Amber Northern on Teachers Unions’ Strength, Perception, & Politics

Amber Northern on Teachers Unions’ Strength, Perception, & Politics

Teacher unions have long dominated education politics, but their influence is waning. Amber Northern of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute joins Freedom to Learn to discuss a new report ranking teacher union strength across all 50 states. She explains why union membership declined in almost every state, which states remain union strongholds, and how the growing number of school choice advocates, parent groups, and education reform organizations are reshaping the balance of power in state education policy. We dig into the data on collective bargaining, strikes, stakeholder perceptions, and political influence as we explore the evolving role of teacher unions in America. A Crowded Table: Teacher Union Strength in 2026: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/crowded-table-teacher-union-strength-2026 🔗 Links & Resources: * Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: * Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy * Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Governor Jeb Bush on the School Choice Victories, Union Lawsuits, & Why Reform is Never Complete

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush joins Freedom to Learn to discuss the Florida teachers union's latest lawsuit targeting the state's education freedom programs and why he believes it is destined to fail. Governor Bush reflects on the bold reforms that transformed Florida from one of the nation's lowest-performing education systems into a national leader in student achievement and parental choice. He also makes the case for returning more authority from Washington to the states, tackles persistent myths about school choice and accountability, and shares the philosophy that guided his work for the last three decades: "Success is never final. Reform is never complete." 🔗 Links & Resources: * Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: * Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy * Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Assistant Secretary Kirsten Baesler on Returning Education to the States with Waivers, Ed-Flex Authority, & Funding

Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Kirsten Baesler joins the podcast to discuss what “returning education to the states” looks like in practice. With Iowa and Louisiana receiving waivers to consolidate state activities funds and about ten more states in discussions with the U.S. Department of Education, we dig into the opportunities provided by the waivers and how the iterative application process is unfolding. We also cover Ed-Flex authority, interagency agreements, the cumbersome competitive grant process, and Assistant Secretary Baesler’s vision for transparency and assessments. Trump’s K-12 Leader: Let’s Improve Assessment Without Sacrificing Accountability: https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-trumps-k-12-leader-lets-improve-assessment-without-sacrificing-accountability/2026/05 [https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-trumps-k-12-leader-lets-improve-assessment-without-sacrificing-accountability/2026/05] 🔗 Links & Resources: * Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: * Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy * Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Danyela Souza Egorov on New York City’s Soaring Spending, Plummeting Enrollment, & Chronic Absenteeism

New York City spends $42,000 per pupil, but student outcomes are mediocre and families are fleeing the system. Danyela Souza Egorov joins Freedom to Learn to discuss the city’s shrinking enrollment, increasingly empty school buildings, and soaring spending. Danyela urges city leaders to make responsible decisions, tackle the city’s chronic absenteeism crisis, and prioritize students and families rather than powerful unions. The conversation covers foolish COVID-era policies that reshaped public education, why parents are demanding more options, and what the federal scholarship tax credit could mean for New York families seeking educational freedom. * What to Do About NYC’s Empty Schools: https://manhattan.institute/article/what-to-do-about-nycs-empty-schools?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social [https://manhattan.institute/article/what-to-do-about-nycs-empty-schools?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social] * The Ghost Classrooms Haunting America’s Education System: https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-ghost-classrooms-haunting-americas-education-system?author=Danyela+Souza+Egorov&category=undefined&elementPosition=0&row=3&rowHeadline=Latest+News&rowType=Vertical+Carousel&title=The+Ghost+Classrooms+Haunting+America?s+Education+System [https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-ghost-classrooms-haunting-americas-education-system?author=Danyela+Souza+Egorov&category=undefined&elementPosition=0&row=3&rowHeadline=Latest+News&rowType=Vertical+Carousel&title=The+Ghost+Classrooms+Haunting+America?s+Education+System] * Schools Received More Money Than Ever. Parents Aren’t Seeing The Results: https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-spending-more-than-ever-on-education-is-it-getting-us-anything [https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-spending-more-than-ever-on-education-is-it-getting-us-anything] * Chronic Absenteeism Is Hampering School Improvement Efforts in New York City: What Can Be Done About It? https://manhattan.institute/article/chronic-absenteeism-hampering-school-improvement-efforts-new-york-city [https://manhattan.institute/article/chronic-absenteeism-hampering-school-improvement-efforts-new-york-city] 🔗 Links & Resources: * Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: * Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy * Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!

Bill Jacobson on Intersectionality, Anti-American Ideology, & How to Stop It

Intersectionality has quietly become the unseen driver behind today’s divisive education policies, anti-American sentiments, and campus radicalization. William A. Jacobson, Cornell Law School professor and founder of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, joins the podcast to sound the alarm on this dangerous ideological “mother’s milk” that feeds critical race theory, DEI, and even some acts of domestic extremism. Bill describes how teachers unions and colleges of education pushed intersectionality into K-12 classrooms. And he provides concrete actions policymakers should take to confront intersectionality directly, including executive orders and guidance, federal funding oversight, and congressional hearings. Intersectionality: The Rise of a Dangerous Anti-American Ideology and How to Stop It: https://dfipolicy.org/report-intersectionality/ [https://dfipolicy.org/report-intersectionality/] 🔗 Links & Resources: * Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: * Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy * Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy * Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!