On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust, joins Mike to explain why charter school advocates keep winning in red states—and how others might follow Indiana’s lead. Then, on the Research Minute, Adam shares a new study documenting the sharp rise in teacher absences post-pandemic—and why it matters for schools and students.

Recommended content:

• “Charter school advocates keep winning—at least in red states” —Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust, for Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• “Education reform in red versus blue states” — Michael Petrilli, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• “Five ways to ensure that charter schools have a political future” —Brandon Brown, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• “Ed in ‘28: A playbook for Democratic education reformers” —Dale Chu, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• “State data shows K–12 teacher absences surged post-pandemic” —Michael Hansen, Purnima Aggarwal, and Rebecca Wagner, Brookings Institute (May 2025)

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