The Ashley B. Cash Show

In this episode, I sit down with Ag Women Connect founder and CEO Venessa Wood for a wide-ranging conversation that hits close to home for anyone with roots in agriculture. We dig into the real issues facing the ag industry today, the mental health crisis impacting farmers and veterans alike, and what steps the Trump administration is taking toward solutions. We also break down the 2026 runoff election for Texas Congressional District 19, talk education reform, and so much more. This one is packed. You don't want to miss it.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

What does it actually take to move the needle on education in a state as large and complex as Texas?In this episode, we sit down with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath — a product of Texas public schools who's been leading the Texas Education Agency since 2016 — for a candid conversation about what reforms are happening in education right now.We break down everything that happened at the April 2026 State Board of Education meetings: what was decided, what it means for students in classrooms right now, and what parents, educators, and community leaders need to be watching in the months ahead.Whether you're a parent trying to understand how state-level decisions affect your child's school, an educator navigating a shifting landscape, or a leader who cares deeply about the future of Texas kids — this conversation is for you.In this episode:Key decisions from the April 2026 SBOE meetings and their real-world impactHow TEA approaches education reform at scaleWhat Commissioner Morath sees on the horizon for Texas students and schoolsWhat you can do as a parent, educator, or community leaderAbout The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

Mary Lynn Pruneda has been at the center of Texas education policy for years — and this conversation proves it.As Governor Abbott's Education Policy Advisor, Mary Lynn was the lead advisor on House Bill 3, one of the most sweeping school finance overhauls in Texas history. She served as General Counsel for the Senate Education Committee under Chairman Larry Taylor, and today she's the Director of Education and Workforce Policy at Texas 2036, where she works on assessment, accountability, and school finance.We get into what real policy change actually looks like from the inside — the competing interests, the tradeoffs, and why the structural problems in Texas education keep showing up in the same places. If you care about where Texas schools are headed, this is a conversation you don't want to miss.Oh — and she's an 8th generation Texan. When she talks about the future of this state, it's personal. For both of us.Visit Texas 2036.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

Texas education is at a turning point, and the leaders shaping that future matter more than ever. Representative Caroline Fairly of Amarillo is one of those leaders. A faith-driven West Texas native with a background in business, federal policy, and healthcare, Rep. Fairly came into her freshman legislative session ready to work — and work she did.She carried HB 1481 — the bill that enabled phone-free learning environments in Texas classrooms — because she was blown away by what she saw: a generation of kids unable to engage, disconnected from their peers, and distracted from the reason they showed up in the first place. What happened after the bill passed may surprise you.We also get into TEFA accounts and what the early rollout of school choice in Texas is actually telling us about what families want, her visit to Success Academy in New York — the school founded by Eva Moskowitz — and what Texas could learn from that model. Plus: the real conversation about screens in classrooms, the research on short-form content and the reading crisis, and what it means to legislate on objectivity instead of emotion when the stakes are this high.Rep. Fairly sits on the House Appropriations Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Select Committee on Civil Discourse and Freedom of Speech in Higher Education. She is not just checking boxes — she is building a legacy of practical, community-centered leadership.Doctors warn Senate that Gen Z cognitively underperformed previous generation — screen time could be to blameA+ Parenting: The Surprisingly Fun Guide to Raising Surprisingly Smart Kids by Eva MoskowitzAbout The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

Alexia Ferrari — known as The Millionaire Homemaker — walked away from a decorated corporate career that included leadership development for the Department of the Navy and managing some of this nation's most critical defense programs, and built a thriving business from her kitchen table. Today she leads a movement of over 500,000 followers, helping mothers launch and scale profitable online businesses using AI and automation, without sacrificing family life.I am so excited about this conversation because Alexia's work is living proof of the education reform message I've been carrying for years. When the system doesn't teach our kids financial literacy, critical thinking, or how to build — women like Alexia show up and fill that gap anyway. And the question we dig into together is: what if our schools actually equipped the next generation with these skills from the start?But this episode is so much more than education reform. If you are sitting on a mission, a passion, or a calling you haven't fully stepped into yet — this one is for you. Alexia's story is a reminder that the gifts God places on your heart are not accidental, and pursuing them with intention and faith is not only possible, it's powerful.Tune in, be inspired, and get ready to build.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

Every time the Texas legislature meets, our freedom is on the line. That's not a talking point — it's the reality Tim Lambert has been living for over 30 years.This week, I'm sitting down with Tim Lambert, founder of the Texas Home School Coalition, for a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to protect parental rights in Texas — session after session, bill after bill.We get into the ESA program and what the demand is really telling us about what parents want. We talk about dual credit access for homeschool students, why some universities are still pushing back, and how opening up career and technical education could transform outcomes for kids who are ready to build real skills before they ever graduate. We also tackle the lie we've been telling an entire generation — that college is the only path forward — and what it looks like to finally start correcting that.But the through line in all of it is this: passing a bill doesn't mean the work is done. Legislation has to be implemented, protected, and defended. And families need someone in their corner who understands every bill moving through the Capitol and what it means for their kids.That's exactly what the Texas Homeschool Coalition does — and Tim has been leading that charge longer than most people have been paying attention.If you care about where education in Texas is headed, this conversation is one you don't want to miss.Listen, share, and stay in the fight.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

If you've been wondering whether someone is actually out there doing the hard work of protecting Texas kids — meet Susan Perez.Susan is the founder of Citizens for Education Reform in Lubbock, Texas, an organization she built from the ground up in 2021 to stop indoctrination in our schools and put communities back in control of their children's education. She's an Amazon Bestselling Author of Take Your Stand: Raise Strong Children Who Can Guard Against Deception and Stand for Truth — and she was just named a 2025 Texas Hero for Children by the State Board of Education. That award doesn't go to people sitting on the sidelines.In this episode, Susan and I get into the real conversations Texas parents need to be having right now.We talk about the reading crisis — why students are still being left behind despite what the legislature thinks they've fixed, and what classical education actually gets right that our current system doesn't. We break down what parents should do the moment they find explicit material in their child's school, the conflict of interest buried inside school board training, and why 66% of education budgets never make it into the classroom.We also go deep on the future of education in Texas — the case for multiple graduation pathways, why we have to stop asking "where is your kid going to college?" and start asking "what is your kid going to DO after high school?", and how honoring trade and technical careers could change the trajectory of an entire generation.This is the kind of conversation that reminds you why this fight matters.In this episode:The reading crisis — and why it's far from fixedHow to respond when you find explicit content in your child's schoolThe TASB conflict of interest parents aren't talking aboutClassical education vs. the one-size-fits-all public school modelMultiple graduation pathways and honoring every trackWhy 3rd grade reading level is a pipeline to prison or welfareMerit-based pay, vendorism, and where the money is really goingTeaching kids to find their purpose — not just fill a seatConnect with Susan Perez: 🌐 educationempowermentcoach.comAbout The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

She had more questions. Ashley had more answers. And this conversation delivered.Dr. Sima Shahbandar — founder of Omri Med and a woman who approaches everything in life with intention and care — came back to The Ashley B. Cash Show, and this time, she brought even more to the table.From education reform to the realities of parenting in a broken system, to building financial literacy no matter where you are in life — this episode covers it all. Dr. Shahbandar puts Ashley in the hot seat, and Ashley doesn't flinch. What unfolds is one of the most dynamic, wide-ranging conversations this show has seen.Whether you're a parent trying to navigate the system, a professional playing catch-up on your finances, or someone simply ready to do life differently — there is something in this episode for you.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

What happens when a former classroom teacher gets tired of watching unions and bureaucrats suffocate students — and decides to do something about it? You get Ryan Walters.As Oklahoma's former State Superintendent of Public Instruction and now CEO of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, Ryan Walters has become one of the most disruptive forces in American education reform. And he's just getting started.In this episode, Ashley and Ryan get into the real conversation about teachers unions — what they were supposed to be, what they've become, and why so many teachers feel trapped inside a system that was never built for them. Ryan breaks down the Teacher Freedom Alliance, an initiative powered by the Freedom Foundation designed to give educators a genuine alternative to union membership and the space to actually exercise their First Amendment rights. He also talks about the critical need for a Teacher Whistleblower Bill — protections for the educators who are seeing what's happening inside classrooms and don't have a safe way to speak up.This is a conversation about being for teachers — for their freedom, their voice, and their ability to actually do the job they showed up to do. If the system was built this way on purpose, then dismantling it is going to take people who refuse to back down.Ryan Walters is one of those people.Listen and learn on how you can make a difference for your teachers and classrooms in your state. About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

What does it mean to truly care for someone? Dr. Sima Shahbandar has built her life around that answer.As the founder of Omri Med — a concierge medical practice rooted in elegance, intention, and depth — Dr. Shahbandar approaches everything she does with precision and purpose. The name itself says it all: Omri, an Arabic term of endearment meaning "my life," reflects a philosophy of treating what is most precious with the reverence it deserves.But in this conversation, Dr. Shahbandar steps out from behind her white coat and shows up as something just as powerful: a concerned parent and an adult learner hungry to expand her financial literacy.Ashley goes deep on her movement — the why, the how, and the urgency behind the Great Education Reset — while delivering straight, unfiltered advice for every parent, every professional, and every person who recognizes the gap between the education they received and the life they were expected to navigate.A doctor who believes medicine is both a science and a craft. A mother who wants better for her children. A woman investing in her own financial education. Dr. Shahbandar is proof that the most accomplished people in the room are often the ones most willing to say, "I still have more to learn."This is the reset. And it starts with conversations like this.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

What happens when a mother refuses to look the other way? In this episode, Ashley sits down with State Representative Hillary Hickland (HD-55) — ninth-generation Texan, mother of four, and one of the boldest voices in Texas education reform.Rep. Hickland gets unfiltered about what pushed her into the fight — including the shocking content she discovered in schools — and why she made a personal vow not to quit until Texas schools are the best in the nation. She breaks down exactly what School Choice means, why competition is good for schools, and how giving families the power to choose levels the playing field for every child regardless of zip code.Plus: the property tax burden Texans don't fully understand, why school board elections matter more than most people realize, teacher whistleblower protections, and a powerful message for women battling imposter syndrome who feel called to step up and make a difference.This episode is a must-listen for every Texas parent, educator, and citizen who believes our children deserve better.Apply for TEFA — deadline March 17th. https://educationfreedom.texas.govAbout the Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley: As both a mother and business owner, she brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through The Path Forward, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Subscribe for more education reform content and follow @AshleyBCashOfficial for updates on K-12 education policy and advocacy. Visit www.AshleyBCash.comAbout The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

What happens when a retired Army veteran becomes one of Texas's most fearless education reform advocates? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Brenda Howard, who went from organizing parents during the pandemic to testifying before the Texas Legislature and serving on the Texas Advisory Council for Educational Opportunities for Military Children.Brenda pulls no punches as she shares what she's witnessed firsthand: lowered academic standards, inappropriate materials in elementary schools, and organizations like TASB that she believes are blocking real reform. But she's not just pointing out problems—she's celebrating wins. Texas school choice is already helping over 52,000 kids, most from low-income families, get a second chance at education.This episode is a rallying cry. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, business owner, or just someone who cares about the future of our kids, Brenda's message is clear: get involved with your school board, attend meetings, know who's running for office, educate yourself on what's really happening in your district, and if necessary, run for office yourself.The fight for Texas students isn't over—it's just getting started. And after listening to Brenda, you'll understand exactly what's at stake and what you can do about it.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

Texas State Senator Charles Perry joins host Ashley B. Cash for an expansive conversation about what happens when common sense finally breaks through the legislative process. With decades of experience navigating the complexities of state government, Senator Perry offers a rare glimpse into how meaningful reform actually gets done—and why it takes years of persistence to move the needle on issues everyone agrees need fixing.This isn't just an education conversation, though Texas schools are central to the discussion. Senator Perry tackles everything from the multifaceted problems plaguing our public school system to the infrastructure crisis threatening to push Texas toward third-world conditions. He's candid about the challenges: teachers functioning as surrogate parents, rural communities losing students to mega-schools, middle-tier kids getting squeezed and left behind, and a generation shaped by technology designed to manipulate rather than empower.But Senator Perry is equally clear about the solutions. After six years of work, he helped pass the Teacher Bill of Rights, giving educators the power to control their classrooms again. He championed cell phone bans that superintendents now call transformational. And he's pushing for mandatory aptitude testing—a game-changing approach that meets students where they are and helps them discover what they're actually passionate about, rather than forcing everyone through the same narrow pipeline.From the ethics of AI and its impact on the workforce, to the critical role of CTE programs in preparing kids for real work, to why we need different educational models for different kinds of learners, Senator Perry makes the case that common sense isn't common in policy—it's hard-won. He believes Texas is finally in a position to get education right, but only if we're willing to prioritize student outcomes over bureaucratic mandates and teach our kids to think critically, problem-solve, and work together.This is what leadership looks like when it's focused on results instead of rhetoric—and why the future of Texas depends on getting back to basics while thinking differently about our hardest problems.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Sean McDowell, President of Lubbock Christian University, challenges the modern education system's failures and offers a vision for genuine transformation. We explore why today's students are underprepared despite grade inflation, how technology addiction is replacing critical thinking, and what it truly takes to restore excellence in education.Key Topics:The crisis of underpreparedness in higher education and why even "elite" students struggle with basics like reading comprehension and critical thinkingHow prolonged adolescence and decreased maturity levels are affecting student outcomesWhy this generation is returning to traditional values and demanding authenticity from educatorsThe role of AI in education—and why we must teach it through an ethical and moral frameworkParent involvement as the #1 factor in K-12 success and how we can support working familiesThe case for aptitude-based education tracks, entrepreneurship programs, and eliminating the stigma around skilled tradesWhy "life shared with life" matters: how teacher-student relationships and mentorship change trajectoriesLCU's approach: "We walk with you" - custom-made education that meets students where they areDr. McDowell reminds us: There is no substitute for competence. When students master real skills and discover their unique gifts, confidence follows—and with it, a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.If you're a parent, educator, or concerned citizen ready to fight for education that actually prepares students for life, this conversation is for you.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

We're sending kids out of high school completely unprepared for the real world, and wondering why they're anxious, directionless, and failing to launch.This week on The Path Forward, I sat down with LindaGail Walker - a 30-year education veteran, nationally recognized expert in post-traumatic growth, and lead co-author of USC's Trauma Readiness course.In this episode, we talked about how:→ Kids are slipping through the cracks while we obsess over college prep for everyone → We're missing high-risk students - especially the quiet ones internalizing their struggles → Screen time is destroying empathy, communication, and decision-making skills → Without financial literacy and employable skills, we're setting kids up to failLindaGail's insight hit home: "You can tell kids all day long that they are empowered, but until they have some level of success, they are never going to feel that way."If you're tired of the education echo chamber and ready for real solutions, this episode is for you.For more, visit www.ashleybcash.com and www.pathforwardpodcast.com.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

Jackie Fagan Perry joins The Path Forward to discuss the critical challenges facing Texas teachers and practical solutions to keep passionate educators in the classroom. From merit pay and the Teacher Incentive Allotment to early intervention strategies and coaching models, Jackie shares insights on how Texas can recruit, retain, and support the teachers our students desperately need. We explore teacher burnout, the importance of ongoing development over punitive measures, and why bringing retired educators back into schools could transform student outcomes.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

Join me and Tim Lambert, president of the Texas Homeschool Commission, for a conversation about Texas public education and the state's homeschool landscape.We'll discuss the current challenges in public schools, the growth of homeschooling in Texas, and what's driving more families to explore alternative education options. Tim will share his perspective on curriculum choices, academic outcomes, and the practical realities of homeschooling in Texas.Whether you're homeschooling, considering it, or just interested in education policy, we'll cover the key issues facing Texas families and what makes Texas one of the most homeschool-friendly states in the country.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

The education system is outdated. Grant Cardone and I break down what how the K-12 education system in America is falling short, what our students need, and how 10X thinking can reshape the future of learning - and life.About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features. 

About The Ashley B. Cash Show: The Ashley B. Cash Show features conversations with education leaders, policy experts, parents, teachers and reform advocates who are working to transform K-12 education. Host Ashley B. Cash brings her perspective as both a parent and business owner to explore systemic education issues and practical solutions for creating better outcomes for students, families, and communities.About Ashley:  As both a mother and business owner, Ashley brings a unique dual perspective to education reform advocacy, driven by her desire for better educational outcomes for future generations and informed by her firsthand experience with the skills gap facing employers today. Her passion for transforming K-12 education stems from witnessing the real-world consequences of educational failures and recognizing the critical need for a system that prepares students for diverse career pathways, not just college. Through this podcast, Ashley champions solutions including aptitude-based education tracks, expanded school choice, practical skills integration, and alternative career pathways that align with students' individual strengths and interests.Follow @AshleyBCashOfficial on Instagram & @Ashley Bowes Cash on Facebook.Visit www.AshleyBCashOfficial.com for more content and features.