Daniel Buck on Fixing Classroom Chaos, Balancing Teacher Prep Programs, & Addressing the Teacher-Parent Divide

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. 11, 2026, by Angela Morabito: https://www.realcleareducation.com/2026/08/10/colleges_train_future_teachers_to_push_woke_agenda_1199374.html

🔗 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!