The Learning Curve Podcast

Wednesdays at 12 pm

Join Pioneer every Wednesday for insight and perspective on education, learning trends, school choice, and public policy. Our hosts and guests offer a mix of provocative commentary as they interview school leaders, innovators, bestselling authors, policymakers, and more.

Listeners can find The Learning Curve on iTunes (Apple Podcasts), Stitcher, Spotify, and the Choice Media mobile app. Also find it online at Ricochet and Pioneer Institute. Follow The Learning Curve on:

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Becket Fund’s Eric Rassbach on Loffman v. CA DOE, Religious Liberty, & Schooling

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Eric Rassbach, Vice President and Senior Counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Mr. Rassbach discusses the Loffman v. California Department of Education case, where Becket successfully secured a unanimous Ninth Circuit decision ensuring equal access to special education funding for religious school students.
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UK’s Prof. Richard Holmes on Coleridge, the Ancient Mariner, & Poetry

Prof. Holmes delves into the life and literary legacy of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the most significant poets of the Romantic era. Holmes offers a comprehensive overview of Coleridge's early education, highlighting how classical learning deeply influenced his worldview and writings.
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NYT’s Anupreeta Das on Bill Gates, Microsoft, & Tech Billionaires

NYT’s South Asia correspondent, Anupreeta Das discusses how she became interested in writing her acclaimed biography, Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World, emphasizing Gates’ corporate and philanthropic influence on our era.
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National Alliance’s Starlee Coleman on Public Charter Schools

Starlee Coleman discusses her role as CEO of the Texas Public Charter Schools Association, highlighting the growth of charter schools in Texas, as well as the broader efforts to expand school choice.
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Houston Supt. Mike Miles & Urban School Reform

Mr. Miles reflects on his lifelong dedication to public service, starting as a soldier, then a diplomat, and later as an educational leader. He shares insights into his family background and formative experiences that shaped his commitment to serving the public.
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Dr. David Heidler on Andrew Jackson & American Democracy

Dr. David Heidler discusses the transformative period of Jacksonian Democracy, from 1829 to 1837. He explores the political changes, sectionalism, and reforms that characterized the era, alongside the controversial figure of Andrew Jackson, whose volatile nature and strategic political management propelled his rise and image.
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MIT’s Nobel Winner Joshua Angrist on the Economics of Education & Charter Public Schools

Prof. Angrist explores the controversies and his motivations behind studying K-12 education, emphasizing what policymakers often overlook about education and labor markets. He discusses his groundbreaking research on charter schools, highlighting how his findings have influenced policymakers. Angrist also talks about his Nobel-winning work on the analysis of causal relationships in economics and the innovative research currently underway at Blueprint, his lab at MIT.
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