What if schools aren’t incentivized to educate kids… but to enroll them?Baltimore City Public Schools went from a $1.3 billion budget to $1.8 billion in just eight years. Graduation rates barely moved. Math proficiency? Around 12%.In this episode, National Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter Chris Papst (Project Baltimore, FOX45) joins us to expose what he uncovered after nearly a decade investigating public education.What he found:• 12,500 failing grades changed to passing• Enrollment driving funding — not performance• $500 million more per year… with no meaningful academic gains• Administrative expansion while teacher numbers stayed flatHis bestselling book “Failure Factory” lays out the data, the documents, and the legal battles that forced transparency into a system that fought to hide it.This isn’t just Baltimore’s story. According to Papst, it’s a nationwide pattern.If you care about:• Education• Tax dollars• Accountability• The future of your communityThis conversation matters.📘 About Chris PapstChris Papst is a National Emmy-winning investigative journalist and the lead reporter behind Project Baltimore at FOX45. His reporting led to legal precedent-setting lawsuits, state law changes, and recognition from the NAACP.📖 Grab his book “Failure Factory” here:👉 https://www.chrispapst.com👉 Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are soldFollow Chris:X / Twitter: @ChrisPapstFacebook: Chris Papst🎯 Topics We Cover• How funding formulas reward enrollment — not education• The mechanics of grade manipulation• Where education money actually goes• Administrative growth vs classroom investment• Why public officials avoid accountability• How parents can investigate their own districts⏱️ Chapters00:00 The Education Funding Paradox03:27 Investigating Baltimore's Public School System06:23 The Focus on Funding Over Education09:27 Uncovering Grade Manipulation12:35 The Consequences of Failing Education15:15 The Role of Enrollment in Funding18:34 Administrative Growth vs. Student Outcomes21:36 Data-Driven Insights on Education Funding24:22 The Impact of Poor Educational Outcomes27:18 The Future of Public Education Funding33:52 The Changing Landscape of Education36:25 The Financial Incentives in Public Education41:45 Investigative Journalism and Its Challenges48:17 The Importance of Education Reform54:18 The Broader Implications of Failing Education Systems🥃 Follow Cocktails & ConspiraciesIf this episode made you uncomfortable… good.That’s the point.Remember to like, subscribe, comment and follow us on each and every social media platform out there by visiting:👉 https://www.ConspiracyRealist.com🔗 Connect with Cocktails & Conspiracies:⚫ Follow us on X: https://x.com/conspiracyonx🔴 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/CocktailsConspiracies🔵 Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/CocktailsConspiraciesconspiracy,conspiracy theory,cocktails & conspiracies,cocktails and conspiracies,education,funding,accountability,Baltimore,investigative journalism,public schools,student outcomes,grade inflation,education reform,Failure Factory