Erin Valdez on Why Plumbers Should Read Dostoevsky

On this episode of Anchored, Soren is joined by Erin Valdez, Policy Director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and member of the CLT Board of Academic Advisors. The two discuss Valdez’s experience growing up as a homeschooled student in the eighties and how educational policy affected her experience. She also cites Albert Cheng’s research, as explored in last week’s episode, and the reality of declining literacy despite a proliferation of new reading strategies. Valdez also warns about the dangers of young men disengaging from education and the workforce, looking at the ways a balanced education reinforces the virtue of work. She leaves listeners with tips on picking the right college and a reformed philosophy on “useless” majors.