Monica Gill, a highschool teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia, encourages other parents and teachers to bravely counteract the problems they see in education. In partnership with the Alliance Defending Freedom, Monica has successfully opened a lawsuit to sue her school district for the inception of school board policy 8040—a policy that forces teachers to use a student’s preferred pronouns. She doesn’t believe in lying to children about their identity, and today she shares how she promotes best ...
Sep 28, 2022•44 min•Ep. 35
As a mother, educator, and State Senator, Patricia Rucker has learned a thing or two about education policy, community, and the hard work it takes to make practical dreams come true! Today she shares with Melvin Adams that as a student she was blessed with a great public school experience, and now in her legislative office, she seeks to make that a reality for all children in West Virginia. She does that by communicating with her constituents and fighting for legislation that provides exceptiona...
Sep 21, 2022•40 min
The state of education didn’t get this way overnight. And it won’t improve overnight—but those who stick with it and commit to making change will see it, little by little. That’s what Ian Prior reminds us of on The State of Education podcast today. He is closely involved in organizations like Fight for Schools and America First Legal that are fighting to correct the wrongs in the system and support parents, teachers, and students. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE: Join the parent revolutio...
Sep 14, 2022•29 min
When it comes to school budgets, where does all the money go? Today’s guest, Ted Lamb, tells us about constricting federal policies that are funneling funds from the classroom and into unnecessary things. But, as a school board member, Ted has had a front-row opportunity to speak out against poor spending. Follow along with today’s episode of The State of Education & learn what it takes to be on your local school board and how you can contend with unfair policies! GET CONNECTED WITH NWEF Lik...
Sep 07, 2022•25 min
You’ve heard of the 3 R’s… but what if we added a fourth? Resiliency. Ted Lamb — a high school history teacher — has noticed many declines in the school system throughout his 20+ year career. The purposeful formation of strong-minded students has suffered throughout time, causing kids to suffer as a consequence. Ted isn’t letting this stop him from giving his students a quality education, though. In today’s episode, he explains to Melvin that in his classroom, the students are introduced to meth...
Aug 31, 2022•27 min•Ep. 31
As America continues to follow the growing LGBTQ movement, more and more adolescents are jumping on the trend. What are the consequences of pushing transgender ideology on children? The research is still new and tends to be slanted. Now more than ever, it is important for parents to be informed about what is going on at school and how it’s impacting their kids. This week’s episode features the conclusion to our discussion with three panelists, Dr. Kenyon Knapp, Lori Kuykendall, and Thomas Turner...
Aug 24, 2022•35 min•Ep. 30
Dr. Kenyon Knapp, Lori Kuykendall, and Thomas Turner join Melvin Adams on The State of Education to discuss the impact of transgenderism on children. America’s schools are fraught with struggle over this issue. While some do a great job, some teachers and school boards are encouraging confusion among young people, and children are being led to make life-changing decisions before they even reach puberty! What can parents and teachers do to reclaim the truth and guide their kids through a value sy...
Aug 17, 2022•40 min•Ep. 29
Are you worried that your kids aren’t receiving the discipline they need when they go to their dad’s house? Or maybe you don’t agree with the way their mom is choosing to schedule their free time? Split families are hard to navigate, but it’s not impossible. In today’s episode, Melvin Adams concludes his interview with Joel Hawbaker—a teacher, coach, and dad of a blended family. Joel has practical, encouraging advice for divorced or separated parents on how to begin communicating about what’s be...
Aug 10, 2022•21 min•Ep. 27
Where do our American ideas of Freedom come from? Interestingly enough, the Declaration of Independence never uses the word "freedom," but it mentions liberty. The famous Federalist Papers by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay use the word "liberty" 150 times! Marie Rogerson, Executive Director of Program Development of Moms for Liberty, believes that freedom is a spectrum, ranging from utter chaos to liberty—the truest form of freedom. Today's episode on The State of Education is a...
Aug 03, 2022•15 min
Are you part of a blended family? Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, step-relative, or a teacher who interacts with these demographics, Joel Hawbacker has encouraging news for you! As a blended family dad and a teacher, he understands the nuanced and complex situations of blended family life. Joel shares data, stories, and practical tips with Melvin on The State of Education that will help you and your family navigate and thrive in everyday life! RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY'S EPISODE: Joel h...
Jul 27, 2022•30 min•Ep. 26
When America’s students brought the classroom to their living rooms, everything changed. The incredible wave of parental involvement collected momentum and formed a grassroots army. If you want to take part in education reform, it’ll never be a better time to dig in and fight. That’s what Josiah Gaiter tells our host, Melvin Adams, in today’s episode. It may feel like a giant weight, but with a little self-education, parents can, together, become the strongest advocates and protectors of our nat...
Jul 20, 2022•20 min•Ep. 25
As a former homeschool and public school student, Josiah Gaiter has a well-rounded perspective on education choice. But his expertise doesn’t stop there—he’s also a teacher with experience in the classroom and one-on-one tutoring. In today’s episode, Josiah and Melvin explore the separate, yet complimentary, roles of parents and teachers. Understanding the distinction of each role helps parents and teachers do their jobs more effectively and sets children up for success. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON T...
Jul 13, 2022•27 min•Ep. 24
When Dennis noticed that more and more students were suffering from ignorance he had to do something about it. These students weren’t dumb—they merely weren’t being taught how to learn. Dennis, an experienced martial artist, made a discovery about the power of perfect practice and repetition in the process of learning. Today, he discusses with Melvin the importance of developing a plan to learn and how to implement the Rule of 3 in order to retain necessary knowledge. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODA...
Jul 06, 2022•39 min•Ep. 23
In part two of our discussion with Vinson Palthingingal, we get a glimpse of the impact of immigration on a person’s education and career opportunities. The lonely insecurity most immigrants experience drives them to be hardworking and successful, Vinson says. As a STEM graduate and school board member, he also has unique insight into maintaining excellent education and pursuing more STEM opportunities for all American students. GET CONNECTED WITH NWEF Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.c...
Jun 29, 2022•24 min
Vinson Palathingal is a serial entrepreneur and engineer who lives in Fairfax County, Virginia. Vinson immigrated to America from Kerala, India because he wanted to build a stronger, better business in a free market. He has watched America outsource many jobs in the IT industry due to this country’s deficiency in STEM education. His passion is to help America strengthen its approach to STEM and begin leading the industry once again. GET CONNECTED WITH NWEF Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebo...
Jun 22, 2022•32 min
Is porn acceptable in school libraries as long as it’s supporting a good story? Our guest Dawn Justice shares how this argument was used against a motion to remove graphically descriptive sexual novels from school libraries. As a mother and recently elected school board member, Dawn believes that parents are the best remedy to helping a child navigate today’s muddy waters of gender identity and graphic sexual content. Listen in to hear Melvin and Dawn share encouraging tips for 1) engaging with ...
Jun 15, 2022•32 min
Melvin’s guest today is experienced educator Rebecca Friedrichs. In 2018, Rebecca helped fight and win a federal case which overturned laws forcing educators to join teachers’ unions. Since then, she has been a strong voice for teachers’ rights in the classroom, school options, and reversing the moral decline in America’s schools and culture. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Check out Rebecca’s organization For Kids and Country here: https://www.forkidsandcountry.org/#none GET CONNECTED W...
Jun 08, 2022•30 min
Is graphic sexual education in the classroom justified, or are political ideologies treating students like lab rats? Today, our guest is Lori Kuykendall, President of Beacon Health Resources in Dallas, Texas. Melvin and Lori discuss the differences between information and ideology, how education is a preventive measure, and the relevancy of teaching sex education in schools in a culture that barrages kids with unhealthy sexual ideas every day. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Lori recomme...
Jun 01, 2022•30 min•Ep. 18
On today’s episode, Melvin interviews Marquell Moorer, who was recently elected to his local school board in April 2022. Marquell shares how he struggled in the school system as a child and how his struggles continued upon entering college. He believes lowering education standards is a dangerous form of “soft bigotry” which promotes the opposite of the equality its proponents are seeking. RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Take NWEF's online training course Introduction to School Boards tuition-free for a l...
May 25, 2022•26 min•Ep. 17
Thank you for joining us on The State of Education with Melvin Adams . Today, Melvin interviews Andrew Glover, a parent advocating for change after discovering objectionable moral content in his kid’s public school curriculum. Andrew shares challenging experiences at school board meetings along with encouragement for parents seeking to get involved. RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Read Andrew’s article, “Why I Support Book Banning and You Should Too” here: https://medium.com/@AndrewTGlover/on-book-bannin...
May 18, 2022•33 min•Ep. 16
Should taxpayer money fund teacher protests? In this conclusion of her interview, guest Shelly Norden shares with Melvin the harm of teacher and student protests during instruction hours—a previously unheard-of occurrence. They also discuss difficulties teachers face in disciplining students in a system designed to reward, not punish, misbehavior. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Videos Shelly Recommends: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUzoBfCH4t-efBo_6X_a1tg GET CONNECTED WITH NWEF Lik...
May 09, 2022•24 min
In our school systems, is equity measured by equal opportunity or equal outcomes? Today, Melvin speaks with Shelly Norden, an award-winning educator who became troubled with new teacher “deep equity” training and the following decline in student success. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Videos Shelly Recommends: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUzoBfCH4t-efBo_6X_a1tg GET CONNECTED WITH NWEF Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nwef.org/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/...
May 02, 2022•21 min
Sleep deprivation, depression, and suicide rates all have one common root: screens and other technology. Today, Brad Huddleston concludes his interview about the dangers and advantages of technology with helpful tips on conquering digital use and turning it to our advantage. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Discover more about Brad on his website: https://bradhuddleston.com/ Buy Brad’s book Digital Cocaine: A Journey Towards iBalance : https://bradhuddleston.com/shop GET CONNECTED WITH NW...
Apr 18, 2022•27 min
The use of technology in education can be controversial. In today’s episode, Brad Huddleston shares his experience and research on minimizing the harm and maximizing the wealth of the digital age. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Discover more about Brad on his website: https://bradhuddleston.com/ Buy Brad’s book Digital Cocaine: A Journey Towards iBalance : https://bradhuddleston.com/shop Geneva-based ethics organization Brad writes for: https://www.globethics.net/home Brad recommends a ...
Apr 11, 2022•28 min
Are libraries for entertainment or learning? Join Melvin as he interviews Don Blake, the founding chairman of the Virginia Christian Alliance. Don has experience serving his county on local boards to promote and preserve biblical values. On today’s episode, Melvin and Don discuss what the function of public libraries should be along with how churches should use their influence to impact the community. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Sign up for the Virginia Christian Alliance Newsletter ...
Apr 04, 2022•20 min
How do we eradicate bullying? Guest Tom McCracken answers this question with a ringing call to action after delving into faith, curriculum, and the heroism of teachers in spite of overwhelming obstacles. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Check out the blog post Tom McCraken mentions about “teachers making too much” here: https://pastorunity.com/2020/12/16/teachers-make-too-much-money/ Read more of Tom’s thoughts on the bullying epidemic here: https://noahwebstereducationalfoundation.org/pe...
Mar 28, 2022•27 min•Ep. 10
In part one of this two part series, guest Tom McCracken shares his insight into the school system from the eyes of a pastor and educator. Tom and Melvin discuss the adversarial inner workings of many school administrations, how parents’ views on education have changed since COVID, and the best way to create bridges into the classroom. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Read more of Tom’s thoughts on the bullying epidemic here: https://noahwebstereducationalfoundation.org/peers-parents-and-...
Mar 21, 2022•34 min•Ep. 9
In this special edition of the State of Education, Melvin and guest co-host Shelbie Slater share highlights from NWEF’s recent School Board Summit. We also hear a snippet of Melvin’s interview on the Learn Right podcast with host Ron Nehring as they discuss common obstacles for school board members. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Discover more about NWEF’s School Board Summit: https://summit.nwef.org/ Listen to the complete episode of Learn Right with Ron Nehring here: https://podcasts....
Mar 14, 2022•23 min•Ep. 8
In this conclusion to Melvin’s interview with Sheila Qualls, the conversation turns from critical race theory to the troubling statistics on the family unit’s decline. The problem isn’t isolated to one skin color…no matter what the media says. Melvin and Sheila also discuss education’s role as an equalizer and why parents should take the choice of their child’s school into their own hands. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY’S EPISODE: Learn more about Sheila’s organization here: https://takechargemn.c...
Mar 07, 2022•23 min
On today’s episode, our guest Sheila Qualls shares special insight into the debate over critical race theory as well as observations about Black History Month. She also highlights the importance of parents ingraining personal accountability into their children. RESOURCES MENTIONED ON TODAY'S PODCAST: Learn more about Sheila’s organization here: https://takechargemn.com/ Check out her blog: https://thenotsoexcellentwife.com/ GET CONNECTED WITH NWEF Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nw...
Feb 28, 2022•24 min
