In this episode of the State of Choice podcast, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Katherine Schulze, Nathan Sanders, and Aaron Gillham about all the exciting momentum across the states this legislative session. Of the eight states–Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming–that created or expanded choice programs in 2025, six now offer programs with universal eligibility, meaning any student may apply to participate. New Hampshire took it a step further by ...
Jul 02, 2025•29 min
For decades, critics of school choice have warned that it would destroy public education. From claims that funding would evaporate to predictions of catastrophic harm to students, the rhetoric has been dramatic—and remarkably consistent. But is there any truth to these warnings? Robert Enlow, CEO of EdChoice, and Ed Tarnowski, author of the new report Who's Afraid of School Choice, take some of the most anti-school choice quotes from the report and read them for you.
Jun 30, 2025•14 min
In this episode of Sunday School Choice: Where Faith Meets Education Freedom, host Nathan Sanders is joined by Dr. Shaunette Parker, Senior Director of Partner Relations at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation and board chair of Second Baptist Christian Preparatory School in South Carolina. They discuss how church-based schools can uniquely serve their communities, especially by providing safe, nurturing, and faith-aligned environments. Dr. Parker shares her journey into education and...
Jun 23, 2025•23 min
On this edition of EdChoice Chats, host Mike McShane, Director of National Research at EdChoice, talks with Michael Bindas, Senior Attorney at the Institute for Justice, about his new paper titled "School Choice is Racist and Other Myths."
Jun 11, 2025•37 min
In this episode of Sunday School Choice: Where Faith Meets Education Freedom, host Nathan Sanders is joined by Troy McIntosh from the Ohio Christian Education Network, a ministry of the Center for Christian Virtue, to talk about their School Starting Manual—a practical and faith-driven guide designed to help pastors and church leaders launch Christian schools. As more churches across the country explore how to start education ministries, this manual serves as a clear and proven blueprint. If you...
Jun 09, 2025•22 min
In this episode of the State of Choice podcast, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Katherine Schulze, Nathan Sanders, and Aaron Gillham about school choice updates across the US, including some very exciting news from Texas.
Jun 02, 2025•21 min
On the latest episode of Sunday School Choice: Where Faith Meets Education Freedom, we talk with Shawn Peterson, President of Catholic Education Partners. We explore the powerful role Catholic education has played—and continues to play—in the United States, providing not just academic excellence, but a deeply rooted faith-based learning experience for families.
May 27, 2025•21 min
Dr. Doug Richey—a former pastor and Missouri state representative—shares his unique perspective on the intersection of faith, education, and public policy. With 26 years of pastoral ministry and six years in the Missouri House of Representatives, Ritchie offers a compelling case for why churches should engage in the school choice movement and how to do it practically.
May 12, 2025•21 min
On the latest episode of the State of Choice podcast, Ed Tarnowski and Katherine Schulze welcomed Trish Donahue, Senior Vice President of Legal and Policy at HopSkipDrive, to talk about a topic that's critical but often overlooked in school choice conversations: transportation.
May 01, 2025•17 min
In the premiere episode of Sunday School Choice, we talk with Pastor Tom Kakadelis about what it means to be a church school pioneer in today’s education landscape.
Apr 28, 2025•33 min
In this edition of EdChoice Chats, John Kristof and Mike McShane talk about the new report School Starter Checklist Rankings; a compendium of regulations on private schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Mar 30, 2025•22 min
In this episode of State of Choice, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Katherine Munal, Aaron Gillham and Nathan Sanders about school choice updates in their states. The push for universal education choice continued to gain traction in March, with Wyoming becoming the latest state to adopt an Education Savings Account (ESA) program open to all students. The development marks another key milestone in a national movement that has seen rapid legislative activity in recent years.
Mar 27, 2025•19 min
In this episode of EdChoice Chats, host Mike McShane talks with Ben Scafidi and Colyn Ritter about the 2025 EdChoice Friedman Index: All Students, All Options, All Dollars.
Feb 24, 2025•23 min
In this edition of EdChoice Chats, Mike McShane talks with Colyn Ritter and Cooper Conway about the 2025 Funded Eligibility rankings. Fully funded eligibility means that every student in a state with a choice program can also receive the resources needed to participate.
Feb 11, 2025•23 min
In this episode of State of Choice, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Katherine Munal, Aaron Gillham and Nathan Sanders about school choice updates in their states including some huge news in Tennessee!
Feb 10, 2025•33 min
In this episode of EdChoice Chats, host Mike McShane talks with Colyn Ritter and Robert Enlow about the 2025 EdChoice Share which tracks the proportion of K-12 students in every state that are enrolled in a private school choice program.
Jan 25, 2025•24 min
In this episode of State of Choice, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Patricia Rucker, a state senator serving West Virginia's 16th district, and the national chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council. She shares her inspiring journey as a first-generation American from Venezuela, her experiences as a teacher and homeschool parent, and her leadership in championing universal school choice through the HOPE Scholarship in West Virginia. The conversation highlights the challenges and triumphs o...
Jan 20, 2025•31 min
Ep. 417: State of Choice - December 2024 by EdChoice
Dec 19, 2024•37 min
In this episode of State of Choice, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Katherine Schultz, Nathan Sanders, and Aaron Gillham about state election results and how they may impact the state of choice.
Nov 11, 2024•26 min
In this episode of State of Choice, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Dr. Vance Ginn, chief economist at Pelican Institute for Public Policy and founder and president of Ginn Economic Consulting. Also featuring: Katherine Munal, Policy & Advocacy Director, and Joey Magaña, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy.
Aug 19, 2024•40 min
In this episode of State of Choice, Ed Tarnowski is announced as the new host of the podcast, the Policy & Advocacy Team gives its monthly state update, and each team member participates in the first segment of ed freedom fallacies. Also featuring: Caitlin Lee, Director of Policy & Implementation; Katherine Munal, Policy & Advocacy Director; and Aaron Gillham, Policy & Advocacy Director. Note: After reaching an agreement in a committee of conference to instead increase the progra...
Jun 24, 2024•18 min
In this episode of EdChoice Chats, longtime Hill staffer and education policy expert Lindsay Fryer talks with Mike McShane and Rick Hess about the state of American higher education, the federal government’s role in it, and what is going on with FAFSA.
May 29, 2024•31 min
In this episode of EdChoice Chats, host Mike McShane talks with family policy expert Patrick Brown about fertility rates, childcare policy, and protecting children online.
May 22, 2024•37 min
In this episode of EdChoice Chats, host Dorian McCarroll talks with Virginia Walden Ford, Howard Fuller, Sekou Biddle, and Gerard Robinson on the 70th anniversary of the landmark decision of Brown v Board of Education, and how the education system is still impacted by it today.
May 15, 2024•51 min
In this episode of EdChoice Chats, host Mike McShane talks with Jon Pidluzny, Director of Higher Education Reform at America First Policy Institute about higher education. They talk about whether the US higher education system is still the best in the world, the complex issues of student loans, ballooning education costs, and so much more.
May 14, 2024•34 min
Indiana's first Secretary of Education, Dr. Katie Jenner, talks with EdChoice's Mike McShane on how she's trying to get education right with her efforts in teacher recruitment, strategic measures for student success and more.
May 09, 2024•37 min
In this episode of EdChoice Chats, Mike McShane talks with Angela Watson, senior research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, about homeschooling research. They also talk about her new resource, the Homeschool Hub.
May 03, 2024•30 min
In this May episode of “State of Choice” hosted by the EdChoice Policy and Advocacy team, we talk about school choice across the states and provide updates on school choice legislation.
Apr 30, 2024•12 min
In this April episode of “State of Choice” hosted by the EdChoice Policy and Advocacy team, we talk about school choice across the states and provide updates on school choice legislation.
Apr 02, 2024•21 min
We go over our monthly polling results for the last few months and highlight all the most interesting trends and data. And shocker! Teens love their cellphones!
Apr 01, 2024•34 min
