In this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Public Schools speak with Dr. Lerone Martin, Martin Luther King, Jr. Centennial Professor at Stanford University, and Dr. Jason Miller, Distinguished Professor of English at North Carolina State University. They explore the religious, literary, and historical foundations of MLK?s thought and rhetoric, highlighting his vision of saving the soul of America and promoting human dignity. Dr. Martin discusses MLK?s early spiritual leadership in Montgomery, AL, the influence of the Old Testament prophets, and the role of largely female-led grassroots activism in the 1955?56 Bus Boycott. Dr. Miller examines Langston Hughes?s poetry, including ?Harlem (A Dream Deferred)? and ?Mississippi ?1955,? and how it shaped King?s sermons, speeches, and approach to civil rights leadership. Their conversation also covers key moments in King?s career, including co-founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Freedom Rides, the 1963 March on Washington, and his Nobel Peace Prize. In closing, Dr. Miller reads a passage from his book, Origins of the Dream: Hughes?s Poetry and King?s Rhetoric.

In this week's episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Center for Strong Public Schools? Alisha Searcy and Great Hearts Academies? Dr. Helen Baxendale interview award-winning author and biographer Dr. Jung Chang, whose international bestsellers have illuminated three generations of her family's experiences across 20th- and 21st-century China. Dr. Chang reflects on the powerful lessons drawn from the lives of her grandmother, mother, and herself under Chairman Mao?s tyranny, emphasizing the importance of personal memory in confronting totalitarianism and educating younger generations. She discusses the role of her memoir alongside works by figures such as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Elie Wiesel in exposing the tragic human cost of 20th century?s most murderous regimes. Turning to her co-authored biography, Mao: The Unknown Story, Dr. Chang offers her assessment of Mao?s character, the catastrophic loss of over 70 million lives under his Communist rule, and the enduring myths and lies surrounding his despotic legacy. She explores China?s rich pre-Communist history, including the often misunderstood reign of the Empress Dowager Cixi, the central role of women in shaping modern China, and her motivations for writing Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister. She also examines Chairman Deng Xiaoping?s (the ?Architect of Modern China?) economic reforms in the late 1970s, President Xi Jinping?s revival of Maoist-style political state control, and concludes with a moving discussion of Fly, Wild Swans, as a tribute to her mother, including the final chapter on why she could not return to China to be at her mother?s deathbed.

In this week's episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Strong Public Schools? Alisha Searcy discuss state and national K-12 education reform with Katherine Haley, Founder and Partner of the Oak Rose Group and President of the Arizona State Board of Education. Haley shares her remarkable career journey from Capitol Hill?where she served as chief policy advisor to former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner?to leading education reform in Arizona. She discusses founding the Oak Rose Group to advance human flourishing through strategic consulting, and her work on the Arizona State Board of Education, where she addresses the state's academic challenges on NAEP despite robust charter public and school choice programs. Ms. Haley provides an insider's perspective on the political dynamics of federal education lawmaking, the influence of special interests, and the complexities of programs like IDEA, Title I, and the DC voucher program. She examines why American K-12 education struggles to improve despite massive expenditures exceeding $800 billion annually, and offers advice for what governors, legislators, local officials, and parents can do to dramatically transform academic outcomes for America's schoolchildren.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Public Schools speak with Julie Young, Julie Petersen, and Kay Johnson, co-editors of Pioneer Institute?s new book, Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America. They explore the evolution of online education in the U.S., from the founding of Florida Virtual School (FLVS) to the innovations at ASU Prep Digital. Young, Petersen, and Johnson discuss key principles of educational leadership, pivotal historical milestones in virtual schooling, and the early challenges of creating student-centered, technology-driven learning models. The co-editors highlight lessons from states? high-performing digital programs, the role of state regulations, and strategies for addressing national learning loss, including insights about shortcomings of remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also examine state funding structures, policy best practices, and critiques of online education, including concerns about equity of access. They discuss the book?s policy recommendations, offer a forward-looking vision for ?unbound? learning, as well as the future of K-12 digital education across the globe. In closing, Julie Young reads a passage from Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark. Professor Albert Cheng and American Federation for Children?s Shaka Mitchell speak with Erika Donalds, America First Policy Institute?s Chair of Education Opportunity and Chair of the AFPI-Florida State Chapter. A nationally recognized education policy expert, Ms. Donalds shares the formative educational experiences that shaped her passion for school reform. With experience founding or working with multiple classical charter public schools over her career, she offers insight on how the U.S. can address its declining reading and math scores through higher-quality academic curricula. She discusses how education policy can better suit students' needs, strengthen school choice programs. She also highlights Florida?s leadership in expanding school choice and outlines core principles for strengthening parent-driven choice programs across the nation. Concluding the interview, Ms. Donalds reflects on the country?s persistent struggles with teaching basic U.S. history and civics education; the federal education tax credit program; and importance of returning the U.S. Department of Education's policymaking and spending to the states, localities, and parents.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark. Professor Albert Cheng and Center for Strong Public Schools? Alisha Searcy speak with Sean Geraghty & Mike Goldstein, authors of I?ll Do It Later: Surviving School (and Renewing the Love) with Your ADHD Son. Geraghty and Goldstein reflected on the academic and personal experiences that fueled their passion to research ADHD and coauthor their latest book. The authors delve into the rise in ADHD diagnoses among young Americans, weighing in on how social media and technology have contributed to dwindling attention spans. Drawing on four case studies from their book, they share lessons from observing families raising children with ADHD and offer guidance for parents facing similar challenges. As many schools work to meet the needs of ADHD learners, Geraghty and Goldstein also discussed how educators can adapt classroom environments to better support broader academic needs.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Helen Baxendale of Great Hearts Academies speak with Paul Andrew Hutton, Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus at the University of New Mexico and author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West. Prof. Hutton discusses the central themes of his new book and explains how the American West became foundational to the nation?s identity. He reflects on iconic figures such as Daniel Boone, Red Eagle, Davy Crockett, Mangas Coloradas, and Kit Carson, and emphasizes the enduring significance of Sitting Bull, the Hunkpapa Lakota leader who played a pivotal role in the Plains Indian Wars and the 1876 victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Drawing on his extensive historical research, Hutton also explores how through ?Buffalo Bill? Cody's Wild West Show the cowboy emerged as a powerful worldwide symbol of American individualism, resilience, and self-determination. In closing, Prof. Hutton reads a passage from his book, The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Great Heart Academies? Dr. Helen Baxendale and American Federation for Children?s Shaka Mitchell speak with Mike Miles, superintendent of the Houston Independent School District. Miles has devoted his life to public service, starting as a soldier, then as a diplomat in Poland and Russia during the Cold War before moving into K-12 education reform. He discussed how his family background and early educational experiences shaped his commitment to service. Reflecting on his years as an officer in the Army Ranger Battalion and a Company Commander, Miles described how military service influenced his leadership philosophy and approach to school reform. Since 2023, he has led the Houston Independent School District, the eighth largest in the country. He spoke candidly about the challenges of transitioning from military and diplomatic roles to driving educational reform in large urban districts, emphasizing the political and bureaucratic barriers that often slow progress. He also highlighted the many improvements that have already been accomplished during his brief tenure in Houston. Finally, Supt. Miles shared what he hopes to see governors, state legislatures, and parents do to dramatically improve academic outcomes for students in urban communities.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Strong Public Schools? Alisha Searcy speak with Sir Hew Strachan, Professor of International Relations at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and recipient of the 2016 Pritzker Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. Prof. Sir Hew, author of numerous award-winning books, including The First World War, the basis of the definitive 10-part Channel 4/BBC documentary, discusses how World War I shaped the 20th century and beyond. He explores how European imperial rivalries contributed to the conflict; the role of Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II; the First Battle of the Marne, the Battle of Verdun, and the Battle of the Somme; and the significance of V. I. Lenin?s 1917 return to Russia sparking the Bolshevik Revolution. Prof. Strachan also examines how the Zimmermann Telegram contributed to U.S. entry into the war; U.S. Army General John "Black Jack" Pershing as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces; and the ways in which new mechanized weapons made WWI the first modern war. Sir Hew concludes by reflecting on the Great War?s enduring impact on the world today and reads an excerpt from his forthcoming essay due to be released later this month.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Center for Strong Public Schools? Alisha Searcy and American Federation for Children?s Walter Blanks interview Kelley Brown, an award-winning civics and government teacher at Easthampton High School and former Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. Ms. Brown discusses her background as an educator, her work with the ?We the People": The Citizen and the Constitution program, and how it helps students engage with America?s Founding Documents, U.S. history, and enduring civic ideals. She examines the nationwide decline in K-12 civics education and how teachers and policymakers can reengage the subject to strengthen our democratic civic knowledge and understanding. Ms. Brown also shares her thoughtful approaches to teaching complex topics such as slavery, race, and equality under rule of law, in ways that honor our history, while addressing how America hasn't always fulfilled its highest ideals. Brown concludes by reflecting on her own civic heroes and heroines from U.S. history and how their examples can inspire students and citizens to become more knowledgeable participants in our republic.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Great Hearts Academies? Dr. Helen Baxendale interview Leo Damrosch, Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature Emeritus at Harvard University, and acclaimed biographer of some of the world's greatest literary figures. Prof. Damrosch discusses his newest book Storyteller: The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson. He reflects on Stevenson's childhood in Scotland and the close relationship he maintained with his nanny, Alison Cunningham. He shares how Stevenson lived an adventurous life, with his travel inspiring classics like Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and A Child?s Garden of Verses. Prof. Damrosch explores the moral dualities in Stevenson?s gothic masterpiece, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, examining how the novella reveals humanity?s capacity for good and evil. He also discusses Stevenson?s later years in Samoa, his marriage to the American Fanny Osbourne, and his involvement with the politics and people of the South Pacific islands before dying at the age of 44. Prof. Damrosch concludes with reading an excerpt from Treasure Island.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Public Schools? Alisha Searcy interview Dr. Anna Lembke, MD, professor of psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine, chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, and author of the NYT bestselling book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. Dr. Lembke explains how dopamine functions in the human brain and contributes to addictive behaviors. She explores how modern American life fuels a culture of addiction, drawing parallels between past waves of opioid and alcohol abuse and today?s dependence on the internet and smart phones. Dr. Lembke also examines how overuse of technology is influencing dopamine-driven addiction and contributing to rising rates of teen mental illness. Drawing on her extensive research, she offers practical strategies for people seeking to break addictive habits and be more restrained in using technology. Dr. Lembke concludes the interview by reading an excerpt from Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, offering a valuable lesson on how individuals can find greater fulfillment by living a more balanced life without excessive dopamine.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Public Schools? Alisha Searcy interview Jack Johnson Pannell, founder and head of Trinity Arch Preparatory School for Boys in Phoenix. Mr. Pannell discusses his career as an educational leader, including founding a nationally recognized charter school in Baltimore, and shares how his background in the liberal arts and law has informed his approach to schooling. He explores the enduring value of a liberal arts education, American studies, and legal reasoning in cultivating civic-minded, intellectually engaged students. Pannell also addresses the impact of educational fads like school-to-work programs, social-emotional learning, and 21st-century skills on academic achievement, noting the importance of grounding boys in rigorous, time-tested curricula. Drawing on his experience moderating the Teen Socrates program at the Aspen Institute, he shares strategies for engaging teen boys in meaningful academic and philosophical discussions. Finally, Pannell explains how Trinity Arch Prep uses choice options available in AZ to impart Christian faith and strong academics to develop young men of character, intellect, and civic purpose.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Walter Blanks of the American Federation for Children interview Prof. Robert Maranto and Sean Woytek co-authors of the Education Next piece, ?Why Academically Intensive Charter Schools Deserve Our Attention.? They explore how rigorous charter school networks like BASIS Ed have achieved exceptional outcomes and what their success can teach policymakers and educators nationwide about improving academic performance nationwide. Maranto and Woytek trace BASIS?s origins to 1998, when it opened with 56 students in Tuscon, Arizona. Today, the network operates 40 schools across five states, consistently ranking among the nation?s top performers. Despite these results, Maranto and Woytek note that ?Academically Intensive Charter Schools? (AICS) remain largely overlooked, even as national reading and math scores continue to decline. They explain how AICS differ from specialized or ?No Excuses? charter models by emphasizing broad, rigorous academics and high expectations for all students. Spending roughly $12,350 per student?far less than traditional public schools?AICS achieve remarkable academic outcomes and demonstrate strong accountability. Maranto and Woytek conclude by urging educators and policymakers to recognize, study, and replicate the AICS model to expand access to high-quality, academically rigorous education across the country.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Public Schools? Alisha Searcy interview Randall Woods, John A. Cooper Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Arkansas, and author of John Quincy Adams: A Man for the Whole People. Prof. Woods shares the life and career of American statesman John Quincy Adams, the ?first son of the Republic,? whose upbringing in the household of John and Abigail Adams shaped his lifelong devotion to public service. He reflects on Adams?s early diplomatic triumphs, including the Treaty of Ghent and the Monroe Doctrine, as well as the 1824 election that resulted in him becoming the sixth U.S. President. Prof. Woods describes the highlights of Adams?s congressional career?his leadership in overturning the ?gag rule? on antislavery petitions and his powerful U.S. Supreme Court defense of the Amistad Africans' revolt at sea ? before turning to the significance of his voluminous diaries in guiding future generations of the Adams family and American public servants. Woods concludes the interview by reading a favorite passage from his biography, John Quincy Adams: A Man for the Whole People.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and the Center for Public Schools? Alisha Searcy interview Kerry McDonald, Senior Education Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), host of the LiberatED podcast, and author of Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (2025). As a leading advocate for alternative schooling, McDonald shares how her educational background shaped her philosophy of learner-driven schooling and traces the history of homeschooling in America, highlighting the hurdles families have overcome in recent years. She reflects on the COVID-19 shutdowns that placed more than 50 million students into ?Zoom school,? discussing lessons from that period and the ongoing problem of learning loss. McDonald concludes the interview examining the expansion of school choice programs in more than 20 states, weighing taxpayer costs and potential positive impact on students? academic performance.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Eos Foundation?s Andrea Silbert interview Dr. Gil Troy, senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, Distinguished Scholar in North American History at McGill University, and editor of Theodor Herzl: The Collected Zionist Writings and Addresses of Israel's Founder. He offers an overview of Herzl?s upbringing in 19th-century Vienna, the antisemitic events that shaped his worldview, and how the infamous Dreyfus Affair spurred his determination to establish a Jewish State. Dr. Troy highlights Herzl?s most influential works, including The Jewish State and the Old New Land, and explained how they bolstered support for the Zionist movement. He also reflects on Herzl?s role in creating the First Zionist Congress and his impact as the ?spiritual father of the Jewish State,? addressing how his influence continues to confront rising global antisemitism today. Dr. Troy concludes the interview with a reading from Theodor Herzl: The Collected Zionist Writings and Addresses of Israel's Founder.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Great Hearts Academies? Dr. Helen Baxendale interview Dr. Kathryn Hughes, academic historian and award-winning author of George Eliot: The Last Victorian. Dr. Hughes discusses the significance of 19th-century novelist Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, in shaping British literature and capturing the societal tensions of the Victorian era. She highlights Eliot?s formative years in rural Warwickshire, her intellectual and scandalous personal relationship with the philosopher George Henry Lewes, and how her unconventional experiences shaped her writing. Additionally, she delves into Eliot?s most celebrated works, including Adam Bede, Silas Marner, and Middlemarch. Dr. Hughes reflects on recurring themes of marriage, women?s roles, and political reform, solidifying her reputation as one of the greatest writers of the 19th century and ensuring her lasting impact on modern readers. She concludes the interview with an excerpt from her book, George Eliot: The Last Victorian.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and American Federation for Children Senior Fellow Shaka Mitchell interview John Kirtley, Managing Partner and co-founder of Keswick Partners, and founder and Chairman of Step Up For Students, a nonprofit that manages Florida?s state-funded K-12 scholarship programs serving over half a million students. Kirtley shares his journey from the private sector into education reform in the late 1990s, and why business leaders must actively engage in shaping K-12 policy. He reflects on Florida?s steady, incremental expansion of school choice programs, explaining how this long-term approach built a critical mass of school choice families despite longstanding opposition, and offers lessons for newer ESA states like Arizona, Texas, and Iowa that seek to accelerate growth. Mr. Kirtley addresses challenges ahead, from ensuring a strong supply of high-quality private schools to managing the complexities of universal ESA programs. He also discusses how to measure and maintain accountability in parent-driven school choice programs, strategies to reverse stagnating NAEP scores, and the opportunities presented by the new federal education tax credit program.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Pioneer Senior Fellow Charlie Chieppo interview award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Jane Leavy. Ms. Leavy discusses her lifelong love of baseball, and her forthcoming book, Make Me Commissioner: I Know What?s Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It, which comes out in September. She reflects on the magic of the Cape Cod Baseball League, contrasting it with today?s Major League Baseball, and explores the commissioner?s role since the tenure of Bart Giamatti in the 1980s. Leavy examines how labor disputes, steroid scandals, and the rise of Big Data have reshaped the game, fueling declining popularity, unprecedented pitcher injuries, and frustration among fans and Hall of Famers alike. At the same time, she highlights ways in which analytics have boosted performance at cutting-edge training centers like Driveline in Washington State. She shares candid insights on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred?s media ambitions, the sport?s future, and her vision for restoring baseball?s timeless beauty. In closing, Ms. Leavy reads a passage from her book, Make Me Commissioner: I Know What?s Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It.

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Ret. MN Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson interview Prof. Keith Hylton, William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor and Professor of Law at Boston University. Prof. Hylton shares insights from his academic career and the book Laws of Creation: Property Rights in the World of Ideas, which he co-authored. The discussion explores how Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Adam Smith helped shape the legal framework for property rights and the free market in the U.S., and how these ideas are central to understanding our modern economy. Prof. Hylton explains the constitutional foundations of American intellectual property (IP) law, Thomas Jefferson?s role in establishing the U.S. Patent Office, and how historic inventors like Thomas Edison exemplify American experimentation, innovation, and economic dynamism.  He also covers trade secrets, copyright law, and the tension between protecting inventors' individual patent rights and today?s calls for free access to copyrighted online content. Hylton addresses global challenges, including cyber theft and piracy, and reflects on key legal cases that define international IP enforcement. Prof. Hylton also shares three major takeaways he hopes high school and undergraduate students will understand about the importance of intellectual property rights in sustaining American rule of law, innovation, and economic growth. He concludes with a reading from his book, Laws of Creation: Property Rights in the World of Ideas.

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Ret. MN Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson interview Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Pepperdine Law?s, Prof. Edward Larson. Prof. Larson marks the 100th anniversary of the Scopes ?Monkey Trial,? a landmark case in America?s long-running debate over science, religion, and public education. Drawing on his acclaimed book Summer for the Gods, Prof. Larson provides historical context for the trial, which centered on high school teacher John Scopes, charged with violating Tennessee?s Butler Act against teaching evolution. Larson explores the cultural tensions of the 1920s?religious fundamentalism, immigration, and rapid social change?that set the stage for the courtroom showdown between famed attorneys Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan. He describes the media frenzy, the dramatic legal arguments, and the trial?s verdict, offering insights into how the case became a defining moment in American civic life. He highlights the ongoing role of public schools, the enduring clash between modern science and religious belief, and the trial?s lasting legacy. Prof. Larson closes the interview with a reading from Summer for the Gods.

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Helen Baxendale of Great Hearts Academies interview longtime public education champion and Learning Curve co-host Alisha Searcy. Alisha joins the show as a guest to share her story and insights into K-12 public education reform. Herself a product of public-school choice, she discusses how those early experiences shaped her belief in accessible, high?quality schooling for all students. Elected to the Georgia House at age?23, Alisha spent six terms crafting key education reform laws and policies, including the intradistrict transfer law and the charter school authorizer amendment, that sought to put students at the center of school reform efforts. She then transitioned into school leadership, serving as superintendent of a network of charter public schools in metro Atlanta, where she led dramatic academic improvement and operational turnaround. Drawing on both her legislative and schoolhouse experience, Alisha now leads an ambitious effort like Center for Strong Public Schools (CSPS) and CSPS Action, to support center-left state policymakers in navigating education challenges and designing student?first public schools. In closing, she explains why the current moment presents unique opportunities to strengthen K-12 public education, especially in Southern states that are facing both pressing achievement needs and prospective school innovations.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview University of Maryland Emeritus Professor of English Vincent Carretta. Prof. Carretta explores the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of the first African-American to publish a book of poetry in English, Phillis Wheatley Peters. He offers insight into Phillis? early life in West Africa, her transatlantic voyage aboard the slave ship Phillis, and her arrival in Boston in 1761. He discusses her enslavement by the Wheatley family, her exposure to Christianity during the Great Awakening, and her exceptional education in classical literature. Additionally, Prof. Carretta highlights how her poetry drew upon timeless poets like Homer, Virgil, Milton, and Pope, and how her first published works reflected themes of piety, imagination, and liberty. He concludes the interview with a reading of a passage from his book, Phillis Wheatley Peters: Biography of a Genius in Bondage.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Dr. Cara Candal of ExcelinEd interview former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education and co-founder of the Defense of Freedom Institute (DFI), Jim Blew. Mr. Blew reflects on his tenure in federal education leadership and his motivation for establishing DFI. He discusses the decades of rising federal K-12 spending through initiatives like RTTT, ESSA, and ESSER funds, instead calling for devolving federal authority out of the U.S. Department of Education, and more private school choice and charter public school innovation. Mr. Blew shares the origins and goals of the new national education tax credit law, which emphasizes private school choice options and state-level flexibility. He unpacks the program?s key provisions, including tax credits for donations to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) that fund school choice for students. However, he raises concerns that the law?s state ?opt-in? requirement may sideline students in blue states led by school choice opponents. Finally, Mr. Blew addresses some constitutional and strategic concerns, arguing that federal education tax credits, if carefully structured, can enhance educational opportunity.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Helen Baxendale of Great Hearts Academies interview award-winning English historian and biographer, Dr. Juliet Barker. She offers a rich portrait of the Brontë family, whose timeless contributions have widely impacted English literature and fiction writing. Dr. Barker explores the formative influences of their father, Patrick Brontë, an Irish Anglican minister with deep intellectual, religious, and educational convictions that shaped his family's writing, and their tight-knit, creative environment in Haworth that inspired his gifted literary daughters Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. She delves into Charlotte?s drive for self-improvement, the enduring power of her novel Jane Eyre, and its themes of independence, love, and social criticism. Dr. Barker discusses Emily?s affection for nature, reclusive personality, and the intense emotional landscape of her novel, Wuthering Heights. She also explores Anne?s gentle, strong-willed temperament, her novels Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and their groundbreaking critiques of women's prescribed roles and the hypocrisies of 19th-century society. Dr. Barker shares insights about the tragic deaths of all six Brontë siblings, including Branwell, the family?s son. She concludes the interview by discussing the sisters? lasting legacy as great literary women who revolutionized Victorian fiction and whose works continue to resonate with modern readers across the globe. In closing, she reads a passage from her definitive biography The Brontës.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Walter Blanks interview Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, who has served as superintendent-director of the Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District since 1994. A leader in vocational-technical education, Dr. Fitzpatrick reflects on his own educational journey and offers insights into leadership that puts students first. He discusses how Massachusetts? voc-tech schools used the 1993 Education Reform Act?s accountability tools like MCAS, standards, and school choice, to drive achievement, particularly for students with diverse learning needs. He shares how Valley Tech and other voc-techs built a nationally recognized culture that seamlessly integrates academics and occupational training, resulting in low dropout rates and success in national skills competitions. Dr. Fitzpatrick also delves into the critical partnerships among industry, organized labor, and higher education that have fueled reform. He addresses current policy debates over voc-tech admissions and recruitment practices, and how the voc-tech community has responded. Finally, he offers three key policy recommendations to strengthen vocational-technical education across the country, drawing on decades of hands-on leadership and reform experience.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Massachusetts civics teacher Kelley Brown interview Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jack Rakove, Coe Professor Emeritus at Stanford University. Prof. Rakove explores the origins of the American Revolution and U.S. Constitution through the lives of the nation?s Founding Era figures. Reflecting on young John Adams? vivid depiction of his schoolhouse in colonial Massachusetts, Rakove offers context for the political and social landscape of the 18th-century America. He discusses the central constitutional dispute between the British Parliament and the American colonies over political authority, which escalated after the Stamp Act crisis and the Boston Tea Party. Prof. Rakove traces the emergence of the Continental Congress as a revolutionary governing body and its role in declaring independence. He also shares the moral contradictions of liberty in a society dependent on slavery and explains how internal debates over slavery shaped politics within the Continental Congress. Additionally, Prof. Rakove highlights the contributions of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison in building a durable federal constitutional system and explains Madison?s critical role in drafting the Bill of Rights. He closes with a reading from Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America.

In this special episode of The Learning Curve, guest co-host Ian Rowe interviews Steven Wilson, a senior fellow at Pioneer Institute and founder of the Ascend Charter Network. Their discussion centers on Wilson's new book, The Lost Decade, which concerns education's shift away from liberal arts and toward social justice ideology and anti-intellectualism. They examine the impact of this shift on student achievement, highlight successful education models such as classical schools and virtues-based curricula, and stress the importance of maintaining high academic standards. Wilson also touches on the classical learning test as a promising alternative to current, politicized assessments. Wilson and Rowe conclude with a call to focus on truth, knowledge, and honor in education to empower all students.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview John Burt, the Paul Prosswimmer Professor of American Literature at Brandeis University. Prof. Burt offers rich insight into the life and work of one of the 20th century?s greatest American writers, Robert Penn Warren. Raised in rural southwestern Kentucky, Warren was deeply shaped by the legacy of the Civil War, which he explored in his influential 1961 work, The Legacy of the Civil War, and throughout his poetry and fiction. Prof. Burt shares that as a young man at Vanderbilt, Warren was influenced by the ?Fugitives? literary group and contributed to I?ll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition, a decision he later deeply regretted. His Pulitzer-winning novel All the King?s Men follows the rise and fall of populist governor Willie Stark, modeled in part on Huey Long and Julius Caesar, through the eyes of journalist Jack Burden, whose personal and philosophical journey mirrors Stark?s. Prof. Burt shares that the novel wrestles with the limits of knowledge and the weight of moral responsibility, culminating in a powerful meditation on time, history, and the human condition.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-host Alisha Searcy and guest co-host Walter Blanks interview Shaka Mitchell, senior fellow at the American Federation for Children. Mr. Mitchell shares about his compelling personal and professional journey in education reform. Shaka discusses how his formative experiences shaped his passion for expanding charter public schools, school choice, and empowering families. He reflects on his early work with the Center for Education Reform under Jeanne Allen, and how national leaders like Kevin Chavous influenced his thinking. Drawing on his leadership at charter school networks like Rocketship Education and LEAD Public Schools, Mitchell highlights what makes charter schools in the South successful, especially in Tennessee. Shaka also unpacks the shifting political landscape surrounding charter schools and the urgency of rebuilding bipartisan support. Mitchell discusses his time at the Institute for Justice and the legal strategies behind landmark U.S. Supreme Court victories for school choice. He provides insights into the growing momentum behind education savings accounts, tax credits, and voucher programs. Finally, he breaks down the proposed Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), offering a candid assessment of its strengths, weaknesses, and chances of passage in Congress.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Amanda McMullen, President & CEO of the New Bedford Whaling Museum (NBWM). Ms. McMullen explores NBWM?s remarkable mission, collections, and economic impact on the Southcoast of Massachusetts. She discusses NBWM?s historical roots in the 19th-century Yankee whaling industry that made New Bedford the wealthiest city in the world per capita. She highlights the museum?s iconic exhibits, including five full whale skeletons and the Lagoda, the world?s largest model whaling ship. Ms. McMullen touches on the whaling industry's close relationship with Quaker abolitionists, the museum's unparalleled collections of scrimshaw and whale ship logbooks, as well as Herman Melville and Moby-Dick's literary legacy in New Bedford and beyond. In closing, she shares how NBWM reaches 140,000 people annually and contributes to the regional economy, while offering a preview of summer plans and exciting future projects under her leadership.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Benjamin Moynihan, Executive Director, and, William Crombie, Director of Professional Development, for the Algebra Project, Inc. Mr. Moynihan and Mr. Crombie reflect on the life and legacy of Civil Rights era icon, and math educator, Bob Moses. They trace Moses?s journey from a Harlem upbringing and elite liberal arts education to his transformative grassroots activism in 1960s Mississippi, organizing Black voter registration and co-directing the Freedom Summer Project 1964. They discuss his collaboration with Mississippi sharecropper and Civil Rights era legend Fannie Lou Hamer, and his principled departure from the U.S. to raise a family and teach math in Tanzania, where his educational vision deepened. Bob Moses later founded the Algebra Project to confront math illiteracy as a modern civil rights issue, empowering students of color through community-based Algebra instruction. Moynihan and Crombie explore the Algebra Project?s enduring mission; its pioneering role advocating for Algebra I as the gateway course to all higher-level math; and the importance of local buy-in for K-12 education reform. They reflect on Bob Moses?s profound, often quiet leadership; Pulitzer-winning Civil Rights Movement historian Taylor Branch's high praise of his courageous voter registration work in Jim Crow Mississippi; and how the Algebra Project's grassroots model of organizing promotes access to high-level math instruction for all American schoolchildren.

In this special episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Charlie Chieppo interview New York Times bestselling American sportswriter, biographer, and author Jane Leavy.  Ms. Leavy offers a vivid exploration of Babe Ruth?s life and towering legacy. Leavy sheds new light on Ruth?s difficult Baltimore childhood, his formative years at St. Mary?s Industrial School, and his remarkable early success as a star pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. She discusses Ruth?s pivotal sale to the Yankees, his celebrity rise alongside New York City?s 1920s boom, his legendary 1927 season with ?Murderers? Row,? and his bittersweet final years. Ms. Leavy reflects on Babe Ruth legacy and why he remains the Ruthian symbol of American sports greatness. In closing, Ms. Leavy reads a passage from her book, The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created.

In this episode of?The Learning Curve, co-hosts?U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng?and?Ret. MN Justice Barry Anderson?speak with?Wilfrid Prest, Emeritus Professor and Visiting Research Fellow in History and Law at the University of Adelaide in Australia, and biographer of Sir William Blackstone, among the most influential figures in the history of English common law. Prof. Prest discusses Blackstone?s formative years in mid-18th-century London and at Pembroke College, Oxford, where a classical education, Enlightenment thought, and legal scholarship shaped his intellectual path. He describes Blackstone?s early legal and academic career, including his role as the first Vinerian Professor of English Law and author of?An Analysis of the Laws of England. Prest explores how Blackstone?s?Commentaries on the Laws of England?brought clarity and coherence to England?s centuries old legal tradition, drawing from foundational documents like Magna Carta and formative figures such as Bracton, Fortescue, and Coke. He examines the?Commentaries??lasting impact on American Founding Fathers, including both admirers like Alexander Hamilton and Chief Justice John Marshall and critics like Thomas Jefferson. Prest concludes with reflections on Blackstone?s enduring legacy in promoting the rule of law and legal education worldwide. In closing, Prof. Prest reads a passage from his book,?William Blackstone: Law and Letters in the Eighteenth Century. 

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng, speak with Michael Duffy, President of GO Tutor Corps, a nonprofit dedicated to closing achievement gaps through high-dosage tutoring in low-income communities. Mr. Duffy shares insights from his distinguished career in public service and education reform, beginning in Massachusetts state government under Governor Bill Weld and later in Boston?s charter school movement. He reflects on the influence of the book Reinventing Government and the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act, which helped make the Bay State a national leader in K?12 outcomes. Mr. Duffy also discusses Boston?s charter sector, its formative leaders, and how its successful model migrated to New York City, where he worked under Chancellor Joel Klein and Mayor Michael Bloomberg to scale innovation in public education. Now leading GO Tutor Corps, Duffy describes the organization?s intensive, relationship-based tutoring model as a powerful tool for addressing pandemic-related learning loss. He offers lessons for policymakers and educators across the country seeking to improve equity and academic outcomes for students most in need.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Kelley Brown, a Massachusetts U.S. history and civics teacher, interview Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson, author of The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777. Mr. Atkinson explores the rise and fall of British imperial power in North America, the radical leadership of the American patriot Samuel Adams, and the early military struggles of General George Washington and the Continental Army. He discusses the brutal battlefield realities faced by Continental soldiers, the pivotal roles of Lafayette and the French alliance, and the ideological stakes of America's War for Independence. As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the April 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord, Atkinson reflects on the Revolution?s lasting lessons about civic sacrifice, liberty, and the meaning of American democratic ideals. In closing he reads a passage from his new book, The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Pioneer's Mary Connaughton interview Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Harvard Law professor emerita and former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador Glendon reflects on her formative education, mentors, and how law and faith have shaped her worldview. She discusses her admiration for Western Civilization?s intellectual and spiritual heritage?especially Cicero, Edmund Burke, and the harmony of Catholicism with reason. Ambassador Glendon offers insights from her memoir In the Courts of Three Popes, recounting her service under Popes St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. She explores Vatican diplomacy, the Church's governance, the Vatican Bank, and key challenges facing the Church today, including the upcoming papal conclave. In closing, she reads a passage from her book, In the Courts of Three Popes.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Steven Wilson, a senior fellow at Pioneer Institute and a leading voice in education reform. Mr. Wilson discusses his journey into K-12 education policy, reflecting on his early work with Gov. Bill Weld and the landmark 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act (MERA), which helped propel the state?s schools to national and international success. Steven highlights the contributions of Linda Brown and Building Excellent Schools in fostering high-performing charter leaders and networks and addresses the political and curricular challenges charters face today. Wilson also examines the academic stagnation that continued with the 2024 NAEP results, linking it to the adoption of Common Core and broader shifts in education policy. He explores the intersection of K-12 curricula with race- and class-based politics and discusses themes from his newly published book, The Lost Decade. He continues by discussing policy recommendations, calling for a renewed focus on rigorous academics to close achievement gaps and restore excellence and equality of opportunity in American education. In closing, Wilson reads a passage from The Lost Decade.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dr. Sheila Harrity, former Worcester Tech principal and nationally recognized vocational-technical education leader. Dr. Harrity shares insights from her distinguished career in voc-tech schooling. She discusses how Massachusetts voc-tech schools leveraged provisions of the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act to achieve academic and occupational excellence, built strong partnerships with industry and higher ed, and dramatically reduced dropout rates. Dr. Harrity reflects on Worcester Tech?s national acclaim, VIP visits from President Barack Obama and the late former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell, and school reform policy challenges, while offering three key strategies to strengthen urban voc-techs nationwide.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Kelley Brown, a Massachusetts U.S. history and civics teacher, interview Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Prof. Gordon Wood. Prof. Wood explores the pivotal events and ideas that sparked the American Revolution. He discusses the political tensions of 1775, King George III?s imperial policies, and the colonists? transformation from subjects to citizens. Wood highlights Benjamin Franklin?s rise, James Otis?s speech against the writs of assistance, and George Washington?s crucial military leadership. He also reflects on overlooked Revolutionary era patriots like Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and George Mason, the role of Minutemen, and how Lexington and Concord galvanized the colonies towards American Independence.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Helen Baxendale interview noted literary biographer, Dr. Jeffrey Meyers. Dr. Meyers discusses The Great Gatsby on its 100th anniversary. He explores F. Scott Fitzgerald?s tragic life, his marriage to Zelda, and how their tumultuous relationship shaped his iconic novel. Dr. Meyers delves into the timeless themes of Gatsby?s yearning, the elusive American Dream, and 1920s decadence while analyzing major characters and symbols like Daisy, the green light, and Gatsby?s reinvention of himself. He also reflects on Fitzgerald?s later struggles and enduring literary legacy. In closing, Dr. Meyers reads a passage from his biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dr. James Lynn Woodworth, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and former commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Dr. Woodworth discusses the role of data in shaping K-12 education policy. He explores the impact of assessments like NAEP, PISA, and TIMSS on global education trends, the challenges of declining U.S. student performance, and the uncertain effectiveness of federal K-12 spending. Dr. Woodworth also shares insights from his work at the Center for Research on Educational Outcomes (CREDO) on charter school results and the importance of data-driven policymaking in urban school districts. Finally, he highlights key education research priorities at Hoover and strategies for addressing achievement gaps nationwide.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Helen Baxendale celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen?s birth with Dr. Paula Byrne, Lady Bate, a distinguished biographer and literary critic. Dr. Byrne explores the key influences that shaped Austen?s life, the major themes of her novels, and the enduring relevance of heroines like Elizabeth Bennet and Elinor Dashwood. She also shares insights from her books The Real Jane Austen and The Genius of Jane Austen, shedding light on Austen?s love of theater and the lasting appeal of her works in Hollywood. She offers a deeper appreciation of Austen?s literary brilliance and her impact on literature and culture as we celebrate Women?s History Month. In closing, Dr. Byrne reads a passage from her book, The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Robert Enlow, president and CEO of EdChoice. Mr. Enlow discusses his decades of leadership in school choice advocacy, from his early work with the Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation to spearheading policy reforms nationwide. He examines the persistent stagnation in U.S. K-12 education despite massive funding and highlights the rapid expansion of charter schools and education savings accounts (ESAs). Enlow also reflects on the legal victories school choice achieved in the U.S. Supreme Court?s Espinoza and Carson rulings, the rise of microschools and homeschooling post-COVID, and the evolving coalitions shaping school choice. Additionally, he previews upcoming legal and political battles as opponents push back against further reforms.

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Trish Schreiber, senior fellow in education at the Frontier Institute in Montana. Schreiber shares her journey from Silicon Valley to Montana and her passion for expanding educational opportunities. She discusses the impact of the United States Supreme Court?s ruling in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the state's growing education tax credit program, and the recent passage of Montana?s charter school law. Ms. Schreiber also examines challenges posed by entrenched special interests in K-12 education and highlights key resources that inform her work in advancing school choice and education reform.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Dr. Helen Baxendale interview Robin Lane Fox, distinguished classicist and Emeritus Fellow at Oxford. Prof. Lane Fox offers profound insights into Homer?s Iliad and its enduring significance. He explores the epic?s historical and literary context, from its roots in oral tradition to its lasting influence on Western culture. Additionally, he discusses key figures like Achilles, Hector, and Helen, the interplay between mortals and gods, and pivotal moments such as Patroclus?s death and Hector?s farewell. Lane Fox also examines the Iliad?s connection to the Odyssey and its timeless themes of heroism, fate, and war, making a compelling case for its relevance today. In closing, he reads a passage from the end of the Iliad.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and Walter Blanks interview Samuel Lee Fudge, the acclaimed actor, writer, and director behind Mosiah, the first narrative film about Marcus Garvey. Fudge discusses his background, education, and creative journey in bringing Garvey?s legacy to the screen. He explores Garvey?s leadership, the Black Star Line, and his ideological clashes with figures like W.E.B. Du Bois. Mr. Fudge delves into the film?s research, production choices, and the challenges of portraying early 20th-century racial struggles. He also reflects on Garvey?s enduring influence on Black nationalism and civil rights, including his posthumous 2025 pardon by President Joe Biden.

In this week?s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Margaret Washington, the esteemed historian and author of Sojourner Truth?s America. Prof. Washington delves into Truth?s remarkable life, from her early years in slavery in New York to her transformation into a powerful abolitionist, women?s rights advocate, and religiously driven reformer. She explores Northern slavery, the Second Great Awakening, her famous ?Ain?t I a Woman?? speech, and her Civil War-era activism. Prof. Washington also reflects on Truth?s enduring legacy as a symbol of justice, equality, and resilience in American history. In closing, Prof. Washington reads a passage from her book, Sojourner Truth?s America.

In this special St. Valentine's Day episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview renowned Shakespeare scholar Professor Sir Jonathan Bate to discuss the timeless tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Exploring its enduring greatness, Sir Jonathan delves into Shakespeare?s classical influences, particularly Ovid?s Metamorphoses, and how Elizabethan literature shaped the portrayal of lovers. He examines the interplay of passion, violence, and fate in Verona?s warring streets and explains Romeo and Juliet?s eternal love?from Romeo?s early infatuation with Rosaline to his deep romantic connection with Juliet. Sir Jonathan highlights the poetic brilliance and intimacy of the famous window scene, Mercutio?s pivotal role in shifting the play?s tone, and the tragic consequences of miscommunication and hasty action. He also reflects on Shakespeare?s overarching themes of love and death, and the poetic depth of his love sonnets. Additionally, he shares insights into what Romeo and Juliet and Shakespeare?s works teach us about the enduring human desire for love. In closing, Sir Jonathan reads a passage from his book Mad about Shakespeare: From Classroom to Theatre to Emergency Room.