EdFix

In this episode of EdFix, education policy veterans Denise Forte and Andy Rotherham tackle one of the most pressing—and polarizing—questions in American education: should the U.S. Department of Education shrink or shift power to the states? With sharp insights and real-world experience, they unpack the motivations behind efforts to dismantle the department and what that could mean for equity, accountability, and student rights. From civil rights enforcement to federal funding, they explore what's lost (and what might be gained) in a state-led system. It's a timely and clear-eyed conversation about equity, accountability, and the future of public education. Denise Forte is President and CEO of EdTrust. Andy Rotherham is Co-Founder and Senior Partner at Bellwether. [Transcript for Episode 42 is available on EdFixPodcast.com]

In this episode of EdFix, Judge David Tatel, who served nearly three decades on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit—the nation's second highest court—shares his remarkable journey from civil rights lawyer to judicial trailblazer. Blind since his mid-30s, Judge Tatel has dedicated his career to expanding access to justice and improving opportunities for all. He reflects on pivotal moments in education law, including school desegregation, affirmative action, and Title IX, while offering his perspective on recent Supreme Court decisions that are reshaping the educational landscape. Judge Tatel also discusses his powerful new book, Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice, providing listeners with a deeply personal and inspiring look at the intersection of his life, law, and justice. [Transcript for Episode 41 is available on EdFixPodcast.com]

The Southern Education Foundation has played a crucial role in transforming education for African American and low-income students in the South. Dr. Raymond Pierce, former civil rights attorney and dynamic President and CEO of the Southern Education Foundation, dives into the organization's rich history, rooted in the aftermath of the Civil War, and its relentless mission to revolutionize education. In this episode, Dr. Pierce addresses the ongoing challenges of achieving educational equity, highlighting the essential contribution of civics education in advancing racial justice and democracy. Despite the many obstacles, he remains optimistic about the potential for progress and the future of equitable education. [Transcript for Episode 40 is available on EdFixPodcast.com]

Dr. Ryan Watkins, Professor of Educational Technology at George Washington University, describes artificial intelligence (AI) as computational tools that can do things that, until recently, we thought only humans could do. He believes that platforms such as ChatGPT bring both groundbreaking opportunities and ethical considerations to education. To embrace the reality of AI in our classrooms, he advocates for a shift in teaching and assessment strategies so we can foster the critical thinking skills needed for success in the digital age. [Transcript for Episode 39 is available on EdFixPodcast.com.]

As President and CEO of ETS (Educational Testing Service), Amit Sevak is keenly aware of the growing concern over the perceived value of education and standardized testing. To address these challenges, he is leading a transformation at ETS towards a more human-centric approach, with a focus on educator solutions, global mobility, and professional credentialing. And he believes that crafting assessments that showcase skills in new ways, backed by rigorous research, can help break the cycle of entrenched inequalities in education and open up new avenues of opportunity in the workforce. [Transcript for Episode 38 is available on EdFixPodcast.com.]