Share
Students Over Systems
Virginia Walden Ford: Opportunity Scholarships and Second Chances
On this episode of Students Over Systems, special guest Virginia Walden Ford discusses the grassroots parent advocacy movement she led which resulted in the passage of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program almost 20 years ago. Virginia lauds the past congressional advocates for the program, which provides K-12 scholarships to low-income D.C. families, and laments the repeated efforts by school choice opponents to choke off its funding. Virginia's story inspired the powerful movie, Miss Virginia; and her books, Voices, Choices, and Second Chances and School Choice: A Legacy to Keep, provide inspiration and direction for other parents seeking to expand their children’s educational choices.
--
The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.
You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect.
Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day.
Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org.
Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel.
Follow IWF on social media:
- on Twitter
- on Facebook
- on Instagram
#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues
More episodes
View all episodes
36. Louisiana Superintendent Cade Brumley: Laser Focused on Academic Achievement
30:07||Season 1, Ep. 36Under State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley's leadership, Louisiana has safely reopened schools, revamped literacy instruction, introduced new social studies standards, and prioritized academic achievement. Now, the Pelican State is poised to expand educational freedom. Dr. Brumley joins Students Over Systems to discuss the Louisiana GATOR program and plans to provide parents with state-funded education savings accounts (ESAs) to pay for their children's K-12 education expenses. Dr. Brumley also outlines the Louisiana "Let Teachers Teach" working group's recommendations for removing classroom distractions and bureaucratic burdens.--The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect. Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day. Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org. Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel. Follow IWF on social media: - on Twitter- on Facebook- on Instagram#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues35. Kelley Williams-Bolar: Jailed for Enrolling Her Children in a Nearby Public School
31:56||Season 1, Ep. 35On this episode of Students Over Systems, Kelley Williams-Bolar, an educator, mother, and No More Lines fellow, shares her story of being jailed after enrolling her children in a nearby public school. Kelley used her father's home address to enroll her daughters in a safe and high-performing school not far from her home in Akron, Ohio. The school district hired a private investigator to follow her, leading to Kelley and her father being charged with felonies for "stealing" education. Kelley's story reveals the real-life consequences of policies currently in place in 24 states that make it a crime for families to enroll their children in a public school using a shared address.--The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect. Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day. Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org. Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel. Follow IWF on social media: - on Twitter- on Facebook- on Instagram#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues34. Jamie Gass: Restoring U.S. History & Civics in America's Schools
30:51||Season 1, Ep. 34Only 13% of American eighth grade students are proficient in history and 22% are proficient in civics, according to 2022 NAEP results. The Pioneer Institute's Jamie Gass joins the podcast to discuss the past, present, and potential future of rigorous history and civics instruction as detailed in his new book, Restoring the City on a Hill: U.S. History & Civics in America's Schools. Jamie also describes research that reveals that private school students show higher levels of civic knowledge and engagement.--The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect. Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day. Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org. Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel. Follow IWF on social media: - on Twitter- on Facebook- on Instagram#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues33. Tim DeRoche: No More Lines
29:59||Season 1, Ep. 33All students should have access to any public school, regardless of their home address and government-imposed school district boundaries. Tim DeRoche, author of A Fine Line: How Most American Kids Are Kept Out of the Best Public Schools and founder of Available to All, joins the podcast to advocate for ensuring public schools are “available to all on equal terms.” Tim argues for breaking the historically discriminatory connection between housing costs, school quality, and school access.--The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect. Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day. Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org. Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel. Follow IWF on social media: - on Twitter- on Facebook- on Instagram#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues32. Shelby Doyle: Successfully Navigating Education Options
30:22||Season 1, Ep. 32Did you know that 64% of parents wish they had more information about education options for their children? Shelby Doyle with the National School Choice Awareness Foundation joins the podcast to share tips and resources for parents who are seeking alternatives to their residentially-assigned public schools. We first discuss Shelby's homeschooling experience and then review the tools available to parents at schoolchoiceweek.com, including an interactive state map, seven steps to finding the right school for your child, a "find schools near me" search engine, and questions to ask while touring schools.--The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect. Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day. Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org. Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel. Follow IWF on social media: - on Twitter- on Facebook- on Instagram#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues31. Rick Hess and Mike McShane: Education is a Handshake
49:37||Season 1, Ep. 31In their new book, Getting Education Right: A Conservative Vision for Improving Early Childhood, K–12, and College, Frederick M. Hess and Michael Q. McShane outline a principled conservative vision that could cultivate schools that are formative, flexible, and human. In this supersized Students Over Systems episode, Rick and Mike encourage conservatives to advocate for local control, tradition, and opportunity while avoiding the lure of The Next Big Thing in technocratic K-12 education policy. We discuss the extremely progressive teacher training cartel, parental responsibilities, setting clear expectations for school discipline, "grifters and lunatics" who prey on parents' frustrations, Edmund Burke's little platoons, and much more.--The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect. Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day. Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org. Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel. Follow IWF on social media: - on Twitter- on Facebook- on Instagram#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues30. Whitney Marsh: Unlocking the Extraordinary Potential of Every Kid
33:22||Season 1, Ep. 30What does it mean to truly empower and trust families to make education decisions for their children? Whitney Marsh, Director of Policy Operations at yes. every kid. Foundation, joins Students Over Systems to discuss removing boundaries that restrict where families can send their kids to school, supporting edupreneurs, and implementing effective education savings account (ESA) programs. Whitney advocates for a shift away from excessively regulating education freedom programs to trusting parents’ judgment.--The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect. Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day. Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org. Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel. Follow IWF on social media: - on Twitter- on Facebook- on Instagram#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues29. Chris and Christine Stigall: Making the Leap from the Status Quo
35:19||Season 1, Ep. 29Chris and Christine Stigall, hosts of the Herzog Foundation's Making the Leap podcast, join Students Over Systems to share how they encourage and equip parents to make choices best suited for their families. Chris and Christine (a former public school educator) discuss both their family's education choices and concerns they hear from other parents, including how some public schools have become "fancy rec centers." The Stigalls also describe the Herzog Foundation's extensive training resources for churches and educators interested in expanding or opening schools.--The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect. Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day. Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org. Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel. Follow IWF on social media: - on Twitter- on Facebook- on Instagram#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues28. Corey DeAngelis: Funding Students and Exposing Radical Teachers Unions
40:28||Season 1, Ep. 28Corey DeAngelis, senior fellow at the American Federation for Children, joins Students Over Systems to discuss the educational industrial complex, the pernicious influence of teachers unions, and the recent growth in school choice programs. Corey explains why he advises leaning into the culture wars in his upcoming book, The Parent Revolution. He also dispels a number of education freedom myths, including the assertion that school choice defunds public education.--The Students Over Systems podcast features conversations that celebrate education freedom and brighter futures. Host Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at Independent Women’s Forum, is joined by the parents and policymakers who empower families with leverage and options.You can listen to the latest Students Over Systems episode(s) here or wherever you get your podcasts. Then subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. If you are already caught up and want more, join our online community. Be sure to subscribe to our emails to ensure you’re equipped with the facts on the issues you care about most: https://iwf.org/connect. Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) believes all issues are women’s issues. IWF promotes policies that aren’t just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedoms, opportunities, and choices. IWF doesn’t just talk about problems. We identify solutions and take them straight to the playmakers and policy creators. And, as a 501(c)3, IWF educates the public about the most important topics of the day. Check out the Independent Women’s Forum website for more information on how policies impact you, your loved ones, and your community: www.iwf.org. Subscribe to IWF’s YouTube channel. Follow IWF on social media: - on Twitter- on Facebook- on Instagram#IWF #SOSPodcast #AllIssuesAreWomensIssues