The Learning Curve

Florida's Julie Young on Say Yes! How Virtual Became Reality

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and the Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Julie Young, edupreneur, innovator, and author of Say Yes! How Virtual Became Reality [https://www.amazon.com/Say-Yes-Virtual-Became-Reality/dp/0996834591/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.29UUVwqtUMMlxg4q7iVzGh3UU1aEXD82jxumGC-BcQDQWokfXxxziJW_NMukOYikSXrxuSm4ueoSQ0wjor9vImdYCmkaYQCDZCvNY5_VftuSwSoEqzPLabEdacAB_f8ub2g0I4bQ94x1h2AwQmFud4Hy3ScdB9DAPEjr1laZ5pdUZdZV_yQloklo_e2GpydEMBz14FgDH-wFhvwL8tu53VIG7AM4xsZEEihCH6POAio.1MOJEnu4bJQdeWVynznbqrEglo1uOKvZcehaHlqr--g&dib_tag=se&keywords=say+yes&qid=1777058926&sr=8-1]. She reflects on the pivotal moment in 1997 when she said “yes” to launching Florida Virtual School, sharing what it meant to build a new model of education from the ground up with limited resources and bold vision. Young draws a clear distinction between emergency remote learning and higher-quality virtual education, explaining how confusion between the two during the pandemic negatively impacted students. She discusses early leadership lessons, including guidance from then-Governor Jeb Bush, and what it took to scale a model centered on “any time, any place, any path, any pace.” Young also explores how she built a dynamic organizational culture amid skepticism, and what lessons she carried—and intentionally left behind—when founding ASU Prep Digital. She offers insights on staffing innovation, leadership, and the opportunities and challenges AI presents for the future of education. In closing, she reads a passage from Say Yes!: How Virtual Became Reality [https://www.amazon.com/Say-Yes-Virtual-Became-Reality/dp/0996834591/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.29UUVwqtUMMlxg4q7iVzGh3UU1aEXD82jxumGC-BcQDQWokfXxxziJW_NMukOYikSXrxuSm4ueoSQ0wjor9vImdYCmkaYQCDZCvNY5_VftuSwSoEqzPLabEdacAB_f8ub2g0I4bQ94x1h2AwQmFud4Hy3ScdB9DAPEjr1laZ5pdUZdZV_yQloklo_e2GpydEMBz14FgDH-wFhvwL8tu53VIG7AM4xsZEEihCH6POAio.1MOJEnu4bJQdeWVynznbqrEglo1uOKvZcehaHlqr--g&dib_tag=se&keywords=say+yes&qid=1777058926&sr=8-1].

Wash. U's Gerald Early on Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Gerald Early, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Washington University in St. Louis, and author of Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America [https://us.amazon.com/Play-Harder-Triumph-Baseball-America/dp/1984863223/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0]. He shares how his background and education fueled a passion to study the history of African Americans in sports and music, ultimately inspiring him to explore Black Americans in baseball. Working closely with filmmaker Ken Burns, Early described his experience working with the filmmaker on multiple high-profile documentaries to examine the role baseball and jazz music have played in shaping American culture. Switching gears to discuss his latest book, Prof. Early offered a brief overview of the highlights of Black baseball in America from after the Civil War to the turn-of-the-century. He recognized key Black entrepreneurs like Andrew “Rube” Foster, the Negro Leagues, and the players Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Jackie Robinson, for their leadership in redefining the game’s excellence and paving the way for other Black Americans in baseball. He discusses the significance of the Brooklyn Dodgers desegregating Major League Baseball, highlighting the talent and heroism of Jackie Robinson, and shares the legacy that Black baseball players have contributed to American sports and democracy. In closing, Early reads an excerpt from Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America [https://us.amazon.com/Play-Harder-Triumph-Baseball-America/dp/1984863223/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0].

Harvard Pulitzer Winner Stephen Greenblatt on Christopher Marlowe - Elizabethan Playwright & Spy

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Stephen Greenblatt, Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University and one of the world’s foremost scholars of Renaissance literature. Greenblatt discusses his acclaimed book, Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival, [https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Renaissance-Dangerous-Shakespeares-Greatest/dp/0393882276] and explores the remarkable life, work, and legacy of Christopher Marlowe. He explains how Marlowe, the son of a cobbler from Canterbury, rose through England’s demanding classical education system to become one of the boldest playwrights of the Elizabethan era. Prof. Greenblatt examines the political and cultural climate of Elizabethan England, shaped by censorship, religious conflict, and surveillance, and how those pressures influenced Marlowe’s daring artistic voice. Greenblatt also unpacks enduring mysteries surrounding Marlowe’s life, including theories that he served as a secret agent for Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth I's spymaster. He also discusses Marlowe’s landmark plays Tamburlaine [https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1094/1094-h/1094-h.htm] and Doctor Faustus [https://www.gutenberg.org/files/779/779-h/779-h.htm], his celebrated poetry, and the dramatic innovations that transformed English theater. Additionally, he also reflects on Marlowe’s rivalry with Shakespeare, mysterious death, and enduring influence on literature today. In closing, Prof. Greenblatt reads a passage from his book, Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival [https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Renaissance-Dangerous-Shakespeares-Greatest/dp/0393882276].

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.

DFI's Jim Blew & Lynch's Katie Everett on Fed. Ed. Tax Credit in Blue States

In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Jim Blew, founder of the Defense of Freedom Institute, and Katie Everett, executive director of the Lynch Foundation. They explore the newly established federal education tax credit program and its national implications. Blew traces the policy’s origins to proposals from former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, while unpacking how the program allows taxpayers to receive credits for donations that fund scholarships for private schooling, tutoring, and specialized services. Everett discusses the growing number of states opting in and why Massachusetts remains a key battleground, citing political resistance, state constitutional barriers to private school choice, and the influence of teachers’ unions, while arguing the program could expand access and greater opportunity for all students. They highlight lessons from post-pandemic school choice expansion, the significance of Colorado's Democratic Gov. Jared Polis opting in, and whether the program’s voluntary structure will encourage broader adoption or deepen divides. Katie concludes with a preview of her upcoming event on April 15th at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library on what this federal initiative could mean for families across Massachusetts and the country.