Well-known publisher and writer Steve Forbes joins Jeanne Allen for today's episode of Reality Check to discuss prosperity, revitalizing education, and his hopes for the future. Tune in to learn about his new documentary “In Money We Trust?” too!
Kevin Chavous has run the gamut when it comes to advocating for expanded innovation in learning and furthering opportunities for families and children, having been an integral part of the success in initially bringing charter schools to Washington, D.C. and as D.C. councilman helping strengthen school choice and public education in the District. Apart from his public service, Chavous, president of academics, policy, and schools for K-12 Inc., works in the worlds of both business and law, and has...
Every teacher knows that children all learn differently, and yet our schools are designed to teach them all the same way. In this week’s Reality Check with Jeanne Allen, one of the world’s leading experts in Adaptive Learning explains how it’s changing training in the workplace, and how it can help schools too. Ulrik Juul Christensen, medical doctor and entrepreneur, explores the way computer science is meeting cognitive neuroscience at the cutting edge of educational theory.
Eva Moskowitz is known as the CEO of Success Academy Network. With 50 campuses throughout New York City and more in development, she’s regarded as a charter school crusader, innovator and the architect of a revolution but it’s been a long contentious road. “I never felt before I got into education that I was living a Godfather movie,” says Eva – only half joking. Success Academy has been sued more than twenty times by unions. Union battles and political roadblocks have been a part of the landsca...
On the inaugural episode of Reality Check in 2017, Jeanne talked with Howard Fuller, a professor of education at Marquette University in Milwaukee, and a former Superintendent of the Milwaukee Public Schools who’s a pioneer in school choice. He is the author of the 2014 book, No Struggle, No Progress: a Warrior's Life from Black Power to Education Reform. Among other things, they discuss the “re-segregation” of American schools, and whether that really matters or not; the true intent of Brown v....
This week’s guest is a rare commodity in American politics. As US Senator from Louisiana, Democrat Mary Landrieu (@SenLandrieu) often bucked conventional wisdom of her party to put children’s needs ahead of adults. She is a supporter of the DC Opportunity Scholarship program and a leading proponent in Congress of charter schools, which she sees as a “powerful tool to fix the generations-long challenge of unequal educational opportunity.” (WSJ, April 23, 2019) She pulls no punches in talking abou...
America’s heartland is where much of the goodness of America’s heart can be found, and today on Episode 68 of Reality Check, Jeanne chats with two amazing leaders who help keep the heart of educational excellence beating there. Ben Chavis and James McDougald both grew up in Robeson County, North Carolina – the very definition of rural – some might say real – America and both have returned. Chavis, who hails from the Lumbee Indian tribe, is an educator, school founder and was leader of one of the...
Several Idaho charter schools were attacked and vilified by members of the Idaho Charter School Commission at a meeting the members thought was “closed”. Fortunately someone recorded the session, at which members disparaged the schools, students, management and indeed all residents of Jerome, Idaho. In this Episode 67 Special Release of Reality Check, Jeanne interviews Dr. Christine Ivie, Superintendent and Principal of Heritage Academy Charter School (https://heritageacademyid.org) in Jerome, I...
Longstanding institutions, including healthcare and education, have remained unchanged despite a climate of lightning-fast innovation in technology. According to this week’s guest, “every student should have the opportunity to go to school, work hard, and reach their American Dream,” no matter what the path or provider, a challenge with the current education bureaucracy. Thankfully Mark Johnson is challenging the status quo. Tune in to Episode 66 of Reality Check to learn how a new generation of...
The old saying that “mighty oaks from little acorns grow” is a spot on description of the Alpha Academy Charter School and STEM Institute (https://www.alphaacademy.education/). From 90 students in 2000 to more than 900 today, Alpha and its CEO and Superintendent Eugene Slocum are revolutionizing education and breaking the mold for education in underserved communities like Fayetteville, North Carolina. @Alpha_Academy_ on Twitter Tune in to Episode 65 of Reality Check and be inspired!
Talk about HOPE! Well it’s out there, and this Episode 64 of Reality Check is all about it. Learn how an education group is tailoring education to the needs of students - 40,000 of them - and not the other way around. Learn4Life and its’ program called HOPE (learn4life.org/programs/hope/)allows new mothers to have their children in the classrooms with them - which turns out to be good for both mother and child. Girls who would otherwise be high school dropouts graduate - often quite literally wi...
Self-described “radical educator” Dennis Littky (@Dennis_Littky) talks about his ideas for making education meaningful, impactful and relevant to individual students. Really radical things! Through his work as a school leader and founder of College Unbound, Dennis helps address the needs of students whose needs are not met by traditional education and adults who are among the 37 million college dropouts, creating education specifically around their interests while allowing them to get a degree w...
Dr. Ashley Rogers Berner, Deputy Director of the Institute for Education Policy at Johns Hopkins School of Education, joins Reality Check to discuss educational pluralism and more: her 2016 book, Pluralism and American Public Education: No One Way to School, educational choice in America and around the globe, international communities’ attitudes toward the biggest domestic educational issues, the history of religious schools and their resurgence in the States, educational models we can learn fro...
This week on Episode 61 of Reality Check, David Hardy (@davidphardy), Executive Director of Excellent Schools PA and Founder & CEO of Philadelphia’s Boys’ Latin Charter High School joins the show to discuss the current state of education and the politics behind the opposition, covering everything from “what education should do for each child and student” to the looming presidential race and where education issues will fit for the growing pool of candidates, this episode of Reality Check shou...
Jeanne sits down in Episode 60 of Reality Check with two stalwarts on the front lines of the battle to defend choice and freedom for teachers and other public employees, Harmeet Dhillon and Bob Bellafiore. Though Dhillon is in California and Bellafiore in New York they are fighting remarkably similar battles to force unions to obey the law that was codified by the Supreme Court’s “Janus” decision. Harmeet is representing California teachers who had to go to court to get their union dues refunded...
On this Episode 59 of Reality Check, Jeanne sits down with Mitch Daniels, the president of Purdue University and former governor of Indiana, to talk about bringing a renewed sense of relevance and purpose to higher education. Daniels is no ordinary college president. He is putting fidelity to Purdue’s origins as a land grant college, making education more accessible to more people while maintaining rigor and containing costs. He has started a high school network, driven competency-based educatio...
“If students don’t know history, it’s not their fault.” Those are the words of author, philanthropist and “grateful american” David Bruce Smith with whom we explore the enthusiasm for American history that led him to found the Grateful American Foundation in 2014. Smith seeks to re-ignite that same passion in young people - and adults - across America. On Episode 58 of Reality Check he talks about the special bond he shared with his grandfather, the real estate developer Charles E. Smith; his li...
In this Episode 57 of Reality Check, Jeanne continues her conversations with some of the high-energy personalities at the ASU+GSV Summit, where innovators, edtech leaders, educators, investors, and philanthropists gathered last week to explore innovations in education both at home and around the world. In this part, she heard from Torian Richardson (education innovator, world traveler, and entrepreneur); Bart Epstein (Founder, Jefferson Education Exchange); April Sarraille (Knowledge Leaders); a...
Jeanne taps into the buzz and the energy of ASUGSV X, where innovators, edtech leaders, educators, investors, and philanthropists gather to explore innovations in education both at home and around the world. In Episode 56 listen to Part I of these people who stopped by Reality Check to share a bit about how they are bending the Arc of Human Potential - Bobbi Kurshan (Investor & UPenn Innovator); Bruce Davis (Teachstone); Jeremy Rossman (Make School); Melissa Lazaro (Lexplore); Candice Burns ...
Deborah Quazzo (@deborahquazzo) is the founder and managing partner of the annual ASU-GSV Summit, which will be held this year from April 8 -10 in San Diego, CA. The event, now in its 10th year, celebrates innovations and innovators across the global “preK to gray” learning and talent landscape, and attracts over 4,000 attendees. In this “curtain-raiser” interview for the summit, on Episode 55 of Reality Check, Deborah talks about her journey to the $2 trillion dollar emerging market in global e...
Educator and school founder JoAnn Mitchell, runs an award winning, high performing charter school serving low-income children. The NM Secretary of Education is throwing roadblocks in the way of her replication and expansion. Why would someone concerned about students interfere? Mitchell is having to hire attorneys to fight the state. On Episode 54 of Reality Check, Jeanne digs into this real life David and Goliath story unfolding right now.
A new blockbuster report entitled “Education Reform’s Deep Blue Hue,” examines the political preferences of many of the people across what some consider prominent “edreform” groups. And what exactly constitutes this increasingly amorphous term? Listen to Episode 53 of Reality Check to this provocative discussion of these topics and more.
From the role of charter school “authorizers”; to why charter schools are so often misunderstood; to why there is no “one-size fits all” model for charters; Jim Goenner delves deeply into the question of why charters schools work on this Episode 52 of Reality Check with Jeanne Allen. “As a strategy to improve public education, chartering is working phenomenally well,” says Goenner. “Why did charter schools take off? Number one there was just a pent up demand and need. Number two it’s a great ide...
Jimmy Kemp, president of the Jack Kemp Foundation, joins Jeanne on this Episode 51 of Reality Check and discusses the legacy of his late father, former congressman, cabinet secretary, and vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp; how professional football shaped Jack Kemp's career in public service and his passionate advocacy to end poverty and racism in America; and how Opportunity Zones, a feature of the 2017 tax bill strongly supported by the Jack Kemp Foundation, has the potential to improve ed...
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos joins host Jeanne Allen for Episode 50 in this special newsmaker edition of Reality Check, and discusses the administration’s recently announced proposal to create tax credit scholarships in participating states.
Kelly Young, executive director of Education Reimagined, joins Episode 48 of Reality Check to talk about her quest to bring learner-centric education models and methods to the forefront of practice in the field and tools and techniques to the hands of teachers longing for a better way to help their students accomplish more. Young discusses the need to reimagine and refocus the way young people are educated and stay lifelong learners throughout their time as a bona fide student, as well as beyond...
Rebecca Friedrichs, lead plaintiff in the 2016 U.S. Supreme Court case Friedrichs v. CTA, staunch advocate for teachers’ rights, and author of the newly released Standing Up to Goliath: Battling State and National Teachers' Unions for the Heart and Soul of Our Kids and Country which details her plight and the stories of educators from across the country, joins Episode 47 of Reality Check to discuss teachers unions and the entrenched educational establishment, the impediments and roadblocks to go...
Jonathan Harber joins Episode 46 of Reality Check in New York to discuss his work as an education technology pioneer and entrepreneur in the education world and realm of capital. Jonathan talks through the concepts behind the StartED accelerator, education data, the portability of information, and the newest information-sharing initiatives in schools and education. He also discusses school choice and parents’ role in their children’s education, equitable funding for charter schools, and his own ...
Denise Gallucci, chief executive officer of GEMS Education Americas, works tirelessly within and outside of her own company to help build a global citizenry among learners at all levels who can contribute positively and make real change in their own lives and for the world. Denise joins Jeanne on Episode 45 of Reality Check to discuss her experiences as an award-winning educator, successful businesswoman, and chief executive that have led her to believe education is “the link between people all ...
Laura Meckler, education correspondent with the Washington Post, sits down with Jeanne Allen on Episode 44 of Reality Check to discuss her path to journalism and the education world and more. Laura shares her thoughts and her personal experiences covering politics, politicians, and education policy: the ease of finding material to write about, online learning, and other issues. Don’t miss her first-hand account on exciting topics like these on this week’s episode of Reality Check.
