What if the real education crisis isn’t falling test scores, but a generation losing the ability to focus deeply, think critically, or even just read an entire book? In this episode, Dr. Kathleen O’Toole of Hillsdale College explains why today’s students are less cognitively developed, and how classical education offers a powerful alternative. From the failures of literacy instruction and colleges of education to the impact of screens and COVID disruptions, we discuss what went wrong and what can be rebuilt. O’Toole makes the case for content-rich learning, great books, and the formation of the whole person, and explains why more families are turning to these models, especially now that expanding school choice programs empower families to choose a classical education option. In an AI-driven world, Dr. O’Toole argues, classical education graduates’ ability to develop their minds, acquire knowledge, and think for themselves may provide the ultimate advantage.

How the Classical Education Movement Is Rescuing a Lost Generation | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics: https://spectator.org/how-the-classical-education-movement-is-rescuing-a-lost-generation/

Classical education can help students endure the age of AI - Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/13/classical-education-help-students-endure-age-ai/

Nine questions every parent should ask before choosing a school for their child: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4471562/questions-ask-parents-schools-enrolling-child-registration/

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Bipartisanship may be rare in Washington, but it still exists! This week, Christy Wolfe of the Bipartisan Policy Center joins us to discuss the Commission on the American Workforce’s sweeping new blueprint to connect education to opportunity and BPC’s federal education policy action items. We cover why federal programs remain stubbornly siloed, why Congress hasn’t reauthorized major education laws, and whether the Department of Education is truly a “pass-through” agency. We also discuss resources Christy has created explaining formula funding like Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and competitive grants. She shares her views on what interagency agreements mean in practice, the real barriers to state flexibility (from waiver fatigue to talent constraints), and why some of the biggest obstacles to innovation may sit at the state, rather than the federal, level.

With more than 30 years shaping federal education policy across Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Christy brings a rare, full-spectrum view of how policy is actually made and implemented.

U.S. Department of Education 101: Federal Funding in K-12 Education: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/u-s-department-of-education-101-federal-funding-in-k-12-education/

Transferring K-12 Programs to Labor: Why Costs and Logistics Could Be a Problem for States and Schools: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/issue-brief/transferring-k-12-programs-to-labor-why-costs-and-logistics-could-be-a-problem-for-states-and-schools/

U.S. Department of Education 101: What are Block Grants? https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/u-s-department-of-education-101-what-are-block-grants/

What is the Title I Education Program? Five things to know about the Largest K-12 Federal Education Program for Schools: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/what-is-the-title-i-education-program-five-things-to-know-about-the-largest-k-12-federal-education-program-for-schools/

GOP Targets Government Waste, Bureaucracy in Schools Spending: https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/gop-targets-government-waste-bureaucracy-in-schools-spending/1997/05

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In this week’s episode, Tiffany Hoben, a former teacher and administrator, exposes the deep, recurring failures in school governance and accountability revealed in her analysis of West Virginia’s Special Circumstance Reviews of districts and schools. Tiffany highlights the interconnected “braid” of financial mismanagement, inconsistent academic standards, and discipline chaos that cause school systems to break down, and emphasizes the urgent need for both structural reform and the expansion of education freedom opportunities like the state’s Hope Scholarship education savings account program.

Until recently, Tiffany was the Director of Education Partnerships and Strategy at the Cardinal Institute. Last week, the Department of War (Defense) Education Activity announced that Tiffany will serve as Chief Academic Officer for DoWEA, the system that educates 67,000 military-connected children studying in 161 schools around the world.

Special Circumstance Reviews as Diagnostic for Systemic Failure in West Virginia Public Schools: https://cardinalinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/SCR-as-Diagnostic-for-Systemic-Failure-in-West-Virginia-Public-Schools-01-18-26-Final-1.pdf

Department of War Education Activity Announces Tiffany Hoben as Chief Academic Officer: https://www.dodea.edu/news/press-releases/department-war-education-activity-announces-tiffany-hoben-chief-academic

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