Pioneer Research

In episode four of Microschooling Journeys, Curious Mike interviews Amar Kumar, the founder and CEO of KaiPod, a network of 70 microschools across the country. They explore what makes KaiPod distinct—whether it’s culture, curriculum, or teacher hiring practices. Amar discusses how he measures and ensures the quality of each school. Next week, Mike heads to Florida to visit Rain Lily Microschool, part of the Wildflower network.
In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview historian Marcus Rediker, Distinguished Professor of Atlantic History at the University of Pittsburgh and author of The Amistad Rebellion. Prof. Rediker explores the 1839 slave revolt aboard the schooner La Amistad. He recounts the leadership of Sengbe Pieh (Joseph Cinqué) and the wider history and human toll of the transatlantic slave trade. 
In this week's episode of Microschooling Journeys, Curious Mike chats with Nick, a 15-year-old homeschooler dual-enrolled at VLACS and Arizona State University online, pursuing a business degree. Nick shares his unconventional education path, why he left traditional school after kindergarten, and how KaiPod Microschool fits into his journey. Will he return next year? What are his future aspirations? Tune in to find out! Plus, stay tuned for next week’s episode with KaiPod CEO Amar Kumar.
In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Nicole Stelle Garnett, Associate Dean and John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School, and a national expert in education law and school choice. Dean Garnett discusses the vital role Catholic education plays in fostering faith, community, and the pursuit of “the true, the good, and the beautiful.” She explores the challenges posed by the decline of Catholic schools in urban areas, as outlined in her book Lost Classroom, Lost Community: Catholic Schools' Importance in Urban America, and highlights policy solutions such as expanding educational choice options to support Catholic school families.
(Boston, Mass) - As Massachusetts has significantly increased investment in a myriad of workforce training programs to better compete for talent, a new Pioneer Institute report examines the Massachusetts workforce development system to determine what operational changes would better maximize results, and it compares the system to those in peer states. 
In this special Holocaust Remembrance Day episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and the Heritage Foundation's Jason Bedrick interview Alexandra Popoff, a former Moscow journalist and acclaimed biographer. Ms. Popoff delves into the life and legacy of Vasily Grossman, a 20th-century Jewish Soviet writer and journalist. She explores Grossman's transition from chemical engineering to writing, influenced by his Jewish heritage and the historical context of the time.
In the latest episode of the Microschooling Journeys podcast, Curious Mike interviews Meghan, a dynamic "Guide" at KaiPod Microschool in Nashua, NH. Meghan shares her transition from public school to microschool and how she creates a welcoming, warm environment for her 14 students with individually curated curriculums. Discover Meghan's unique approach to education and stay tuned for more exciting episodes featuring Nick, a 15-year-old KaiPod student, and KaiPod CEO Amar Kumar.
Congress likely to take up PBM reform early this year; Pioneer Institute Calls for PBM’s to be more transparent
This week's edition of Mapping Mass Migration will cover state and county population change in Massachusetts and New England from 2020 to 2023, how population has shifted for major demographics during that period, and how population change in general fits into the broader picture of a state's economic wellbeing. 
In this special MLK Day episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Prof. Lerone Martin, Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor at Stanford University and Director of the MLK Research and Education Institute. Dr. Martin offers deep insights into the life and legacy of Dr. King.