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Podcast

From schools to systems: Rethinking improvement | Episode 1016 of The Education Gadfly Show

Christy Wolfe Michael J. Petrilli David Griffith, Ph.D. Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.
5.6.2026
 

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 [email protected]

Policy Priority:
Standards & Accountability

Christy Wolfe is the Bipartisan Policy Center's director of K-12 policy. She has more than 30 years of experience working on federal education policy and legislation in Congress, the executive branch, and policy advocacy organizations.

President, Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Michael J. Petrilli is president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, executive editor of Education Next, editor in chief of the Education Gadfly Weekly, host of the…

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David Griffith is the National Research Director at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where he manages or authors reports on various subjects including charter schools, …

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Amber Northern is senior vice president for research at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where she supervises the Institute’s robust research portfolio and…

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