Discovery Institute's Dr. Keri Ingraham on School Choice & Edu Federalism

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and American Federation for Children’s Walter Blanks speak with Dr. Keri Ingraham, Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute. Dr. Ingraham reflects on her academic and athletic journey, including being an Academic All-American, and how it shaped her belief in discipline, opportunity, and high expectations in education. She shares that in deep blue states like Washington, Oregon, California, and New York, strong teacher union political influence has often limited K-12 reform and innovation. Despite roughly $800 billion in annual K–12 spending, she points to stagnant academic outcomes, highlighted by National Assessment of Educational Progress results, as evidence that funding alone is insufficient without meaningful school choice and accountability. She discusses persistent achievement gaps and their economic consequences, emphasizing how today’s workforce increasingly rewards knowledge and skills. She also highlights the rapid expansion of school choice policies following landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions, such as Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue and Carson v. Makin, and critiques testing monopolies like those tied to the College Board. Dr. Ingraham concludes by underscoring the importance of federalism and a more limited role for the Beltway in education, with states, localities, and parents leading the way on school reform efforts.

Stories of the Week: Albert highlights an article from Forbes analyzing K-12 education’s AI reckoning. Walter shares a story from The Boston Globe discussing how to fix the Boston Public Schools.

Dr. Keri Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and Director of the Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education. She is also a Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum. Her articles have been published by The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, The Federalist, The Washington Times, Washington Examiner, The Daily Wire, Real Clear Education, National Review, The American Spectator, Daily Caller, and a host of other media outlets. Dr. Ingraham has received several invitations to the White House, is quoted on the White House website, and has advised Cabinet Members, Governors, and Members of the U.S. Congress. She holds Doctor of Education and Master of Education degrees from Regent University and her Bachelor of Arts degree from George Fox University, where she was named an Academic All-American and was a four-year athletic team member.