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Freedom to Learn
Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy StudiesOn this season of Freedom to Learn, we're exploring the implementation of education policies that put power back where it belongs, closest to students. Each episode will reveal how policymakers and advocates are turning historic legislative victories into education freedom reality for millions of parents and students. Over the last two years, our Freedom to Learn guests have made the case for creating a new Education Freedom Tax Credit, expanding state education savings account programs, returning education to states, communities, and families, and ending the era of union dominance. Join us this season as we explore what's possible when education is student-centered and free from bureaucratic control. Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute.
- Hosts:
- •GGGinny Gentles
Episode length: 36m
What if families in your state could unlock thousands of dollars for their children's education thanks to a new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, but your state hasn't opted in yet? Averel Meden of the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Coalition joins the podcast to explain the Treasury Department’s newly released rules governing the tax credit for donations to scholarship granting organizations, how to talk to state leaders, and key dates leading to the 2027 tax credit implementation. Averel explains how this $1,700 federal tax credit could generate scholarships that benefit 96% of students nationwide. She also encourages listeners to engage in the 60-day comment period for the proposed rules and build public awareness about the EFTC through friends, families, schools, and faith communities.
Episode length: 34m
When Arkansas’s Education Freedom Accounts went universal last year, enrollment soared by 212% to 44,524 students. Dr. Patrick Wolf joins the podcast to discuss who’s participating, why families choose the program, and how the funds are used. Dr. Wolf’s new report on the program also examines rural access to education options, participation among students with disabilities, program accountability, and early academic achievement results. Arkansas Education Freedom Accounts: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/offices/office-of-school-choice-and-parent-empowerment/education-freedom-accounts 🔗 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!
September 2026
Episode length: 34m
The new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit could reshape the K-12 education landscape faster than most people realize. American Federation for Children senior fellow Patrick Graff’s new research reveals who can fund and who can receive tax credit-funded scholarships. Ginny Gentles and Patrick discuss how the new federal tax credit works, the 52 million students who could qualify for tax credited-funded scholarships, the 121 million taxpayers who are eligible to claim the tax credit and fund scholarships, and why state participation will determine which families benefit. They also explore the program’s potential to generate billions in new K-12 education funding. Who Can Receive a Scholarship? The Eligible K-12 Student Population Under the New Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC): https://www.federationforchildren.org/new-estimates-project-that-52-million-k-12-students-eligible-for-the-education-freedom-tax-credit-eftc/ Who Can Fund a Scholarship?
Episode length: 30m
Texas families are demanding more education options and expecting more of the education system. Ginny Gentles talks with Mandy Drogin, host of the Parent Empowerment podcast, about the 120,000 students benefiting from Texas’s education freedom accounts this year, the huge demand from families of students with special needs, and the growing marketplace of schools, tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and more. Mandy also makes the case for classical education and the Great Books, exposes what she calls the “education cartel,” and previews her upcoming book, Classroom Comeback: How Americans Can Make Education Great Again. Texas Education Freedom Accounts: https://educationfreedom.texas.gov/ Classroom Comeback: How Americans Can Make Education Great Again: https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/classroom-comeback/?srsltid=AfmBOor8PeL5Gbm7C9vRBz7Og_qFgna3E71qM9jN5LCA5TzDxMblsWcN 🔗 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!
Episode length: 34m
This week on Freedom to Learn, DFI Guest Host Angela Morabito is joined by Daniel Buck, American Enterprise Institute Research Fellow and Director of the Conservative Education Reform Network (CERN). Daniel breaks down the student behavior crisis facing America’s K–12 classrooms, explaining how persistent low-level disruptions contribute to teacher burnout. He also reveals the progressive ideological imbalance facing teacher preparation programs today and what can be done to fix it, defends the importance of standardized testing, and shares how schools can restore the parent-teacher divide. Pedagogy of the Progressives: A Review of Syllabi from Graduate Schools of Education, Sept. 9, 2026, by Daniel Buck: https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/pedagogy-of-the-progressives-a-review-of-syllabi-from-graduate-schools-of-education/ Colleges Train Future Teachers to Push Woke Agenda, Aug.
Episode length: 33m
We’re back with another episode of Freedom to Learn, with DFI’s Angela Morabito filling in for Host Ginny Gentles. This week, U.S. Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent joins the podcast to give an inside look on how the The Department of Education is bringing transparency to higher education’s foreign financial ties, partnering with the U.S. Department of the Treasury to better manage student loans, dismantling the accreditation monopoly by encouraging competition and ending administrative bloat, and the Education Department’s efforts to implement Workforce Pell to expand alternative pathways to education outside of the traditional 4-year college degree. 🔗 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!
July 2026
Episode length: 32m
This week on Freedom to Learn, we’re re-releasing our conversation with Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush on the Florida teachers union's 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!
Episode length: 38m
Intersectionality has quietly become the unseen driver behind today’s divisive education policies, anti-American sentiments, and campus radicalization. This week on Freedom to Learn, we are re-releasing our episode featuring William A. Jacobson, Cornell Law School professor and founder of the Legal Insurrection Foundation. He sounds the alarm on this dangerous ideological “mother’s milk” that feeds critical race theory, DEI, and even some acts of domestic extremism and describes how teachers unions and colleges of education pushed intersectionality into K-12 classrooms. He also provides concrete actions policymakers should take to confront intersectionality directly, including executive orders and guidance, federal funding oversight, and congressional hearings.
Episode length: 31m
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for women and girls, ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox that schools may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex without violating Title IX or the Constitution. The Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI) filed an amicus brief supporting West Virginia and Idaho and has been at the forefront of the fight to restore Title IX to its original promise. DFI filed the first-in-the-nation lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s unlawful Title IX rewrite and helped secure the first preliminary injunction blocking the rule. But even after this important Supreme Court victory, the Title IX regulatory ping-pong is far from over. This week on Freedom to Learn, we are re-releasing a June 2025 episode featuring DFI Senior Policy and Regulatory Counsel Paul Zimmerman.
Episode length: 41m
A new federal tax credit could dramatically expand educational opportunities for millions of students next year. Jim Blew of the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Coalition and Peter Murphy of the Invest in Education Coalition join the podcast to describe how the new “Education Freedom Tax Credit” will incentivize private donations to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs), empowering parents to choose the schools and services that meet their children’s needs. Together, they tackle the biggest objections from critics, walk through how coalition-building helped pass the law and shape the rulemaking process, and make the case for why governors should opt in so families in every state can benefit. The conversation also covers public school student participation, homeschool student access, what needs to happen before implementation, and, of course, pervasive myths.
June 2026
Episode length: 33m
Over a million Florida K-12 students attend a school of choice through magnet programs, open enrollment, career and technical academies, and charter and lab schools. Over 500,000 Florida students participate in the state’s education savings account and tax credit scholarship programs. Ron Matus, director of Research & Special Projects at Step Up for Students, joins the podcast to share the stories of the families and educators driving innovation and expanding opportunities across the state. We explore the growth of the ESA programs, how students with disabilities benefit, rural school choice options, the rise of specialized à la carte options, and the surprising growth in Catholic school enrollment. Catholic School Update Brief 2026: https://nextstepsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Catholic-school-update-brief-2026-final-approved.pdf Next Steps Blog: https://nextstepsblog.org/author/ron-matus/ 🔗 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!
Episode length: 32m
Amber Northern on Teachers Unions’ Strength, Perception, & Politics
Episode length: 32m
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!
Episode length: 32m
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!
Episode length: 35m
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 🔗 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!
May 2026
Episode length: 32m
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.
Episode length: 38m
Bill Jacobson on Intersectionality, Anti-American Ideology, & How to Stop It
Episode length: 38m
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/ 🔗 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!
Episode length: 33m
Sarah Parshall Perry of Defending Education joins Freedom to Learn for a fast-moving conversation on the biggest legal and policy fights in education today. We cover the launch of Defending Education’s new litigation center, the power of accrediting bodies like the American Bar Association, and what’s at stake for free speech and parental rights in K–12 and higher ed. We also get into gender secrecy policies, teachers unions’ political spending, and the growing push to turn classrooms into activist spaces. Plus, a new rapid-fire round! Wall Street Journal: How the ABA Spreads DEI in Law Schools: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/american-bar-association-dei-law-school-accreditation-36e77872 National Review: The ABA Is a Joke. So Why Is It Still Accrediting Law Schools? https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/the-aba-is-a-joke-so-why-is-it-still-accrediting-law-schools/ 🔗 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!
Episode length: 31m
Arkansas is streamlining the K-12 education bureaucracy, investing in educators, and expanding families’ options. On today’s episode of Freedom to Learn, Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva covers the rollout of the transformative LEARNS Act and its impact. He explains how Arkansas expanded Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs) from targeted eligibility to universal access, and what it took to launch the statewide choice program that now serves about 50,000 students. Secretary Oliva also shares Arkansas’ federal waiver strategy to cut red tape and return decision-making power to the state by consolidating fragmented funding streams, reducing compliance costs, and shifting the focus from micromanaging inputs to holding schools accountable for results. 🔗 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!
April 2026
Episode length: 36m
The Classic Learning Test is disrupting the standardized testing status quo. Michael Torres, CLT’s Director of Legislative Strategy, explains how this fast-growing exam is quietly challenging the SAT/ACT duopoly, offering a rigorous alternative with longer reading passages, no-calculator math, and a focus on true college readiness. He traces CLT’s 10-year rise from a niche option for homeschool and classical school students to widespread adoption in public systems, starting with Florida in 2023. We discuss expanding recognition across major university systems, U.S. service academies, and the shifting state and federal policies that are embracing the CLT and reshaping college admissions. Our conversation explores the high-stakes policy battle behind the scenes: how the College Board is fighting to protect its control over education, how exams influence what gets taught in classrooms, and why CLT is pushing for “assessment choice” as a natural extension of school choice.
Episode length: 32m
What does it actually look like to unwind federal control of education? Keri D. Ingraham, Director of the Discovery Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education, joins the podcast to discuss the first year of efforts to scale back the U.S. Department of Education and return authority to states and families. Drawing on her experience as a teacher and administrator, she argues that downsizing bureaucracy can drive efficiency, innovation, and stronger outcomes for students. She also explains how the new Education Freedom Tax Credit will expand school choice across the country, but only if all 50 states opt in. The Education Department Is Shrinking: Staff cut by half, billions saved, and states empowered: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-education-department-is-shrinking-5bf05e23?mod=commentary_article_pos2 🔗 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!
Episode length: 31m
Kathleen O’Toole on Classical Education, AI, & Rescuing a Lost Generation
Episode length: 31m
What if the real education crisis isn’t falling test scores, but a generation losing the ability to focus deeply, think critically, or even just read an entire book? In this episode, Dr. Kathleen O’Toole of Hillsdale College explains why today’s students are less cognitively developed, and how classical education offers a powerful alternative. From the failures of literacy instruction and colleges of education to the impact of screens and COVID disruptions, we discuss what went wrong and what can be rebuilt. O’Toole makes the case for content-rich learning, great books, and the formation of the whole person, and explains why more families are turning to these models, especially now that expanding school choice programs empower families to choose a classical education option. In an AI-driven world, Dr. O’Toole argues, classical education graduates’ ability to develop their minds, acquire knowledge, and think for themselves may provide the ultimate advantage.
Episode length: 34m
Bipartisanship may be rare in Washington, but it still exists! This week, Christy Wolfe of the Bipartisan Policy Center joins us to discuss the Commission on the American Workforce’s sweeping new blueprint to connect education to opportunity and BPC’s federal education policy action items. We cover why federal programs remain stubbornly siloed, why Congress hasn’t reauthorized major education laws, and whether the Department of Education is truly a “pass-through” agency. We also discuss resources Christy has created explaining formula funding like Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and competitive grants. She shares her views on what interagency agreements mean in practice, the real barriers to state flexibility (from waiver fatigue to talent constraints), and why some of the biggest obstacles to innovation may sit at the state, rather than the federal, level. With more than 30 years shaping federal education policy across Congress, the U.S.
Episode length: 34m
In this week’s episode, Tiffany Hoben, a former teacher and administrator, exposes the deep, recurring failures in school governance and accountability revealed in her analysis of West Virginia’s Special Circumstance Reviews of districts and schools. Tiffany highlights the interconnected “braid” of financial mismanagement, inconsistent academic standards, and discipline chaos that cause school systems to break down, and emphasizes the urgent need for both structural reform and the expansion of education freedom opportunities like the state’s Hope Scholarship education savings account program. Until recently, Tiffany was the Director of Education Partnerships and Strategy at the Cardinal Institute. Last week, the Department of War (Defense) Education Activity announced that Tiffany will serve as Chief Academic Officer for DoWEA, the system that educates 67,000 military-connected children studying in 161 schools around the world.
March 2026
Episode length: 32m
Graduate student unions are supposed to advocate for better wages, benefits, and working conditions, but according to a new report, “The Radicalism of Graduate Student Unions Affiliated with the Teacher Unions,” some have become tools for foreign political agendas and radical ideologies. DFI senior fellow Jay Greene joins the podcast to discuss his research exposing union radicalism. He details how these graduate labor unions, which are often affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, are obsessed with anti-American, anti-Israel, and pro-communist activism and how university visa practices are fueling this trend. The discussion concludes with practical solutions like imposing visa limits, requiring affidavits against foreign affiliations, and conditioning federal funding to curb foreign-backed activism. The Radicalism of Graduate Student Unions Affiliated with the Teacher Unions: https://dfipolicy.org/radicalism-of-graduate-student-unions/ 🔗 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!
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