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PODCAST · education

The Learning Curve

by Pioneer Institute

Join The Learning Curve every Wednesday for insight and perspective on education, learning trends, school choice, and public policy. Our hosts and guests offer a mix of provocative commentary as they interview school leaders, innovators, bestselling authors, policymakers, and more. Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to [email protected].

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Episodes

  1. Hoover at Stanford's Peter Berkowitz on Reclaiming Liberal Education in America

    In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of The Ohio State University and Pioneer Senior Fellow Steven Wilson, speak with Dr. Peter Berkowitz, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and author of Reclaiming Liberal Education in America.…

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  2. Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick on Teaching Mark Twain, Huck Finn, & Jim

    In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Prof. Albert Cheng of The Ohio State University speak with Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick, a nationally recognized Mark Twain scholar and author of The Jim Dilemma: Reading Race in Huckleberry Finn....

  3. Worcester's Tim Murray on Massachusetts' Voc-Tech Schools

    In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Prof. Albert Cheng of The Ohio State University speak with Tim Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and former mayor of Worcester and lieutenant governor of...

  4. Academy Prep's Lincoln Tamayo on School Reform in Massachusetts & Florida

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University speak with Lincoln Tamayo, Chief Operating Officer of Academy Prep Foundation and Head of School at Academy Prep Center of Tampa. Tamayo...

  5. American Federation for Children's Patrick Graff on School Choice

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University speak with Dr. Patrick Graff, senior fellow at the American Federation for Children. Dr. Graff discusses his journey from teaching third…

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  6. Excel Academy Charter School’s Owen Stearns on Academic Quality & Bridging Gaps

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of Center for Strong Public Schools and Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University speak with Owen Stearns, CEO of Excel Academy Charter Schools. Stearns discusses his more than two decades of experience in charter school...

  7. Pepperdine Law's Pulitzer Winner Edward Larson on the Spirit of 1776

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of Center for Strong Public Schools and retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson speak with historian and legal scholar Edward Larson, author of Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters. He explores how the…

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  8. U-MN Law's Ilan Wurman on U.S. Constitutional Originalism

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of Center for Strong Public Schools and retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson speak with Ilan Wurman, Julius E. Davis Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School, about constitutional originalism,...

  9. Arne Duncan on Federal Education Tax Credit Program

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University and Katie Everett of the Lynch Foundation, speak with Arne Duncan, former United States Secretary of Education for President Barack Obama and former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, about the current...

  10. NYT Best-Selling Children’s Author Carole Boston Weatherford on Harriet Tubman, Jesse Owens, & Black Heroes

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University and Walter Blanks, Policy and Advocacy Director of EdChoice speak with Carole Boston Weatherford, a New York Times best-selling author of more than 80 children’s books and a leading voice in African...

  11. Florida's Julie Young on Virtual School Lessons for Age of AI

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with Julie Young, a pioneering leader in virtual education, author of Say Yes!: How Virtual Became Reality, and coeditor of Virtual...

  12. The Concord Review’s Bob Nasson on Students’ History Essays & Excellence

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with Bob Nasson, Editor of The Concord Review and Executive Director of the National History Club. They discuss the importance of...

  13. U-Chicago Law's Alison LaCroix on the Origins of American Federalism

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson and Massachusetts state champion U.S. history and civics teacher Kelley Brown speak with Alison LaCroix, the Newton Reid Professor of Law at the University of Chicago, about the...

  14. NYT-Bestseller Jane Leavy on Baseball Great Sandy Koufax

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University and Pioneer Senior Fellow Charlie Chieppo speak with NYT-bestselling author Jane Leavy about Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax. She traces his journey from a Jewish upbringing in Brooklyn to…

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  15. Johns Hopkins' Dr. David Steiner on Academic Quality, School Choice, & Accountability

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy and Dr. Helen Baxendale of Great Hearts Academies interview Dr. David Steiner, Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and former New York State Commissioner of...

  16. Pulitzer Winner Joseph Ellis on George Washington & American Revolution 250

    As America marks the 250th anniversary of the Revolution, a key question still deserves our attention: how did a loose collection of North American colonies defeat the most powerful empire on earth? In this special episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State…

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  17. Stanford's Dr. Lerone Martin on the Young MLK

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of Strong Public Schools for Students and retired Milwaukee County Court Commissioner, Lindsey Draper, speak with Dr. Lerone Martin, Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University...

  18. Florida's Doug Tuthill on School Choice

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with Doug Tuthill, a longtime Florida K-12 education reform leader whose career in teaching and school choice policy spans nearly five...

  19. Dr. Suzanne Marrs on Eudora Welty, Southern Fiction & Imagination

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of Ohio State University and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with Dr. Suzanne Marrs, Professor Emerita of English at Millsaps College and acclaimed biographer of Eudora Welty, about the life,...

  20. UK's Dr. Snezana Lawrence on the History of Mathematics

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Jake Tawney of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education speak with Dr. Snezana Lawrence, an independent scholar affiliated with Middlesex University London, about the origins and...

  21. EdChoice's Leslie Hiner on School Choice Litigation

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with Leslie Hiner, Senior Advisor for Legal Policy at EdChoice, about the constitutional foundations and future of educational...

  22. UK U-Sussex's Andrew Hadfield on Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, & Epic Poetry

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with Andrew Hadfield, Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Sussex and British Academy Fellow, about the life…

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  23. Progressive Policy Institute's Rachel Canter on Mississippi’s Academic Gains

    On this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Mary Tamer of MassPotential speak with Rachel Canter, Director of Education Policy for the Progressive Policy Institute’s Reinventing America’s Schools project and founder of…

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  24. NYT-Best Seller Dr. Kevin Gutzman on the Jeffersonian Presidents

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and retired MN Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson speak with Prof. Kevin Gutzman, Professor and former Chairman of the Department of History at Western Connecticut State University, and New York Times best selling...

  25. Florida's Julie Young on Say Yes! How Virtual Became Reality

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and the Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Julie Young, edupreneur, innovator, and author of Say Yes! How Virtual Became Reality. She reflects on the pivotal moment in...

  26. Wash. U's Gerald Early on Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Gerald Early, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Washington University in St. Louis, and author of Play Harder: The…

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  27. Harvard Pulitzer Winner Stephen Greenblatt on Christopher Marlowe - Elizabethan Playwright & Spy

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Stephen Greenblatt, Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University and one of the world’s foremost scholars of...

  28. Discovery Institute's Dr. Keri Ingraham on School Choice & Edu Federalism

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and American Federation for Children’s Walter Blanks speak with Dr. Keri Ingraham, Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute. Dr. Ingraham reflects on her academic and athletic journey…

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  29. DFI's Jim Blew & Lynch's Katie Everett on Fed. Ed. Tax Credit in Blue States

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Jim Blew, founder of the Defense of Freedom Institute, and Katie Everett, executive director of the Lynch Foundation. They explore...

  30. Gijs van Hensbergen on Antoni Gaudí & the Sagrada Família

    In this week’s special Easter episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Prof. Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Dutch art historian Gijs van Hensbergen, author of Gaudí: A Biography and The Sagrada Familia: Gaudí's Heaven on...

  31. Aaron Lansky on the Yiddish Book Center & Preserving Jewish Culture

    In this Passover episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Eos Foundation’s Andrea Silbert speak with Aaron Lansky, founder of the Yiddish Book Center and author of Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million...

  32. U-MI's Sarah Cohodes on Charter Public Schools & Paths to College Success

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with Sarah Cohodes, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, about her extensive research on charter public schools and education...

  33. Willard Sterne Randall on Alexander Hamilton & Founding Era Political-Economy

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and former MN Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson speak with Prof. Willard Sterne Randall, American historian and author of Alexander Hamilton: A Life and The Founders' Fortunes: How Money Shaped the Birth of…

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  34. FL State's James Shuls & Cato's Neal McCluskey on History of U.S. School Choice

    In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Center for Strong Public Schools’ Alisha Searcy speak with with Neal McCluskey and James Shuls, co-editors of Fighting for the Freedom to Learn: Examining the Nation’s Centuries-Old School Choice Movement, about…

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  35. Roxana Robinson on Georgia O'Keeffe, Mother of American Modernist Painting

    In celebration of Women’s History Month, this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and MassPotential’s Mary Tamer speak with Roxana Robinson to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Georgia O’Keeffe, the pioneering artist often called the “Mother of…

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  36. Pulitzer Winner Gordon Wood on Benjamin Franklin & American Revolution 250

    In this special American Revolution 250 episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Kelley Brown, Massachusetts state champion U.S. history and civics teacher, sit down with renowned Brown University historian Gordon Wood to explore the life and legacy of Benjamin…

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  37. Step Up for Students' Ron Matus on Florida School Choice

    In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with Ron Matus, Director of Research and Special Projects at Step Up For Students in Florida and former longtime education reporter for The Tampa Bay Times. Mr....

  38. Dr. Richard Phelps on Post-MCAS Assessments & Accountability in MA

    On this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Mary Tamer of MassPotential speak with Dr. Richard Phelps, the author of Pioneer Institute's recent paper, Post-MCAS Assessments and Accountability in Massachusetts, to unpack the…

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  39. ​​IJ's David Hodges & Plaintiff Ariella Hellman on U.S. First Circuit Case, Hellman v. Mass. DESE

    On this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with David Hodges, a school choice attorney with the Institute for Justice, and Ariella Hellman, director of government affairs for Agudath Israel of New...

  40. Emmy Winner A’Lelia Bundles on Madam C.J. Walker, First U.S. Self-Made Female Millionaire

    In this episode of The Learning Curve, we celebrate Black History Month as co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools speak with A’Lelia Bundles, an accomplished journalist, television producer, and biographer of Madam C. J. Walker, about the life,...

  41. Hedgehog Review's Jay Tolson on Walker Percy, Southern Catholic Novelist

    On this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Ark Prof. Albert Cheng and Great Hearts Academies’ Dr. Helen Baxendale speak with Jay Tolson, editor of The Hedgehog Review and author of Pilgrim in the Ruins: A Life of Walker Percy. Tolson delves into the literary legacy of Walker Percy,...

  42. Award-Winner Ruth Franklin on Anne Frank & Holocaust Remembrance

    To commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, The Learning Curve guest host Andrea Silbert, President of the Eos Foundation, speaks with Ruth Franklin, former editor of The New Republic and author of The Many Lives of Anne Frank. Ms. Franklin reflects on the enduring literary significance of Anne...

  43. Stanford's Dr. Lerone Martin & NC State's Dr. Jason Miller on MLK's Dream & Langston Hughes’s Poetry

    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…

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  44. International Bestseller Dr. Jung Chang on Fly, Wild Swans & China's Despotism

    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...

  45. Arizona's Katherine Haley on School Choice, Fed Ed, & State-led Reform

    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...

  46. Julie Young, Julie Petersen, & Kay Johnson on Virtual Schools, Actual Learning

    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....

  47. Florida's Erika Donalds on School Choice, Edu Federalism, & K-12 Reform

    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...

  48. Sean Geraghty and Mike Goldstein on ADHD, Technology, & Schools

    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...

  49. U-NM's NYT Bestseller Paul Andrew Hutton on the American Old West

    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…

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  50. Houston Supt. Mike Miles on Urban School District Reform

    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...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Join The Learning Curve every Wednesday for insight and perspective on education, learning trends, school choice, and public policy. Our hosts and guests offer a mix of provocative commentary as they interview school leaders, innovators, bestselling authors, policymakers, and more. Send any suggestions, tips, and fan mail to [email protected].

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Pioneer Institute

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Learning Curve have?

The Learning Curve currently has 374 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is The Learning Curve about?

Join The Learning Curve every Wednesday for insight and perspective on education, learning trends, school choice, and public policy. Our hosts and guests offer a mix of provocative commentary as they interview school leaders, innovators, bestselling authors, policymakers, and more. Send any...

How often does The Learning Curve release new episodes?

The Learning Curve publishes regularly with 374 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

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Who hosts The Learning Curve?

The Learning Curve is created and hosted by Pioneer Institute.
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