Dr. Caprice Young joins Jed Wallace for a conversation about what nearly three decades in charter schools looks like from the vantage point of someone who has reinvented herself again and again — and what she thinks the movement itself now has to reinvent. Along the way: why the flexibility that made chartering worth doing...
Andrew Broy of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) joins Jed Wallace for a one-on-one conversation about how Chicago’s charter movement has held its ground against CTU, what the Indianapolis reform model means for the rest of the country, and why state associations have to evolve faster than they’ve ever evolved before. Along the...
What does it take to lead one of the nation’s most visible and influential charter school networks? In this episode of CharterFolk Chat, Jed Wallace sits down with Shannon Hodge, the new CEO of KIPP DC Public Schools, just one month into her new role. Shannon’s journey is a masterclass in preparation and purpose—from her...
Jed Wallace sits down with Alan Bersin, former Superintendent of San Diego Unified School District, for a candid conversation about education reform—past lessons, present challenges, and future possibilities. Recorded live at Jimmy Carter’s Mexican restaurant in San Diego, this discussion offers rare insights from one of the most influential and controversial education leaders of the...
Twenty years after Katrina, New Orleans has zero failing schools and a B district rating. So why do charter advocates lead with “We’re not going toward New Orleans”? Jed Wallace talks with Dana Peterson, Jerel Bryant, and Caroline Roemer about the city’s remarkable transformation, the governance framework that made it possible, and why the charter...
“No public policy is permanent.” With those five words, education reform pioneer Dr. Howard Fuller delivers a wake-up call to the charter school movement in this powerful Thanksgiving week conversation with host Jed Wallace. Drawing a stark parallel to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Fuller warns that charter school laws—despite decades of progress—could be...
MIND Trust CEO Brandon Brown shares the untold story behind Indiana’s historic 2025 legislative session that closed a $7,900 per-student funding gap for charter school students. From facing down protesters to being told he couldn’t safely enter the State House, Brandon reveals what courage in education advocacy really looks like. A powerful conversation about achieving...
From Frustrated Teacher to Hall of Fame: Chris Barbic on Building Yes Prep, Leading Tennessee’s Turnaround District, and Why Charter Schools Are Getting Their Swagger Back Charter School Hall of Fame inductee Chris Barbic joins host Jed for a candid conversation about his journey from a frustrated Teach for America teacher to one of the...
In this wide-ranging and energizing episode of CharterFolk Chat, Jed Wallace sits down with Starlee Coleman, CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, for a no-holds-barred conversation about the state of the charter school movement—and where it’s headed next. Now nine months into her role, Starlee reflects on the chaos, urgency, and opportunity...
Jed Wallace and Kevin Hall explore the evolution of the charter school movement, touching upon Hall’s extensive journey from a fourth-grade educator to a prominent figure in educational philanthropy. Hall recounts his early experiences in Compton and his founding role in Chancellor Academies, illustrating the genesis of his commitment to educational reform. The conversation further...