July 17, 2024
Coming Together on Chronic Absenteeism: Schools’ Top Priority This Year
Event Summary On July 17, AEI’s Nat Malkus was joined by Education Trust’s Denise Forte and Attendance Works’ Hedy Chang to discuss chronic absenteeism. Dr. Malkus presented chronic absenteeism data from his Return to Learn Tracker, then sat down for a fireside chat with Ms. Forte and Ms. Chang. They noted that chronic absenteeism is…
May 9, 2024
FAFSA Flop: What Is Going On with the 2024–25 Cycle?
Event Summary On May 9, AEI hosted a panel conversation with AEI’s Beth Akers and Michael Brickman, Karen McCarthy of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and Mark Kantrowitz. As experts in higher education and finance, the group discussed why the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) needed to be simplified, the…
April 9, 2024
The Case for Curriculum Reform
The education reform movement over the past few decades has focused on standardized testing, accountability, and programs to transform the teacher workforce. During this time, there was surprisingly little conversation about the often slapdash and unchallenging curricula that define many American classrooms. Could curriculum reform be the answer to some of the longest-standing questions in…
March 19, 2024
Getting K–12 Right
Event Summary On March 19, Louisiana State Superintendent Cade Brumley, Nicole Neily of Parents Defending Education, and Derrell Bradford of 50CAN joined AEI’s Frederick M. Hess and Michael Q. McShane to discuss how conservatives can lead in K–12 education and make meaningful progress on addressing contemporary challenges. The conversation drew heavily from Dr. Hess and…
February 22, 2024
Education and the Right
Event Summary On February 22, Virginia Education Secretary Aimee Rogstad Guidera interviewed AEI’s Richard Hess and Michael Q. McShane about their new book, Getting Education Right: A Conservative Vision for Improving Early Childhood, K–12, and College. Dr. Hess and Dr. McShane discussed the opportunity for the right to step forward on education issues in the aftermath…
February 8, 2024
Chronic Absenteeism After the Pandemic
Event Summary On February 8, AEI’s Nat Malkus presented on his research into post-pandemic chronic absenteeism and then discussed the phenomenon with a panel of experts. During his presentation, Dr. Malkus argued that a proper understanding of post-pandemic chronic absenteeism must consider both school pandemic closures and school pandemic responses more broadly. Dr. Malkus then…
December 12, 2023
Underserved: A Conversation with Ja’Ron Smith and Chris Pilkerton
Event Summary On December 12, AEI’s Scott Winship and former Trump administration officials Ja’Ron Smith and Chris Pilkerton discussed how policymakers can improve the lives of people in underserved communities across the country. Mr. Smith and Mr. Pilkerton began with a presentation connecting President Abraham Lincoln’s opportunity agenda with traditional conservative economic philosophy. They explained…
October 17, 2023
Measuring Value in Higher Education
Event Description As Republicans and Democrats on the Hill and in state legislatures nationwide seek to address the rising debt burden facing college graduates, new focus has been placed on institutions of higher learning and how well they prepare graduates for entering the workforce and paying off accrued debt. This event explores the prospect of…
October 3, 2023
A Way Forward for School Reform: A Conversation with Frederick M. Hess and Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan
A decade ago, for better or worse, education improvement was widely seen as a bipartisan cause. Today, fights over schooling are increasingly polarized. Are there opportunities for principled agreement on action regarding choice, teacher pay, parental involvement, the teaching of American history, or much else? Join AEI’s Frederick M. Hess, former US Secretary of Education…
September 27, 2023
A Conversation with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on the Lowering Education Costs and Debt Act
As the Biden administration continues to push massive and controversial overhauls of America’s federal student loan system, Republican lawmakers have put forward a broader vision for higher education reform. The proposed reforms seek to address the underlying causes of the student debt crisis and target core challenges facing the United States’ higher education system. Join…