On this edition of EdChoice Chats, host Mike McShane talks with Neal McCluskey and James Shuls, editors of the new book Fighting for Freedom to Learn: Examining America's Century-Old School Choice Movement.

In this conversation they explore the historical context and evolution of the school choice movement in America, focusing on the contributions of key figures like Horace Mann and Virgil Bloom. The discussion delves into the implications of the common schools movement, the challenges faced in advancing educational freedom, and the ongoing debate about whether school choice is a progressive or conservative reform.

In this episode of State of Choice, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Michael Torres, Director of Legislative Strategy at the Classic Learning Test (CLT), about how CLT is challenging the SAT and ACT by offering a liberal arts-based testing.

Torres shares the story of CLT’s founding, its rapid growth—especially after Florida’s adoption of the test—and ongoing efforts to expand into other states despite pushback. The conversation also explores the impact of standardized testing monopolies on education policy and curriculum, the importance of competition in testing, and CLT’s new initiative to create an alternative to Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams.

On this edition of EdChoice Chats, host Mike McShane talks with Katherine Bathgate, the CEO and founder of SchoolForward, about her new paper Rethinking ESA Policy Design: A new approach to financial accountability. They talk about the ideas in the paper, ESA policy, the risk of misuse and fraud in ESA programs, and so much more.

In this episode of Sunday School Choice, host Nathan Sanders interviews Chris Vas from the Herzog Foundation to discuss the foundation’s mission of advancing Christ-centered K–12 education across the country. They explore the foundation’s professional development programs, its SchoolBox platform for launching new schools, and the impact of Missouri’s MoScholars tax credit program. The conversation also highlights trends in homeschooling and micro-schooling, especially how churches are partnering with educators to host innovative education models.

In this episode of the State of Choice podcast, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Katherine Schulze, Nathan Sanders, and Aaron Gillham about all the exciting momentum across the states this legislative session.

Of the eight states–Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming–that created or expanded choice programs in 2025, six now offer programs with universal eligibility, meaning any student may apply to participate. New Hampshire took it a step further by securing true universal education choice.

For decades, critics of school choice have warned that it would destroy public education. From claims that funding would evaporate to predictions of catastrophic harm to students, the rhetoric has been dramatic—and remarkably consistent.

But is there any truth to these warnings?

Robert Enlow, CEO of EdChoice, and Ed Tarnowski, author of the new report Who's Afraid of School Choice, take some of the most anti-school choice quotes from the report and read them for you.

In this episode of Sunday School Choice: Where Faith Meets Education Freedom, host Nathan Sanders is joined by Dr. Shaunette Parker, Senior Director of Partner Relations at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation and board chair of Second Baptist Christian Preparatory School in South Carolina. They discuss how church-based schools can uniquely serve their communities, especially by providing safe, nurturing, and faith-aligned environments. Dr. Parker shares her journey into education and ministry, highlights how programs like South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund expand access to private schooling for underserved families, and offers powerful encouragement for church leaders considering starting a school.

On this edition of EdChoice Chats, host Mike McShane, Director of National Research at EdChoice, talks with Michael Bindas, Senior Attorney at the Institute for Justice, about his new paper titled "School Choice is Racist and Other Myths."

In this episode of Sunday School Choice: Where Faith Meets Education Freedom, host Nathan Sanders is joined by Troy McIntosh from the Ohio Christian Education Network, a ministry of the Center for Christian Virtue, to talk about their School Starting Manual—a practical and faith-driven guide designed to help pastors and church leaders launch Christian schools. As more churches across the country explore how to start education ministries, this manual serves as a clear and proven blueprint. If you’ve ever asked, “How do we start a school?”—this episode is for you.

In this episode of the State of Choice podcast, host Ed Tarnowski talks with Katherine Schulze, Nathan Sanders, and Aaron Gillham about school choice updates across the US, including some very exciting news from Texas.