#968: Are school inspections the accountability tool we’ve overlooked? with Erik Robelen

On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, former Education Week reporter Erik Robelen joins Mike and David to discuss school inspections—what they are, how they might fit into accountability systems, and who’s actually using them in U.S. schools. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber highlights a study on how AI tools can help middle school math teachers personalize their lessons.

Recommended content: 

• Erik Robelen, “The Full Measure of a School,” Education Next (Spring 2025).
• Erik Robelen, “England’s School Inspections Get a Makeover,” Education Next (Spring 2025).
• Maryland State Department of Education, Blueprint for Maryland’s Future: Expert Review Team 
• Colorado Department of Education, State Review Panel: School Review Protocol, SchoolWorks LLC (2024).
• Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Charter School Site Visit Protocol, (2024) 
• Rizwaan Malik, Dorna Abdi, Rose E. Wang, and Dorottya Demszky, Scaffolding Middle-School Mathematics Curricula With Large Language Models, EdWorking Papers (April 2025)

Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Stephanie Distler at [email protected].