Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva joins The Education Gadfly Show to discuss the sweeping Arkansas LEARNS reforms, from early literacy and teacher pay to career pathways, parent empowerment, and new approaches to teacher preparation. Why did Arkansas take on so much at once, and can it support teachers, empower districts, and maintain high standards along the way?

Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines new research on Indiana charter schools’ post-pandemic academic recovery, especially for Black, Hispanic, low-income, and previously low-performing students.

Recommended content:

• ExcelinEd 2026 Poll Findings —ExcelinEd
• Raising the Floor: Teacher Retention Effects of a Statewide Minimum Salary Increase —Gema Zamarro, Andrew M. Camp, Josh McGee, Taylor Wilson, and Miranda Vernon, CALDER (2026)
• What happens when you relax accountability —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLED
• Virtual Illusion: Comparing Student Achievement and Teacher and Classroom Characteristics in Online and Brick-and-Mortar Charter Schools —Brian R. Fitzpatrick, Mark Berends, Joseph J. Ferrare, and R. Joseph Waddington, Educational Researcher (2020)
• Indiana Charter School Performance During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic —Ron Zimmer, Stephen M. Ponisciak, Mark Berends, Julie W. Dallavis, Joseph J. Ferrare, Adam Kho, Shelby L. Smith, and Joseph Waddington, EdWorking Papers (2026)

Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

Christy Wolfe, director of K–12 policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, joins the Education Gadfly Show to discuss a new report on the American workforce—and what it means for K–12 education. As policymakers call for a clearer national talent strategy, which ideas echo past reforms, what’s genuinely new, and should school improvement efforts shift from individual schools to districts?

Then, on the Research Minute, Amber Northern looks at what happens when schools lock up student phones—and the results may surprise you.

Recommended content:

• A Nation at Risk to a Nation at Work —Bipartisan Policy Center
• Reimagining School Improvement: What are Portfolio Districts? —Christy Wolfe and Robin Chait, Bipartisan Policy Center
• State takeovers are back —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLED
• Reformers: Yes, states should intervene in failing districts —Michael J. Petrilli, SCHOOLED
• The Effects of School Phone Bans: National Evidence from Lockable Pouches —Hunt Allcott, E. Jason Baron, Thomas Dee, Angela L. Duckworth, Matthew Gentzkow and Brian Jacob, NBER (2026)

Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org

On this week’s episode, Mike Petrilli is joined by David Griffith and Brian Fitzpatrick to discuss Fordham’s latest report, From the Teacher’s Desk: A Science of Reading Progress Report. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of K–3 teachers, they examine what educators understand about reading instruction, how state policies are shaping classroom practice, and where progress has been made. The takeaway: While many teachers are embracing the science of reading, gaps in knowledge and implementation remain.

Then on the Research Minute, Amber Northern examines new evidence on student attendance, finding that most variation is driven by student characteristics rather than school districts, raising important questions about policies that tie funding to average daily attendance.

Recommended content:

• From the Teacher’s Desk: A Science of Reading Progress Report —David Griffith and Brian Fitzpatrick, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• Wonkathon 2025 Anthology: What comes next for the science of reading? —Edited by Brandon L. Wright and Elainah Elkins, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• Imperfect Attendance: Toward a fairer measure of student absenteeism —Jing Liu, Ph.D., Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• How Large are District Effects on Student Attendance? Implications for School Funding Based on Average Daily Attendance David S. Knight and Mark Olofson, EdWorkingPapers (2026)

Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our show? We would love to hear them. Send them to thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org