The sweeping federal tax credit scholarship program which President Trump was able to shoehorn into his so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill" will go into effect in less than a year. It has the potential to divert billions of federal tax dollars to private and religious school tuition, with negligible oversight and accountability.  Right now the Trump Administration is drawing up a blueprint for implementing this hugely ambitious "school choice" program which an estimated 90 percent of families in the United States will qualify for.  When the proposed regulations are issued in in advance of the Jan. 1 implementation date, education leaders and advocates must be prepared to respond them.   One big question is whether Democratically controlled  states should participate in the tax credit program - at the moment it appears that almost all won't -- or whether they  can figure out ways public schools could benefit from it in a meaningful way.  To shed light on key unresolved issues like these, host Louis Freedberg talks with Jon Valant, director of the Brookings Brown Center on Education Policy, and Jessica Levin, litigation director of the Education Law Center.  Both are leading experts on what's at stake.  Anyone who cares about the future of public education will learn from their insights and observations. 

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What happens when frenetic policymaking by the Trump Administration collides with the guardrails of courts, campuses, and public opinion? We sit down with leading conservative commentator Frederick Hess, director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute, and long-time higher education expert Stephen Brint, professor of sociology and public policy at the University of California at Riverside, to unpack a year that in which the federal government asserted unprecedented power over both private and public education institutions at all levels.  From executive orders and DOJ referrals to high-stakes investigations, we discuss what changed, what stalled, and, most importantly, what to expect in 2026.  

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During the first year of President Trump's latest term in the White House, much of his admiinistration's focus been national in scope, especially on its  push to dismantle or eradicate entirely the U.S. Dept. of Education. What, however, is happening at the local level?  In this episode, we look at the extent to which political pressures on local school districts have continued, and, more importantly, how school leaders can successfully traverse them.  This will be especially important during this election year when school board election battles will take center stage at a local level.  Host Louis Freedberg interviews two prominent education leaders who offer their guidance based on years of experience in the education trenches.  Carl Cohn is  the esteemed former superintendent of the Long Beach and San Diego Unified School Districts, and co-chair of the Collaborative for Political Leadership in the Superintendency.   Wesley Smith is superintendent of the Newport-Mesa School District in California's Orange County, and former head of the Association of California School Administrators. 

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Cut staff at the U.S. Education Dept. in half, and send programs they were overseeing to multiple other departments -- what could that  possibly go wrong for students and schools?  To examine what is at stake, veteran education journalist Louis Freedberg sits down with Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, both of whom are at the forefront of efforts to save the Dept. of Education from extinction by the Trump administration.  

Democracy Forward is now in court on behalf of the AFT and numerous other labor organizations and school districts.  Both Perryman and Weingarten argue that, far from being ineffective, lawsuits against the Trump Administration, especially when it comes to education, have been far more effective than is generally believed. But, they say, it will also take a multi-pronged effort around the nation to put pressure on elected representatives to save programs and funding that they say disproportionately benefit children and schools in "red" states. 

If you care about federal funding for schools, the fate of special education, and having a federal government that supports schools instead of attacking them, you’ll find a clear roadmap of what’s happening, why it matters, and what can be done.  

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Educators are barraged with a range of test scores from K-12 schools that are often confusing and seem to conflict with each other.   Some show students improving. Others show the opposite. 

 Listen to Linda Darling-Hammond and Pedro Noguera, two of the nation's premier education scholars and advocates, make the case for why we need tests --- not as weapons to label and stigmatize students and schools, but as tools to improve learning.   

Darling-Hammond, founder and Chief Knowledge Officer of the Learning Policy Institute, and chair of the California State Board of Education, points to latest test results showing improvements in California, as well as in districts who are beating the odds like Los Angeles and Compton Unified. An overemphasis on tests, she says, has meant less emphasis on higher-level thinking in our schools.  Noguera, Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, argues that we should pay more attention to learning itself and how to get kids engaged and motivated. 

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In the episode of Education on the Line, we examine how the Trump administration has used the shutdown to try to eviscerate key agencies in the U.S. Dept of Education that oversee enforcement and the integrity of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.  IDEA Is the landmark civil rights legislation that grants nearly 8 million children and young adults with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate education.  In conversation with veteran education journalist Louis Freedberg, Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, and Kristin Wright, former director of special education  in California, describe what is at stake.  Both are parents of disabled children. They emphasize that despite the threats to federal support and oversight, the focus must remain on what is happening at a school district and state level, which is where primary responsibility lies for ensuring that children in special education are adequately served. 

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The Trump administration is so far using TItle IX as the principal weapon to attack public schools:  principally against school districts with gender-neutral bathrooms.  But  its use of civil rights laws could soon expand to using Title VI laws and regulations to go after schools on race-related matters. 

That's the view of education and civil rights expert R. Shep Melnick, professor of American Politics at Boston College and co-chair of the Harvard Program on Constitutional Government. In conversation with Louis Freedberg. Melnick provides a primer on what Title IX and Title VI actually say  -- and how the Trump administration is building on their expansive interpretations by the Obama and Biden administrations.  

What sets the Trump administration apart from previous administrations is that itseems intent on cutting off funds to school districts that don't comply with often impossible demands --without any serious effort to negotiate settlements with them. That has not happened to any significant extent since the 1960s when school districts refused to integrate after Brown V. Board of Education.  In this lively discussion, we look at strategies for school leaders for handling threats to school funding that are likely to increase in intensity in the coming months and years.

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Bathrooms have emerged as the principal battleground in efforts by the Trump administration to cut federal support of public schools. based on its attacks on "gender ideology."  The Denver Public Schools , for example, face a potential $100 million or more funding cut over its gender-neutral bathroom policies. Five Virginia school districts face similar threats.

In conversation with veteran education journalist Louis Freedberg, Superintendent Alex Marrero joins us to reveal how his district jashas become a center of a national controversy that began with a conversion of a girls bathroom to a gender neutrol one at a single high school. 

After addressing initial complaints about facility parity, Denver now faces shifting federal allegations of creating a "hostile environment" – despite the U.S. Department of Education conducting no on-site reviews, witness interviews, or substantive conversations with district officials throughout their investigation.

What's particularly striking is Superintendent Marrero's unwavering commitment to his district's values despite these financial threats. "Would it be easier to cave? Of course," he acknowledges. "But it would be incredibly inequitable... It doesn't matter if it was just one scholar."

The Denver case highlights a jarring contradiction in federal education policy. While the Trump administration advocates abolishing the Department of Education to return control to states, it simultaneously threatens funding penalties against districts following state laws in places like Colorado and California, where protections for LGBTQ+ students are explicitly codified.

For school leaders watching this unfold, Marrero offers clear guidance: prioritize the communities you serve, consult legal counsel, and prepare for potential backlash. His message to fellow superintendents is powerful: "Do not neglect the community that you're serving and speak out for them," he told us.  "We have a duty to protect ours."

How is your school district navigating the conflicting demands between local policies, state laws, and federal pressures? Share your experiences and subscribe to Education on the Line wherever you get your podcasts to stay informed on these critical issues facing public education.

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The battle over diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education has reached a critical tipping point. What began as targeted attacks on elite institutions has evolved into an existential threat affecting colleges and universities of every type across America.

When University of Virginia President James Ryan was forced to resign at the end of June in the face of pressure from the Trump administration for allegedly failing to dismantle DEI programs aggressively enough, it signaled a dramatic escalation in federal intrusion into academic governance. This unprecedented move follows executive orders requiring institutions to eliminate "race-based" or "identity-based" programs—without clearly defining what those terms mean. 

In this important discussion hosted by Lande Ajose, Sarah Brown from the Chronicle of Higher Education and Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association of College Admission Counseling, explore what's at stake when higher education becomes a political battleground, and how institutions are fighting to preserve their core mission amid unprecedented challenges.

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Educational leaders across the country are navigating a storm of uncertainty as the Trump administration unleashes a barrage of executive orders targeting public schools. What began with a minimal education focus during the Presidential campaign has morphed into a centerpiece of the Trump administration's agenda. 

In this conversation with noted education scholar and advocate Pedro Noguera, we explore how school leaders are responding to this treacherous landscape while continuing to serve students who show up at their doors every day.  We highlight the contrast between educators committed to serving all children and an administration seemingly focused on waging culture wars rather than offering solutions to improving students' educational outcomes.  

"What you don't hear from the administration is the emergence of a coherent policy aimed at making education in this country better," notes Noguera, pointing out that previous administrations from both parties at least attempted to address challenges students face in the classroom. 

As K-12 and higher education institutions respond to federal intrusion into local control, using ending federal financial support as a weapon, a key question emerges: How can educational leaders maintain their focus on serving students while navigating this politically charged environment? 

The podcast offers insights for those on the front lines who believe public education serves as an essential cornerstone of democracy. regardless of partisan politics.

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