Radically Pragmatic, a podcast from the Progressive Policy Institute
By PPI
Radically Pragmatic, a podcast from the Progressive Policy InstituteNov 10, 2021
Closing the Funding Gap: Charter Schools in Washington State, ft. State Senator Mark Mullet
On this episode of RAS Reports, PPI's Reinventing America's Schools Project Co-Director Tressa Pankovits sits down with Washington State Senator Mark Mullet (D-Issaquah) to discuss his bill S.B. 5809 which is designed to close the funding gap experienced by public charter schools in Washington state.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Democrats for Education Reform, ft. Jorge Elorza
On this episode of RAS Reports, PPI's Reinventing America's Schools Project Co-Director Tressa Pankovits sits down with Jorge Elorza, CEO of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) and former Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island to discuss the importance of school choice and what voters need to look for in 2024.
Learn more about DFER here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
MOSAIC MOMENT: What It’s Really Like to Testify Before Congress
On this episode of the Mosaic Moment Director of Mosaic, Jasmine Stoughton, sits down with Sara Nichols, Environment and Economic Development Director at the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, to share her experience testifying before Congress. Get a behind the scenes look at what goes into a Congressional hearing from the perspective of an expert witness.
Watch the Congressional hearing and read Sara Nichols’s written testimony here.
Follow Mosaic on Twitter.
Follow PPI on Twitter.
Taking on Ticketmaster: Why Competition Benefits Consumers
On this episode of Radically Pragmatic, Dr. Diana Moss, Vice President and Director of Competition Policy at the Progressive Policy Institute, sits down with Russ D'Souza, co-founder of SeatGeek, and Terrell McSweeny, former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, to discuss the Ticketmaster and Live Nation monopoly.
In the episode, Moss and guests outline the Live Nation monopoly story and how their restrictive policies and contracts ensure Ticketmaster is the only ticketing platform available, hurting consumers. Ticketmaster has 70% share of the market and Live Nation has a similar market share in exclusive contracts and in recent years, music and sports fans have been outspoken about their lack of choices.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
MOSAIC MOMENT: Building the Next Digital Workforce Generation
On this episode of the Mosaic Moment, Jasmine Stoughton sits down with PPI’s Director of Workforce Development Policy, Taylor Maag, and Senior Software Engineer, Eela Nagaraj, to talk about the importance of building a strong digital workforce and how governments and the tech industry are ensuring the next generation of skilled professionals.
Taylor unpacks findings from her research paper, “Closing the Digital Skills Gap: Unveiling Insights from Four Countries,” and Eela shares insights from her experiences as a senior software engineer and as a volunteer instructor teaching technology education to folks from underrepresented and forced-migration backgrounds.
Follow Mosaic on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MosaicPPI
Follow PPI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ppi
The Future is Woman, feat. Kaya Henderson
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series on titled "The Future is Woman" recorded live at the 2023 Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In the fifth and final episode of this five-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine sits down with Dr. Kaya Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Reconstruction.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
The Future is Woman, feat Naomi Shelton
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series on titled "The Future is Woman" recorded live at the 2023 Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In the fourth episode of this five-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine sits down with Naomi Shelton, Chief Executive Officer at the National Charter Collaborative.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
The Future is Woman, feat. Tracey Dumas Clark & Crystal Gilliam
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series on titled "The Future is Woman" recorded live at the 2023 Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In the third episode of this five-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine sits down with Tracey Dumas Clark, Chief Program Officer at 4.0 and Crystal Gilliam, Director of Philanthropic Programming at 4.0.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
The Future is Woman, feat. Steph Walters
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series on titled "The Future is Woman" recorded live at the 2023 Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In the second episode of this five-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine sits down with Steph Walters, Director of Engagement and Communications at Yellow.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
The Future is Woman, feat. Dr. Steve Perry
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series on titled "The Future is Woman" recorded live at the 2023 Essence Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In the first episode of this five-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine sits down with Dr. Steve Perry, Founder and Head of Schools at Capital Preparatory Schools.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
MOSAIC MOMENT: State Governments Are The New Frontier
On this episode of the Mosaic Moment, PPI's State and Local Political Director Reid Fauble sits down with Sahar Fathi, Policy Director for the Washington State Attorney General's office and Mosaic Project Alum to discuss her role in the Washington State AG's office, why the legislative work and policy initiatives of state and local legislative chambers matter, and how state and local governments will serve as the new frontier of shared democratic values.
Follow Mosaic on Twitter.
Follow PPI on Twitter.
The Future of Schools, Part 2
In part 2 of this two part series, PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project Co-Director Curtis Valentine, in collaboration with EdChoice, sits down for a live panel conversation and podcast recording at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego with Sharif El-Mekki, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Black Educator Development and Mikyeil El-Mekki, and Matthew Mugo Fields, Executive Leadership of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Learn more about EdChoice here.
The Future of Schools, Part 1
In part 1 of this two part series, PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project Co-Director Curtis Valentine, in collaboration with EdChoice, sits down for a live panel conversation and podcast recording at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego with Nina Gilbert, Executive Director of the Center for Excellence in Education at Morehouse College, and Sharhonda Bossier, Chief Executive Officer of Education Leaders of Color. They discuss the future of education, the future of teaching, and importance of school choice for families across America.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Learn more about EdChoice here.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Future is Now! Featuring Janelle Wood
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series on titled "WHAT NEXT: The Future is Now!" recorded at the SXSW Education conference in Austin, Texas. In the fifth and final episode of this five-part series, RAS co-director sits down with Janelle Wood, Founder and CEO of the Black Mothers Forum.
Learn more about the Black Mothers Forum here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Future is Now! Featuring Jay Artis-Wright
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series on titled "WHAT NEXT: The Future is Now!" recorded at the SXSW Education conference in Austin, Texas. In the fourth episode of this five-part series, RAS co-director sits down with Jay Artis-Wright.
Learn more about Jay-Artis Wright here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Future is Now! Featuring Dr. Constance Lindsay
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series on titled "WHAT NEXT: The Future is Now!" recorded at the SXSW Education conference in Austin, Texas. In the third episode of this five-part series, RAS co-director sits down with Dr. Constance Lindsay.
Learn more about Dr. Constance Lindsay here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
MOSAIC MOMENT: Internet Access as We Know It
According to The International Telecommunications Union, two-thirds of the world now has internet access. On this month’s episode of the Mosaic Moment, PPI’s Ed Gresser sits down with two of the nation’s leading broadband experts, Meagan Bolton and Christine O’Connor to discuss where connectivity gaps remain and what U.S. policymakers are doing to bridge this digital divide.
From infrastructure challenges to new digital trade policies, hear what these experts have to say about the future of internet access, adoption, and affordability.
Follow Ed Gresser on Twitter: @EBGresser
Follow Christine O’Connor on Twitter: @CNOConnor
Follow Meagan Bolton on Twitter: @MeaganSunn
Follow Mosaic on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MosaicPPI
Follow PPI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ppi
WHAT'S NEXT: The Future is Now! Featuring Dr. Charles Cole
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series titled "WHAT NEXT: The Future is Now!" recorded at the SXSW Education conference in Austin, Texas. In the second episode of this five-part series, RAS co-director sits down with Dr. Charles Cole.
Learn more about Dr. Charles Cole here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
WHAT'S NEXT: The Future is Now! Featuring Emory Edwards of Ed Choice
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has a new podcast series on titled "WHAT NEXT: The Future is Now!" recorded at the SXSW Education conference in Austin, Texas.
In the first episode of our five-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine sits down with Emory Edwards of EdChoice. Emory Edwards is the Vice President of Outreach for EdChoice, which is a nonprofit that works to ensure families have the ability to choose the best education for them. In this episode, Curtis and Emory discuss the different ways choices can benefit the education system from solving the teacher shortage to reducing class size and increasing representation for everyone in the system. Curtis and Emory speak about what they hope to hear in this year's panel, including the discussion of how culture influences education. To wrap it up, Curtis and Emory look to the future and what they would like schools and classrooms to look like.
Learn more about EdChoice here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
The Affordable Care Act at 13: An Interview with former HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius
Thirteen years ago, President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress fundamentally transformed the U.S. health care system by providing health insurance coverage that curbed costs and expanded access to millions of Americans. While challenges remain to strengthen the legislation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains entrenched as a permanent feature of America’s hybrid, public-private health care system, and continues to deliver on its promise to provide near-universal coverage to Americans at an affordable cost. As we look back on the successes and challenges of the Affordable Care Act, the Progressive Policy Institute's Director of Health Care Erin Delaney sits down with former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to reflect on the landmark passage of the ACA and the critical role it played in providing essential coverage to millions of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Delaney and Secretary Sebelius look back on the path — 13 years ago — that led to one of the most consequential pieces of health care legislation to be enacted in this country.
Read PPI's Policy Brief on the Affordable Care Act here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Follow the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Child Care, It is a Workforce Issue!
In this episode of the Radically Pragmatic podcast, PPI's Taylor Maag, the Director of Workforce Development Policy speaks with national and state leaders, Linda Smith from the Bipartisan Policy Center and Ashli Watts from the Kentucky Chamber on child care policy in our nation, how it is affecting women in the workforce and bold new solutions to address child care challenges at scale.
Follow Taylor on Twitter here.
Learn more about the New Skills for a New Economy here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
MOSAIC MOMENT: Democracy in the Disinformation Era
On this episode of the Mosaic Moment PPI’s Director of the Innovation Frontier Project, Jordan Shapiro sits down with Mosaic alum and Intelligence Analyst for Global Intelligence at Concentric, Rachel Brooks. They define online disinformation, discuss how foreign governments use online disinformation campaigns to target democracies, and unpack their ideas about how to increase protection and resilience for democracies.
Mosaic is a project at the Progressive Policy Institute that aims to put more women at the forefront of policy making by empowering our experts with the tools and connections needed to engage with the media and lawmakers on today's toughest policy challenges.
- Follow Jordan Shapiro on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jd_shapiro
- Follow Rachel Brooks on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebrooks92
- Follow Mosaic on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MosaicPPI
- Follow PPI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ppi
MOSAIC MOMENT: 'Tis the Season... to Talk About Taxes!
It’s that time of year again… It’s tax season, and on this episode of the Mosaic Moment PPI’s Senior Policy Analyst, Nick Buffie, sits down with Mosaic alum and Associate Director of Policy at Prosperity Now, Joanna Ain to talk all things taxes. They talk about the importance of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA), why funding the IRS is an equity imperative, and the current state of the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
- Follow Joanna Ain on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoannaAliseAin
- Follow Mosaic on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MosaicPPI
- Follow PPI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ppi
Joint Episode: The Neoliberal Podcast Discusses Inclusionary Zoning ft. Lauren Bealore of Prosperity Now
Lauren Bealore of Prosperity Now joins Jeremiah Johnson of The Neoliberal Podcast to talk about inclusionary zoning. They Discuss the history of inequity in housing markets, whether or not inclusionary zoning can mend those problems, and what good policies might look like.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Follow PPI on Twitter here.
Joint Episode: The Neoliberal Podcast Sits Down with PPI President Will Marshall to Discuss Common-Sense Immigration Reform
Will Marshall is the president and founder of PPI, and he joins The Neoliberal Podcast this week to discuss immigration policy.
The Neoliberal Podcast discusses how we approach immigration from different angles, and try to find how sensible liberals can find common ground to make immigration reform happen.
This episode originally aired on The Neoliberal Podcast, which can be found here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Follow PPI on Twitter here.
RAS REPORTS: How Peltier et al. v. Charter Day School could affect student gender discrimination
On this episode of RAS Reports, the Co-Directors of the Reinventing America's Schools Project, Curtis Valentine and Tressa Pankovits, sit down to discuss Tressa's recent op-ed in The Hill concerning Peltier et al. v. Charter Day School, the North Carolina court case about charter schools and school uniforms. This case involves a public charter school in North Carolina that does not allow girls to wear pants or shorts, only skirts and jumper-type dresses. When asked, the school refused to change their policy and said that boys and girls should be required to dress differently to emphasize chivalry and the dress code is part of a code of conduct where women are "regarded as fragile vessels that men are supposed to take care of". Parents decried the policy as gender discrimination and sued under the equal protection clause, Title IX and the charter school's own contractual agreement with the state of North Carolina Board of Education. Tressa argues that this case could act as a "gateway drug" to allowing other publicly funded education to discriminate on the basis of race or gender or disability.
Read Tressa's opinion piece here.
Follow Tressa on Twitter here.
Follow Curtis on Twitter here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
MOSAIC MOMENT: 4 Bipartisan Financial Imperatives for the 118th Congress
On this month’s Mosaic Moment, program director and host, Jasmine Stoughton sits down with Kirsten Wegner, CEO of the Modern Markets Initiative to talk about her latest op-ed outlining the four bipartisan imperatives to ensure safe and sound capital markets.
Kirsten unpacks what’s working well for investors and shares her bipartisan recommendations for improving the existing market structure. They talk about ideas for regulating the digital assets market and explore the role Congress can play in advancing the research and development of financial technologies such as AI and automated traders.
Check out Kirsten’s op-ed “Safe and Sound Capital Markets Are a Bipartisan Imperative” in RealClearMarkets.
Follow Kirsten Wegner on Twitter.
Follow Mosaic on Twitter.
Follow PPI on Twitter.
MOSAIC MOMENT: Contracting and Gig Work in the Modern Economy
On this week’s episode of the Mosaic Moment, Program Director, Jasmine Stoughton, sits down with Mosaic alum, Dr. Liz Wilke, to explore her new report, “Supporting Contractors’ Career Development in the Future of Work.” They discuss holes in the social safety net for both contractors and employees, the complexities of filing taxes as an independent worker, and how upskilling and career training could be the key to navigating our modern economy.
Read Dr. Wilke's paper here.
Follow Dr. Liz Wilke on Twitter.
Follow Mosaic on Twitter.
Follow PPI on Twitter.
MOSAIC MOMENT: Transatlantic Takeaways
Last month, the Progressive Policy Institute hosted an established group of 12 women in tech and workforce development policy, traveling to London, Brussels and Berlin to meet with political leaders, policy experts and thought-leaders across Europe.
On this episode of the Mosaic Moment, host and program director, Jasmine Stoughton, asks what one transatlantic policy was most interesting and why. Hear from Joanna Ain, Fallon Wilson and Liz Wilke on the U.K. and European policies that made the biggest impact on them during their time abroad!
Guest speakers:
- Joanna Ain is an associate director of policy at Prosperity Now. Follow Joanna on Twitter.
- Dr. Fallon Wilson is the vice president of policy at the Multicultural Media and Telecommunication Internet Council. Follow Fallon on Twitter.
- Dr. Liz Wilke is the principal economist at Gusto. Follow Liz on Twitter.
Mosaic is a project at the Progressive Policy Institute that aims to put more women at the forefront of policy making by empowering our experts with the tools and connections needed to engage with the media and lawmakers on today's toughest policy challenges.
Follow Mosaic on Twitter and LinkedIn
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1989, PPI started as the intellectual home of the New Democrats and earned a reputation as President Bill Clinton’s “idea mill.” Today, PPIs work centers on fortifying the vital liberal center against the global rise of illiberal populism and nationalism. Many of PPI’s groundbreaking policy innovations have been translated into U.S. policy and law, and have influenced center-left political leaders around the world.
Forging A Transatlantic Dialogue
Does Germany struggle with homelessness the same way cities like Denver do? What can the U.S. learn from Germany in regard to improvements to public transportation infrastructure?
In the Fall of 2019, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) partnered with Das Progressive Zentrum (DPZ) and Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft (AHG) for a new project titled "New Urban Progress: Transatlantic Dialogue on the Future of Work, Democracy, and Well-being" which is aimed at fostering metro innovation and democratic renewal in the spirit of a transatlantic dialogue.
The organizations joined forces and convened a group of fellows consisting of public servants, policy experts, and community activists from Germany and the United States for a collaboration that involves two international tours, four conferences, and ten cities, all while the twenty project fellows study how we can reimagine transatlantic relations and positively impact cities on both sides of the Atlantic.
Neel Brown, Managing Director at the Progressive Policy Institute sits down with Maria Willett, Chief of Staff to Mayor Bryan K. Barnett of Rochester Hills, Michigan and Steffen Haake, Senior Consultant at Dataport who are both New Urban Progress fellows and offer their thoughts on what they learned from the fellowship.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute and the New Urban Progress project.
Learn more about Das Progressive Zentrum.
Learn more about Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft.
Dueling Decisions in the Fight for Gun Safety
On a new episode of Radically Pragmatic, PPI’s Director of Health Care Arielle Kane sits down with Everytown for Gun Safety’s Legal Director Jonas Oransky to discuss the latest developments in the bipartisan movement to pass gun safety legislation. Their conversation comes as President Biden signs a new bipartisan gun safety bill into law — the first in almost 30 years — against the backdrop of horrific mass shootings and a dangerous reversal of commonsense gun laws from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Learn more about Everytown for Gun Safety here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
RAS Reports: Backlash Against the U.S. Department of Education
Last week was National Charter Schools Week, and instead of celebrating the quality education that public charters provide to millions of students, the Department of Education is working to undermine the ability of these schools to function.
As hundreds of parents and students descended on Washington to make their voices heard, PPI's Reinventing America's Schools Co-Director Tressa Pankovits went to the White House to hear from some of these advocates. She talked with protestors about why public charter schools are so important to them, and how these newly proposed rules would make it more difficult for public charter schools to win federal start-up grants which charter schools rely on to operate.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Making Insulin More Affordable
On this week's episode of Radically Pragmatic, Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) sits down with PPI's Director of Health Care Arielle Kane to discuss his bill, The Affordable Insulin Now Act, which passed the House last month and would lower the cost of insulin prescriptions for Americans with diabetes.
Currently, the average American family pays $683 a month for an insulin prescription, even though a vial of the drug costs drug companies $10 to make. That's why this vital legislation, introduced by Rep. Kildee, would create a monthly $35 cap on out-of-pocket costs for insulin. In the episode, the Congressman talks about his personal experience with the skyrocketing costs of the lifesaving drug, after learning his daughter was diagnosed as a type-1 diabetic. The Congressman also talks about the importance of lowering the price of prescription drugs for Americans and what he's doing in Congress to get it done.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute: www.progressivepolicy.org
RAS Reports: Democrats Stand Up for Charter Schools
On this episode of RAS Reports, Tressa Pankovits, Co-Director of the Reinventing America's Schools Project sits down with New Mexico State Senator Siah Correa Hemphill and Representative Joy Garratt to talk about a bill they successfully sponsored and passed into law this legislative session. New Mexico House Bill 43 creates a revolving facility fund that charter schools can access in order to provide high quality buildings for their students. In today's highly polarized environment, with many many lawmakers turning their backs on charters at the behest of the teachers unions, these two Democrats are standing for charter schools and their students and families.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
MOSAIC MOMENT: How Access to Broadband Affects Access to Care
In this week’s episode of Mosaic Moment, PPI’s Director of Health Care, Arielle Kane, sits down with Dr. Sarah Oh Lam from the Technology Policy Institute to discuss the benefits and barriers to telehealth services. In a recent blog post Arielle writes, “Without addressing barriers like unequal broadband distribution and limited access to video-capable devices, telehealth won’t live up to its potential.” Dr. Oh Lam lends her expertise in broadband, exploring policy recommendations that would expand internet access and promote digital literacy while Arielle discusses what lawmakers can do to ensure telehealth patients get the highest quality care possible.
Learn more about the Mosaic Economic Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
THE FUTURE OF TEACHING: How Can We Save Teacher Professional Development?
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has partnered with The 74 Million to tape a new podcast series on the “Future of Teaching” recorded at the SXSW Education conference in Austin, Texas.
In the final episode of our four-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine sits down with Sarah Johnson. Sarah Johnson serves as CEO of Teaching Lab, a non-profit dedicated to shifting the paradigm of teacher professional learning for educational equity. In this wide-ranging discussion, Curtis and Sarah discuss how she came to lead Teaching Lab and why teacher development is critical to putting effective teachers in classrooms across America. Curtis asks Sarah to offer her insight on what trainers can do to better prepare educators for the future of learning and discuss what changes to the educational landscape can be expected over the next year.
Learn more about The 74 Million here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Learn more about the Teaching Lab here.
THE FUTURE OF TEACHING: Reshaping School Leadership for the Future, Pt. 2
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has partnered with The 74 Million to tape a new podcast series on the “Future of Teaching” recorded at the SXSW Education conference in Austin, Texas.
In the third episode of our four-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine continues the conversation from the previous episode about reshaping school leadership for the future as he sits down with Atlanta Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring. In this intriguing conversation, Dr. Herring discusses her path to becoming Superintendent of Atlanta’s Public School system and details why empowering teachers is critical toward ensuring the success of students both in the classroom and in their future careers. Finally, Curtis and Dr. Herring look ahead to next year’s conference and discuss what changes to the educational landscape can be expected over the next year.
Learn more about The 74 Million here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Connect with Dr. Herring (@DrLisaHerring) on Twitter here.
Connect with Atlanta Public Schools (@apsupdate) on Twitter here.
THE FUTURE OF TEACHING: Reshaping School Leadership for the Future, Part 1
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has partnered with The 74 Million to tape a new podcast series on "The Future of Teaching” recorded at the SXSW Education conference in Austin, Texas.
In the second episode of our four-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine sits down with Jean Desravines. Jean Desravines serves as the CEO of New Leaders, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure high academic achievement for all children, especially students in poverty and students of color, by developing transformational school leaders and advancing the policies and practices that allow great leaders to succeed. In this engaging discussion, Curtis and Jean discuss the current state of school leadership in the U.S. and its direct impacts on teachers. Additionally, Jean offers a preview of what he will be presenting at the conference and offers advice for school leaders intent on preparing teachers for the future of learning. Curtis and Jean look ahead to next year’s conference and discuss what changes to the educational landscape can be expected over the next year.
Learn more about The 74 Million here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
THE FUTURE OF TEACHING: Disrupting Racial Inequities in K-12 Schools
PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools (RAS) Project has partnered with The 74 Million to tape a new podcast series on "The Future of Teaching” recorded at the SXSW Education conference in Austin, Texas.
In the debut episode of our four-part series, RAS co-director Curtis Valentine sits down with Tequilla Brownie. Brownie serves as CEO of The New Teacher Project, a non-profit with a mission of ending educational inequality by providing excellent teachers to the students who need them most and by advancing policies and practices that ensure effective teaching in every classroom. In this engaging conversation, Curtis asks Tequilla to discuss what steps need to be taken to disrupt racial inequities in the classroom and what advice she has for school leaders working to ensure their teachers are prepared for the future of learning. In addition, Curtis and Tequilla look ahead to next year’s conference and discuss what changes can be expected to the educational landscape over the next year.
Learn more about The 74 Million here.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Could Ignoring Swing Voters Reopen the Door for Donald Trump?
In September 1989, the brand-new Progressive Policy Institute published The Politics of Evasion: Democrats and the Presidency. Nearly 33 years later, this political study maintains more than just historical interest today as the Democratic Party once again must wrestle with basic questions of political outlook and electoral strategy.
Written by political scholars William Galston and Elaine Kamarck, their analysis refuted the principal “myths” that the party’s establishment embraced to explain away recent losses and avoid confronting the fundamental reasons voters were rejecting its candidates. The Politics of Evasion laid the political predicate for the rise of the “New Democrats” and Bill Clinton and their successful efforts to infuse new ideas into a stale governing agenda and snap the string of presidential defeats.
Today, Democrats obviously face a very different political environment and set of electoral challenges. What hasn’t changed, however, is the need for unflinching honesty about the party’s struggles to consolidate a broad and a durable majority — even after four years of Donald Trump’s chaotic, divisive and lawless presidency.
Facing a difficult midterm election and the ominous prospect of a second Trump run for the White House, Democrats are once again in need of a political reality check. Galston and Kamarck have obliged with a fresh analysis of the party’s predicament: The New Politics of Evasion: How Ignoring Swing Voters Could Reopen the Door for Donald Trump and Threaten American Democracy.
In this episode of the Radically Pragmatic podcast, William and Elaine sit down with PPI President Will Marshall to unpack the contents of their new report and discuss what changes Democrats need to make in order to stop Republicans from taking back control of Congress this November and the White House in 2024.
Read the report here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
What is Cryptocurrency? Regulating An Unprecedented Technology
Cryptocurrency has taken the world by storm. Depending on the day, digital currencies are now cumulatively valued at several trillion dollars. Financial and nonfinancial corporate executives, once dismissive, increasingly understand the importance of cryptocurrency and related technologies for the future.
However, the federal government is only in the early stages of deciding how to regulate cryptocurrency, which could have enormous implications going forward.
In this condensed conversation hosted by the Progressive Policy Institute, Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) provides some remarks on his experience in the field and where he sees his role as a Member of Congress in regulating this unprecedented technology. His remarks ignited a dynamic discussion with business leaders, including Dante Disparte, Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy, Kirsten Wegner, CEO of the Modern Markets Initiative and a Mosaic Project cohort member, and Michael Katz, Director of Legal, Digital Currency Group. PPI's Vice President and Chief Economist Michael Mandel moderated the conversation.
Watch the full panel event here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
RAS REPORTS: The Pathway to a Quality Public Education for All
On this episode of RAS Reports, Curtis Valentine, Co-Director of the Reinventing America’s Schools project, sits down with Karega Rausch, the President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. NACSA works to advance and strengthen the ideas and practices of charter school authorizing so students and communities – especially those who are historically under-resourced – thrive. Karega Rausch has extensive experience in charter school authorizing, education research and policy, community engagement, and strategic advocacy. In this vibrant conversation, Curtis and Karega discuss what makes charter schools successful and highlight the potential that charter schools have to provide all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, with a quality public education.
Learn more about the Reinventing America's Schools Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Can Big Tech Save Us from Algorithmic Bias?
On this episode of the Radically Pragmatic podcast, Dr. Kalinda Ukanwa sits down with Jordan Shapiro, PPI’s Data and Economic Policy Analyst, to discuss her new paper entitled, “Breaking Up Big Tech Will Not Prevent Algorithmic Harm to Society.” Dr. Ukanwa and Jordan dive into what algorithms really are and how they’re simultaneously helping and harming consumers. They unpack why breaking up Big Tech is not the solution to the algorithm bias problem, and they explore what actions can be taken to remedy algorithmic harm on a societal level and in your everyday life.
Dr. Kalinda Ukanwa is an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business who researches how algorithmic bias, algorithmic decision-making, and consumer reputations impact firms. Follow Dr. Ukanwa on Twitter at @KalindaUkanwa.
Follow Jordan Shapiro, PPI’s Data and Economic Policy Analyst on Twitter at @jd_shapiro.
Read the report here.
Learn more about the Mosaic Economic Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Living with COVID in the New Year and Beyond
As variants of the COVID-19 virus continue to emerge, it's becoming more and more clear that this epidemic is becoming endemic. As the world continues to grapple with the reality that this virus is here to stay, how do we begin to live in our new normal, and how do we balance the tradeoffs between combating the spread of COVID-19 and letting normal life resume?
Last week, PPI's Director of Health Policy Arielle Kane brought together an esteemed panel of experts, including Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA) and Dr. Leana Wen, for a panel event to discuss living with COVID in the New Year and Beyond. This episode is a segment of their conversation.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
RAS REPORTS: Celebrating National School Choice Week!
In this week's episode of RAS Reports, Curtis Valentine and Tressa Pankovits, Co-Directors of PPI's Reinventing America's Schools Project, celebrate National School Choice Week by discussing new developments in the movement to provide access to affordable, quality education to all of America's youth. The hosts highlight Innovation Schools in Indianapolis, IN which serve as a prime example of the benefits of granting schools the flexibility to make decisions tailored to the specific needs of their student body. Curtis and Tressa discuss how these "schools of choice" attract high-quality teachers, produce higher learning outcomes, and gives parents more power to decide what educational environment is best for their student.
The National School Choice Week celebration continues Thursday, January 27 at 3:00PM ET with a panel of teachers who work in "schools of choice." Hear in their own words how their decision to work in these schools has positively impacted their passion for the work, their students and their overall job satisfaction.
Learn more about the Reinventing America’s Schools Project here.
Learn more the Progressive Policy Institute here.
MOSAIC MOMENT: Growth, Resiliency and Sustainability in New Orleans
On a new episode of Radically Pragmatic, PPI’s Mosaic Economic Project examines the findings of the 2021 Greater New Orleans Startup Report. The episode explores topics such as the growth, resiliency, and economic sustainability of New Orleans – including the effects of increased remote work options – and dives into solutions to bridge gaps in race and gender equity in critical areas from entrepreneurship to COVID relief.
Hosts Jasmine Stoughton and Crystal Swann were joined by Emily Egan, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Tulane University, and Ann Marshall Tilton, Community Engagement Manager at the Albert Lepage Center.
Read the 2021 Great New Orleans Startup Report here.
Learn more about the Mosaic Economic Project here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
What Role Does Natural Gas Play in Meeting Global Energy and Climate Goals?
On this week's episode, Paul Bledsoe, author of a new PPI report titled "The Role of Natural Gas in Limiting European Union Emissions: Key Opportunities to Cut Methane, Coal and CO2" sits down to explain the major implications for U.S. and global climate policy, as well as some of the key recommendations from the report.
The report calls for an international effort to accurately verify and monitor methane emissions from domestic and imported gas and then regulate emissions to as close to zero as possible. These actions, if taken together, could play a major role in reducing greenhouse as global emissions as renewable energy grows.
Read the full report here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
RAS REPORTS: The State of Education in America
On the first episode of RAS Reports, Co-Director of PPI's Reinventing America's Schools Project Curtis Valentine sits down with RAS Advisory Board Member and Fort Worth, Texas School Board Leader Cinto Ramos to explore the importance of school boards among students, parents, and local leaders. What challenges do school boards face post-COVID? And what opportunities are created from having to reinvent the wheel?
In addition, Curtis and Cinto dive into Texas SB 1882, as well as the 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial election that helped catapult school board leaders and the education debate into the national spotlight.
Learn more about the Reinventing America’s Schools Project here.
Learn more the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Is American Technological Leadership Under Attack?
The Progressive Policy Institute's Innovation Frontier Project released a comprehensive research deck on the threats facing American innovation. The authors of the deck, innovation experts Ashish Arora and Sharon Belenzon of Duke University, found the United States has lost a substantial amount of corporate research since the 1980s, with only a handful of present-day U.S.-based companies investing in research at a meaningful level.
The deck also lays out clear political implications for lawmakers. The Biden Administration's top strategic economic priorities are based on a foundation of strong U.S. competitiveness and innovation, yet Congress’s percolating anti-tech antitrust legislation would undermine these priorities by impairing the ability of America’s few leading R&D performers to develop new products and enter new markets. The restrictions on these companies will reduce our national investment in R&D and hurt American economic prosperity and national security.
Jack Karsten, Managing Director of the Innovation Frontier Project, and Michael Mandel, Vice President and Chief Economic Strategist at PPI break down the deck's research and discuss how antitrust legislation in Congress would devastate American technological leadership and innovation.
Check out the research deck here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute here.
Saving Money and Lives: How Telehealth Revolutionized Health Care During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic forced Americans inside their homes and restricted access to critical services, including health care. However, telehealth technology that was previously only used by a fraction of patients turned out to be a reliable way for all Americans to access health care services from the safety of their homes.
A new bipartisan report by the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) and Americans for Prosperity (AFP) found that over the duration of the pandemic, the costs of telehealth care fell, suggesting that in a post-pandemic world telehealth could help increase access to medical care without increasing costs.
The report, authored by PPI Director of Health Care Arielle Kane and Americans for Prosperity Health Policy Analyst Charlie Katebi, found that at the outset of the pandemic, telehealth use skyrocketed, as did costs for those who utilized it versus those who didn’t. But as time went on, the average telehealth patient spent less on health care services than the average in-person patient. In the final month of the study, telehealth patients spent 26% less than the average in-person patient. Further, when excluding the first three months of near complete lockdowns, telehealth patients had lower overall health care utilization.
Read the report here.
Learn more about the Progressive Policy Institute.
Learn more about Americans for Prosperity.