong, Friendship Blow Pierce — rather than erasing itWhat she says to charter critics: "I'm not listening to the critics. I'm listening to the parents."Why the public vs. public-charter divide is, in her view, the sector's greatest failureGrowth vs. absolute proficiency — and why both have to matterWhy report cards and transparent accountability still matter, and DC's new accountability frameworkThe 25-year question: does DC have a North Star, and what Indianapolis got right — and at what costThe DC budget fight — Pat's line-by-line math on the per-pupil shortfall and $50 million in fixed costs shifted off DCPSWhy hitting 50% market share gives charters "visibility" and makes them "a target" — not protectionThe case for mergers — or "adoption" — of struggling schools, and the turnaround of Friendship IdealA live audience Q&A: the ecosystem responsibility of high-performing charters, the role of Black male educators, and what charter leaders owe their communities in an election yearDorothy Height's "fist" metaphor and "one Friendship, one band, one sound" Show Notes & Resources: Pat Brantley — bio (Friendship Public Schools Leadership Team)Friendship Public SchoolsDC Charter School AllianceDC Public Charter School BoardNational Alliance for Public Charter SchoolsBellwether Guest: Pat Brantley — CEO, Friendship Public Schools; Chair, DC Charter School Alliance; 2026 National Charter School Hall of Fame inductee Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Watch the full video on YouTube. WonkyFolk is produced by CharterFolk.
Apr 23

Vol 35 - Money Follows the Child (and So Should Democrats) - Jorge Elorza on DFER and the New Tax Credit

Jorge Elorza — former mayor of Providence, now CEO of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) — joins Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham for a frank conversation about the federal scholarship tax credit, the Democratic Party’s education problem, and what a reset actually requires. They dig into how the new federal tax credit program actually works (and why Jorge and Arne Duncan called it a “no-brainer”), why more than thirty U.S. senators from the Dem Party are now trying to sunset the entire thing, and what that fight reveals about a Democratic brand that’s gotten badly out of step with the voters it claims to represent. Along the way: Providence’s 2.4% math proficiency, Detroit’s 80% of fourth-graders below basic, Rahm Emanuel’s urgency, Mikey Sherrill’s budget address, fake charter laws and fake science of reading bills, and why Jorge thinks the ideological map of the future isn’t left-vs-right — it’s liberalism vs. illiberalism. In this episode: Jorge’s journey from barely graduating high school to Providence mayor to DFER CEOWhat changed his mind about ed reform while in office — and his final press conference call to charterize the districtRhode Island’s most WonkyFolk fun fact: the Senate President is (or was) also the teachers union presidentHow the federal scholarship tax credit actually works — and why it’s not a voucher programWhy Jorge thinks governors have every reason to opt in, and what Jared Polis is modeling in ColoradoThe 30-senator push to sunset the program — and what it says about Democrats’ education reflexesWhy “money follows the child” is a distinctly progressive idea, not a conservative oneThe generational change Democrats need — and why Pelosi/Schumer aren’t built for itRahm Emanuel’s urgency, Mikey Sherrill’s budget address, and what real leadership on education sounds likeFake charter laws, fake science of reading bills, and the sector’s unwillingness to call balls and strikesLiberalism vs. illiberalism as the real ideological divide of the futureWhere DFER is headed: from a chapter/legislative model to executive/gubernatorial engagement Show Notes & Resources: Democrats for Education Reform (DFER)Jorge Elorza & Arne Duncan — Washington Post op-ed on the federal tax creditSenator Mark Kelly — effort to sunset the federal scholarship tax creditGovernor Jared Polis (CO) — opting Colorado into the programMatt Yglesias — Slow BoringEzra Klein & Derek Thompson — Abundance Guest: Jorge Elorza — CEO, Democrats for Education Reform (DFER); former Mayor of Providence, RI Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Watch the full video on YouTube.
Mar 23

Vol 34 - It's Really About a Mindset - AI and Education

AI in education — what's working, what's risky, and what charter schools should do next. Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham are joined by Bellwether's Mary Wells and Marisa Mission for a wide-ranging conversation. They dig into how AI tools are actually being used day to day, why "human in the loop" means more than just a review step, and what cognitive science tells us about the real danger of students offloading hard thinking to technology. The conversation also covers the evolving role of teachers, the economic ripple effects of AI, and why the charter school mindset of curiosity and rigor matters more than ever. In this episode: How Bellwether's team is personally using AI tools like Claude Skills and Gemini CanvasWhat cognitive offloading means and why it threatens real learningThe "ambidextrous adoption" approach to AI in schoolsWhere pockets of innovation are emerging — and the equity concerns that come with themDream Charter School's AI readiness curriculumThe bimodal classroom: AI-encouraged assignments alongside blue books and pen-and-paperWhy teacher support and family engagement are critical gaps right nowThe White House AI Policy Framework and state-level responsesWill AI cause a white-collar job apocalypse — or fuel entrepreneurship?What charter schools should be doing right now Show Notes & Resources: Bellwether AI workThe Leading Indicator: AI in Education newsletter (Marisa Mission & Alex Spurrier)Productive Struggle (Bellwether)Built for Learning case studies (Bellwether)Robin Lake / CRPE on AI in EducationDan Meyer on AI and mathAFT & Moms for Liberty on screensBlue Rose Research – AI public opinionWhite House AI Policy FrameworkDOL AI Literacy FrameworkJulia Freeland FisherChad AldermanMarguerite Roza / Edunomics Lab Guests: Mary Wells (Co-Founder, Bellwether) and Marisa Mission (Bellwether) Hosts: Jed Wallace (CharterFolk) and Andy Rotherham (Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether) Watch the full video on YouTube. WonkyFolk is produced by CharterFolk.
Feb 26

Vol 33 - A Long Time on the Bleeding Edge, with Lisa Graham Keegan

WonkyFolk: Lisa Keegan on Educational Opportunity, Accountability, and the Future of Reform In this episode of WonkyFolk, Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham sit down with longtime education leader and reform advocate Lisa Keegan for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about educational opportunity in America. Drawing on decades of leadership experience—from state-level policymaking to national advocacy—Keegan reflects on where the education reform movement has made real progress, where it has stumbled, and what must come next. The conversation explores: The evolving politics of school choice and accountabilityWhether reformers have lost clarity about purposeWhat data tell us about public sentiment on educational opportunityWhy durable change requires both courage and coalition-building This episode also highlights findings from the latest national survey on educational opportunity—offering a grounded look at what families actually want from schools today. If you care about governance, public trust, and the long game of education reform, this is a must-listen. 📎 Show Notes & Resources50CAN Educational Opportunity Survey (2nd Edition) https://50can.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/50CAN_EducationalOpportunitySurvey_2ndEdition.pdf
Jan 22

Vol 32 - Between "Historic" and "Nuanced": Understanding Ed Reform in Denver

In this episode of WonkyFolk, Andy Rotherham and Jed Wallace kick off the year with a deep and thoughtful conversation with Baxter Parker, longtime Denver-based education leader and policy thinker. Together, they explore how Denver’s school reform journey—often hailed as a national model—has evolved from being described as “historic” to something more complex, contextual, and nuanced. Parker shares insights from recent studies on Denver’s portfolio strategy and its impact on student outcomes, and reflects on the shifting narratives, local politics, and policy lessons emerging from over two decades of reform. 📌 Topics include: What Denver got right—and what it’s still grappling withHow closures, autonomy, and accountability played out in practiceWhat the data actually say about academic gains and equityWhy local nuance matters more than national hype 🎓 Whether you’re a reform skeptic or a die-hard believer, this conversation offers grounded, data-informed reflections on one of the most watched experiments in urban education. 👇 Show Notes and Resources: Center for Education Policy Analysis at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public AffairsEducation Systems Leadership and Policy Institute Key Research Studies: Student-Level Study – 2024 - Study SummaryS | Technical Reporth | Slide Decko | Bennet-Boasberg EssaySystemwide and Intervention-Specific Effects of Denver Public Schools’ Portfolio District Strategy on Individual Student Achievement – Anna Nicotera, Erik Fuller, Jakob Panzer, Todd Ely, and Paul TeskeDistrict-Level Study – 2022. Study Summary | Technical ReportThe System-Level Effects of Denver’s Portfolio Strategy on Student Academic Outcomes – Anna Nicotera, David Stuit, Margot Plotz, Todd Ely, and Paul Teske Related Articles and Essays: “Dismantling Denver” – Education Next, Spring 2022, by Alan Gottlieb“Redesigning Denver’s Schools: The Rise and Fall Of Superintendent Tom Boasberg” – Education Next, Spring 2019, by Todd Ely and Paul Teske“Mastering Change: When Charter Schools and School Districts Embrace Strategic Partnership” – 2012, by Elizabeth Cooley Nelson, in CRPE“Denver Education Research Going Forward but Not Without a Fight”– Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat, July 13, 2023“Closing Struggling Schools Helped Student Achievement in Denver, Study Finds” – Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat, September 27, 2024“Denver Public Schools’ Controversial Reform Strategy Led to Significant Learning Gains for Students” – Jenny Brundin, Colorado Public Radio, September 24, 2024“The Inconvenient Success of New Orleans Schools” – Ravi Gupta, The74Million, August 25, 2025“How Denver’s School Reforms Raised Grad Rate, Got Kids Years of Extra Learning” – The74Million, February 23, 2025“Education Scarcity: A Picture Worth a Thousand Words – The Five Points of a North Star” – Jed Wallace, CharterFolk, September 14, 2025
12/16/2025

Vol 31 - The Sorta Holiday Episode: Missed Opportunities on Education

# WonkyFolk: Year in Review - How Many Mulligans Does a Country Get? How many mulligans does a country get before there are real consequences? In this year-end conversation, Jed Wallace and Andy Rotherham confront 2025's uncomfortable truths: neither party heard the message voters sent, ed reformers have gone soft on accountability, and we're spending another year arguing while kids fall further behind. They explore Virginia's accountability experiment, the problem with universal school choice that doesn't prioritize low-income students, and what made Rod Paige different—a leader with a "core of steel" anchored by clear beliefs. Plus: why Brandon Brown and Howard Fuller are calling for more courage in the charter movement, and whether public education can offer anything to compete with disruption. **Episode Highlights:** • Why 2025 was another year of missed opportunities • The retreat from meaningful accountability—and why reformers are complicit • Virginia's test: Will Spanberger build on Youngkin's reforms or tear them down? • Universal school choice without income targeting: A problem? • Revealed preferences: Leaders who oppose accountability but ensure their own kids get it • Remembering Rod Paige and the power of vision and beliefs • The courage question: Brandon Brown, Howard Fuller, and finding your moxie **Show Notes:** CharterFolk Brandon Brown interviewHess and Rotherham on cell phones and student engagement Andy on cell phone bans as surrenderAndy on what's next for education in VirginiaTennessee religious charter schools case
11/04/2025

Vol 30 - Mike Kirst Digs In

In this special episode of WonkyFolk, Andy Rotherham and Jed Wallace sit down with education policy legend Dr. Mike Kirst—a man whose career spans six decades of shaping education in California and beyond. From working in the Office of Management and Budget under the Great Society programs to chairing the California State Board of Education under two governors, Kirst shares an insider’s view of how education policy gets made—and remade. He walks us through his incredible journey from Harvard to Washington to Stanford, including his role in designing Title I, navigating political upheaval, and helping reinvent California’s education finance system. You’ll hear: How Mike stumbled into K–12 education policymaking—and never leftBehind-the-scenes stories from the federal and state levelsReflections on the evolution of school finance reformThoughts on what California’s education system got right—and still needs to fix This is a masterclass in education policy, history, and political resilience from someone who’s truly seen it all. Show Notes: Andy on the ESA division question: https://eduwonk.substack.com/p/will-the-trump-administration-goOverview of California's "Local Control Funding Formula" (LCFF) enacted in 2013-14: https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/lc/lcffoverview.asp

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WonkyFolk is a discussion series between Andy Rotherham and Jed Wallace intended to provide an informative and engaging forum where education reformers can grapple with tough issues related to our shared quest to improve public education in our country.

Creator

CharterFolk
Years Active

2023 - 2026
Episodes

37
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Copyright 2026 CharterFolk
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