Inside Education Policy in the Trump Administration with Dr. Laurie Todd-Smith

What kind of future do we want for our children? Dr. Laurie Todd-Smith, with the federal Office of Early Childhood Development, has spent her career answering that question.In this week's episode of The Narrative, CCV Communications Executive Director Mike Andrews and Ohio Christian Education Network (OCEN) Executive Director Troy McIntosh speak with Laurie as she shares real-time trends and statistics in American classrooms, what downsizing the Department of Education entails, and why school choice is essential to protecting parental rights and student success.Before the guys sit down with Laurie, Troy shares exciting OCEN updates, including:Seven new Christian schools opened this year through the partnership of OCEN, CCV, and churches that felt called to serve the children in their communities. The launch of the nationwide Christian Education Network brought in leaders to Ohio from three states to learn how they can build a network of their own.The recent Sidney Daily News article Troy wrote in response to school choice critics. MORE ABOUT LAURIE TODD-SMITHDr. Laurie Todd-Smith is the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Office of Early Childhood Development at the Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services.She most recently served as the America First Policy Institute as Director of the Center for Education Opportunity and the Center for the American Child where she focused on assisting states to advance evidence-based education policy reforms including the expansion of school choice, early literacy, foster care reform, online safety of children, as well as model policy for fentanyl curriculum in public schools. Dr. Todd-Smith served as Senior Education and Workforce Policy Advisor to Governor Phil Bryant as well as Executive Director of the State Early Childhood Council. Her work led to remarkable growth in reading and math achievement outcomes for Mississippi's students, earning the state the title of the "Mississippi Miracle."President Trump appointed Dr. Todd-Smith as the Director of the Women’s Bureau at the United States Department of Labor in 2018. During her tenure at the Women’s Bureau, she focused the agency on childcare quality and access, paid family leave, and grants to support women in apprenticeships.  Dr. Todd-Smith holds a doctorate in education from Mississippi State University, a master’s degree from Western New Mexico University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona.