Edchoice Chats

Our latest report—“Back to the Staffing Surge”—measures US public school employment growth versus student growth as well as teacher salary fluctuations and student outcomes over the past 65 years using publicly available data that state departments of education annually report to the U.S. Department of Education. The results were shocking. Tune into this podcast where EdChoice Director of State Research and Policy Analysis Drew Catt sat down with “Back to the Staffing Surge” author Dr. Ben Scafidi, professor and director of the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University, to discuss what inspired this research, key findings and what they could mean for teachers and policymakers.

In our latest state research, the New Hampshire K–12 & School Choice Survey, EdChoice researchers and policy experts Drew Catt, Jason Bedrick and Paul DiPerna analyze the responses of a representative sample of New Hampshire voters on K–12 education issues, including school choice reforms and the current ESA bill. One of the authors of the poll report, EdChoice Director of State Research and Policy Analysis Drew Catt, sat down to discuss this new survey with long-time school choice advocate and Executive Director of Children's Scholarship Fund New Hampshire Kate Baker. Listen to the interview to learn more key takeaways and what they mean for school choice advocates on the ground in New Hampshire.

Employment and affordable housing initiatives can revitalize blighted neighborhoods. But our latest research points to one more potential tool for urban economic development: educational choice. Listen to our interview with Dr. Bart Danielsen, one of the report's lead authors, to find out more.

EdChoice Director of State Research and Policy Analysis Drew Catt explains his latest research on the private school landscape in Texas. The survey of more than 300 private school leaders indicated that schools want to be part of educational choice programs despite an initially limited familiarity with them. EdChoice asked Texas private schools about their capacity to accept new students, as well as tuition, testing, regulatory concerns and whether they serve special need students. The survey was released on Jan. 23, 2017.

Listen as EdChoice Director of State Research and Policy Analysis Drew Catt discusses a new research report concluding that school choice programs across America have not delivered increases in private school enrollment or capacity over the past two decades. The Private School Landscape: The Effects of School Choice on Student Capacity and Composition also looked at the effects of choice on racial diversity in private schools in choice and non-choice states. Contrary to what critics often allege, the report found that private school choice programs have not caused more racial segregation at the school level. This is the first in our new series of EdChoice Chats, short podcasts that are intended to help parents, educators and advocates understand the effects of educational choice on our schools, students and states.

In June 2016, the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice released "Why Parents Choose," a survey of more than 2,000 Indiana private school and school choice parents on Tuesday. Indiana is home to the nation’s fastest-growing school choice program and the largest voucher program in the United States. The survey found that a large majority of choice parents are satisfied with their new schools and were easily able to find a suitable private school that participates in the state’s voucher or tax-credit scholarship program. Additionally, parents reported becoming more engaged in their schools and communities after they chose a private school. Friedman Foundation president and CEO Robert Enlow discussed the report at a media roundtable in Indianapolis.

On May 18, 2016, the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice today released the fourth edition of its seminal report, A Win-Win Solution: The Empirical Evidence on School Choice. Authored by Friedman Fellow Dr. Greg Forster, the report analyzes 100 empirical studies about the effects of educational choice programs, including two studies released earlier this year showing negative effects from a voucher program in Louisiana. Friedman Foundation President and CEO Robert C. Enlow joined Dr. Forster for a media call to discuss the report and its findings.

Pursuing Innovation Media Call - April 19, 2016 by EdChoice