American Center for
Transforming Education

The mission of Discovery Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education is to work with state government policymakers, parents, educators, business leaders, and other education stakeholders to transform our nation’s education system. We advocate for policies that empower parents, promote innovation, and equip students with the skills, knowledge, and character necessary to thrive as citizens in their communities and as contributors to our increasingly competitive economy. ⋮ Read More.

Blog

A Winning Strategy

_{American Center for Transforming Education
December 13, 2024
2
School Choice}

The teacher union-controlled K-12 public education monopoly is not only failing to educate students but is promoting radical gender ideology, Critical Race Theory, and an anti-American worldview to American children.

Blacks Need High Quality Education, Not a DEI Agenda

_{Walter Myers III
December 11, 2024
5
Education Policy}

John Deere, Harley-Davidson, Ford Motor Company, and other major corporations are backtracking on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and returning to hiring based on merit. Make no mistake. A work environment featuring diverse ideas and opinions is highly conducive to success. Similarly, it is important to have a work culture that includes all players on the team. But most often, DEI is focused on prioritizing race and sexual orientation over the applicable criteria of merit. This DEI agenda is problematic. Some people counter that the “E” in DEI implies a commitment to equitable outcomes in addition to equal opportunity. In other words, equality of opportunity is insufficient — certain predetermined outcomes must also be realized. To illustrate …

Universities Need to Stop Coddling Students with Canceled Classes

_{Keri D. Ingraham and Peter Biles
December 9, 2024
4
Higher Education}

As just the latest example of elite universities coddling students, classes were canceled following the election result of Donald Trump’s victory, allowing students time and space to cope. At Harvard University, some professors “canceled their Wednesday classes, made attendance optional, or extended assignment deadlines,” while others offered safe spaces for students. Multiple Princeton University professors canceled classes the day following the election, and one professor told students later that week they could “leave if they could not emotionally handle participating.” According to National Review, Princeton University Health Services provided “Post-Election Listening Circles” for students. Georgetown …

Time to Pull the Plug on the Department of Education

_{Donald Nielsen
December 6, 2024
4
Education Policy}

Whether ecstatic or demoralized about the recent election, Americans should all welcome a fresh review of how the federal government carries out its work. For too long, the massive federal bureaucracy has been allowed to grow while becoming less and less efficient in how it spends tax dollars. In fact, it would be an exercise in futility to name any government program in anyone’s lifetime that achieved its intended goals in the time frame predicted and within the budget allocated. This reinforces the principle that the government should be the last option to fix a problem, not the first. Perhaps the most glaring example of government ineffectiveness is the Department of Education (ED). Established near the end of the Carter Administration in October 1979 when Congress passed …

A Special Evening Celebrating the Recent Victories & Advancements in K-12 Education

_{American Center for Transforming Education
November 21, 2024
1
School Choice}

Earlier this week, nearly 90 people attended a special American Center for Transforming Education event hosted by friends of Discovery Institute, Dr. Gregory and LaFon Jantz, at their home in Woodway, Washington. The evening kicked off with a time of appetizers and lively socializing, followed by an elegant dinner, all generously provided by the hosts. As attendees dined, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow and Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, Keri Ingraham, provided highlights and accomplishments that occurred over the past few years. She outlined each of the five aspects of the American Center for Transforming Education’s approach to K-12 education transformation: education freedom, education entrepreneurship, education innovation, parental rights, …

A Remedy for California’s Destructive Ethnic Studies Curriculum

_{Walter Myers III
November 21, 2024
5
Curriculum}

The state of California passed a law in 2021 requiring all students graduating from high school in the 2029-2030 school year to take at least one semester of ethnic studies. The intent, per the state’s California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, is to encourage cultural understanding of the struggles of equality, equity, justice, racism, ethnicity, and bigotry that have been prevalent throughout the history of America. Even though the state offers a model curriculum, it allows school districts to develop their own curriculum, or they can adopt an existing ethnic studies course. The Independent Institute’s Center for Education Excellence, led by Dr. Williamson Evers, has created the turnkey Comparative Cultures Ethnic Studies curriculum that school …

Video

Keri D. Ingraham Discusses Protecting Girls’ Sports & Privacy on Victory News

_{American Center for Transforming Education
October 18, 2024
Education}

Keri Ingraham appeared on Victory News live on Wednesday, October 16 to address the importance of protecting girls’ privacy in public spaces, the gross mismanagement of finances in Chicago public schools, the failure of the Democrat Party to support school choice, and the work of Discovery Institute’s American Center for Transforming … https://victorynews.govictory.com/episode/victory-news-4-p-m-ct-october-16-2024/

Keri D. Ingraham Discusses Education Freedom on The Bill Walton Show

_{American Center for Transforming Education
September 27, 2024
Education}

Keri D. Ingraham appeared on The Bill Walton Show to discuss the booming education freedom movement. Together, Ingraham and Walton explore the history of public education and its roots in progressivism, how public education is failing to teach students basic skills, the ways critical race theory has infiltrated the classroom, the explosion of classical education, and much … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN46ydrn62A&list=PLtjjSgnG984O9cZ9Q6guDob2mqHYtgx5H

Keri D. Ingraham Discusses Flaws in the American Education System on Futures Edge

_{American Center for Transforming Education
July 16, 2024
Education}

On Futures Edge, hosted by Jim Iuorio and Bob Iaccino, Dr. Keri D. Ingraham discusses the flaws in the American education system that are holding our students and our country back from a successful and thriving … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXz0mCoNBsQ

Audio Podcasts

Keri D. Ingraham Discusses the Most Important Issues in K-12 Education on the Humanize Podcast

_{American Center for Transforming Education
October 29, 2024
1
School Choice}

Keri D. Ingraham appeared on this week’s episode of the Humanize Podcast, hosted by Wesley J. Smith. Together, they discuss the importance of education for human dignity and freedom and the problems facing American K-12 education today, including how bureaucracy is impeding student success, the indoctrination happening in the classrooms, the incredible power of teachers unions, the problems of technology, and more. Listen to this important conversation …

Keri D. Ingraham Discusses Education Freedom & Homeschooling on This Golden Hour Podcast

_{American Center for Transforming Education
October 28, 2024
1
School Choice}

Keri D. Ingraham appeared on This Golden Hour Podcast on October 24, 2024 to discuss the exciting progress of education freedom — how COVID-19 changed the way parents view their children’s education, the many models available to parents and students who want out of the traditional public education system, homeschooling, and how states like Arizona have provided Education Savings Accounts to allow every student the ability to choose their educational path. Listen to this wide-ranging conversation HERE. You can find out more about This Golden Hour Podcast on their …

Keri D. Ingraham Discusses Indoctrination and Innovation in Our Schools with Carrie Abbott

_{American Center for Transforming Education
August 9, 2024
1
Indoctrination}

Dr. Keri D. Ingraham appears on The Carrie Abbot Show to discuss the indoctrination occurring in our K-12 public schools, and the ill effects it has on our students and our country. They also explore the solution, which Dr. Ingraham suggests is found in innovations to our education system.

More Podcasts …