1 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Welcome back to a Numbers Game with Ryan Grodowski. I 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: want to thank you all for joining me yet again. 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: I have some big news to share. Because of your support, 4 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: many of you have subscribed or you're planning to after 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: you hear this episode and giving me a five star 6 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: review on Apple or Spotify, or you're planning to after 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: this episode, I can announce that beginning next week, this 8 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: podcast will go to two days a week instead of 9 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: just once. I'm very excited. It's a lot of work, 10 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: but I'm here because I want to bring you all 11 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: the numbers behind the narratives, and I want you to 12 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: be able to form a different opinion than what you're 13 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: just hearing on the news or social media. So I hope, 14 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: I hope that beginning next week, you'll join me twice 15 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: a week beginning in April, and once again, please like 16 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: and subscribe this podcast. It really really means a lot 17 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: to get us out there, and hopefully you will never 18 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: miss an episode twice a week starting the April. The 19 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: April episodes. Speaking of episodes, let's let's get to this one. 20 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy two, Alice Cooper sang the lyrics of 21 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: his most famous and iconic song schools out for the summer, 22 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: Schools out forever. And on March twentieth, twenty twenty five, 23 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: President Donald Trump signed an executive order saying the Department 24 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: of Education is out forever. Yes, President Donald Trump's on 25 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: the executive order directing the Education Secretary Linda McMahon to 26 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,199 Speaker 1: begin dismantling the Department of Education. Now, I was walking 27 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: in the park with my best friend, who's a school 28 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: teacher and a pretty conservative Republican and a Trump supporter, 29 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: and he said that he's nervous over what happens when 30 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: the department ends, What happens when it starts dismantling, what 31 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: happens to the federal money and what's supposed to go 32 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: to districts for things like special education. Who's going to 33 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: be handling student loan debt? And then I have older 34 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: relatives who are very conservative, and they're like, this will 35 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: end far left wocism in our schools and we won't 36 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: be behind other countries in math and reading anymore. And 37 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: I think that it's important in a time of big 38 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: change to take us step back and evaluate the data. 39 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: Where are we, what are we doing, and where are 40 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: we going? I want to remind listeners that in the 41 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: last four years, I founded the nation's largest super pac 42 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: dedicated to electing conservatives to school boards, the seventeen seventy 43 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: six Project Pack. We supported hundreds of people across the country. 44 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: So this is a very important issue that I'm actually 45 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: decently informed on on America's education, and I hate the 46 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: fact that people bring it down to talking points because 47 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: I think that there's a lot that we could do 48 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: to improve education if we just really worked on it, 49 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: and I think the first step is to understanding it. 50 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: So first, what is the state of America's education? This 51 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: is an important part of the equation because both people 52 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: on the left and the right of the political ais'll 53 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: say that education and I'm talking about like K through twelve, 54 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about college, but that K through twelve 55 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: education is just blatantly failing our kids, and that we 56 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: spend the most money in the world, and that we're 57 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: way behind everybody else. Are we that's the question, are 58 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 1: we actually behind the rest of the world. This narrative 59 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: that America is behind the rest of the globe comes 60 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: from an international study called the Program for International Student 61 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: Assessment or PISA. It's run by an intergovernmental organization, the 62 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: Organization for Economic Co Cooperation and Development. If you don't 63 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: need to know that, if you need to know about PISA. 64 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: PISA evaluate six hundred and ninety fifteen year olds on 65 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,119 Speaker 1: their scholastic ability from different participating countries in a two 66 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: hour long test and engages their skills in math, science 67 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: and reading. Now, the important part of that sentence is 68 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: participating countries, because all countries do not participate in the 69 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: PISA and the international studies that sit there and say 70 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: who's up and who's down. For instance, India, the second 71 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: largest nation in the world, does not participate. The last 72 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: time they did was in two thousand and nine and 73 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: they scored second to last. So they chose not to 74 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: do it ever again. And I think it was actually 75 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: just two of their most educated providences the tests, and 76 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: they still scored second to last, I think, behind Kazakhstan. 77 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: Aside from India, almost all of China, I think, except 78 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: for one or two provinces, do not take the exam. Russia, 79 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Bangladesh, Syria, almost the entire continent 80 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: of Africa, and a lot of South and Central America. 81 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: Pockets of South and Central America also do not participate 82 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: in the test, so when we say it's a global test, 83 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: it's missing most of the world's population. Only eighty one 84 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:32,559 Speaker 1: of one hundred and ninety five countries in the last 85 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two tests participated. So according to the twenty 86 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: twenty two PISA numbers, the United States ranked ninth in 87 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: the world on reading, just behind Canada and ahead of 88 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: New Zealand. We rank sixteenth in science, ahead of Poland 89 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: and right behind Great Britain. And our worst score was 90 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: a math where we're actually behind international averages for thirty fourth, 91 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: behind Malta and ahead of Slovakia in every category. All 92 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: top ten countries are either from East Asia, Europe, or 93 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 1: North America, with Singapore coming in first in every category. 94 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: From twenty to twenty twenty two. The best years the 95 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: US scored internationally in reading and science was in twenty 96 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 1: twenty two. Like, we's gotten better over this time, but 97 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: we have fallen behind in math pretty significantly. Now, what 98 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: I'm going to say next is extremely politically incorrect and 99 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: very sensitive, but it is a reason, it is a 100 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: very very very important reason why our test scores look 101 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: different than other developed countries, and that is the racial 102 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: gap in outcomes and the racial gap in testing. From 103 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: two thousand and three to twenty fifteen, white and Asian 104 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: students basically scored close to the same number in math 105 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: around five hundred points. Hispanic students scored four forty, and 106 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: black students were close to four fifteen. In reading, once again, 107 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: whites and Asians were close to the same around five 108 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty points, depending on the year. From two 109 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: thousand and three to twenty fifteen, Hispanics were four sixty 110 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: and climbing. I mean, his span numbers have been getting 111 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: up in that, but they still lag, and so do 112 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: Blacks with around four hundred and forty. The same is 113 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: also true for science. So in the PISA score in 114 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, split the races up Americans races and 115 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:23,600 Speaker 1: compare them to other countries. Asian Americans outperform all other 116 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: Asian majority nations outside Singapore. White Americans did better than 117 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: every white majority country. Hispanic Americans outperformed all Latin Americans, 118 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: all Latin countries Latino majority countries. Black Americans outperformed all 119 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: Black and Caribbean majority countries. Our diversity brings us down 120 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: though in overall testing when you parse through the data. 121 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: But Americans are not at the bottom of the barrel, 122 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: not by close. Asian Americans score the second highest in 123 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: the world, as I said, only behind Singapore, and white 124 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 1: Americans are seventh in the world, and one of the 125 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: six ahead of them are Asian am Just Singapore, Japan, 126 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: Taiwan and the one province in China really score ahead 127 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: of them. I think it's important to highlight when discussing 128 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: the United States, how the United States States competes globally. 129 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 1: It's not that our education system is perfect in any 130 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: stretch of the imagination, but we are not ranking low 131 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 1: globally as some people suggest. It's just not true. But 132 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: let's get to the states. When it comes to ranking 133 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: how individual states performed, We're going to look at something 134 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: called the National Assessment for Educational Progress otherwise known as 135 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: the neap IT test kids in fourth and eighth grade reading, 136 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: and it just came out in January their annual review. 137 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: Our best states were reading a math and both fourth 138 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: and eighth grade is Massachusetts, with Florida, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Utah, 139 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: New Jersey, Colorado, Connecticut, and Minnesota all making the top 140 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: five in either fourth or eighth grade reading, which states 141 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: performed the worst though, and that is New Mexico. Mexico 142 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: is in dead last in every category, with other states 143 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: like West Virginia, Alaska, Oregon, Arkansas, Alabama, Delaware, and Oklahoma 144 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: also making the top five worst performing academic states in 145 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: either fourth or eighth grade either reading or math. I 146 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: mentioned Massachusetts was number one in all categories, but what 147 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: does that look like? It means that in the fourth grade, 148 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: forty one percent of Massachusetts fourth graders were reading at 149 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: or above proficiency level, with fifteen percent being advanced. Fifty 150 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,560 Speaker 1: nine percent, though, were behind, with thirty two percent being 151 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 1: severely behind. That's our best state is where one in 152 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: three are severely behind. And the eighth grade math, thirteen 153 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,599 Speaker 1: percent of students were advanced, but over sixty percent of 154 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: students were either behind or severely behind proficiency. Once again, 155 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: that's our best state. The twenty twenty four NEAP scores 156 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 1: show us that the COVID lockdowns devastated students. The percentage 157 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: of students base below basic reading levels grew two thirty 158 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: three percent, the highest in thirty years. And while some 159 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: students who are top achievers are still top achieving. Remember 160 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: when they do the math Olympics, the math Olympiads, whatever 161 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: it's called. I was never invited to it. But the 162 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: math Olympics, America is always competing and we're winning a lot. 163 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: So it's not like we don't have high performing students. 164 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,319 Speaker 1: We still do. They're still doing well. It's that kids 165 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: that were on the cusp have fallen behind, and those 166 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:28,719 Speaker 1: that were already failing are now way behind. They're at 167 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: historic lows. Basically, the median has declined because those on 168 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 1: the bottom have fallen further from the bottom, while those 169 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: at the top end are still performing. While they're still 170 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: they're still getting the grades. In fourth grade reading, students 171 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:50,599 Speaker 1: who score below basic and AEP levels proficiency levels cannot 172 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: sequence events from a story or describe the effects of 173 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: a character's actions. In eighth grade, students who score below 174 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: basic can basic comprehension, cannot to determine a main idea 175 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:05,719 Speaker 1: of a text or identifying differing sides of arguments. And 176 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: while there are some improvements in math, it wasn't enough 177 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 1: to offset what was lost in reading. Part of what's 178 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: fueling this crisis is the percentage of kids chronically missing 179 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: school has skyrocketed, with nearly a third of kids missing 180 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: at least three days in the last month, and that 181 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: brings me to my original premise with kids falling behind. 182 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: Not in the rest of the world, not as bad 183 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: as people sit there and say, but they are falling 184 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: behind in America, especially since COVID. What does it mean 185 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: for education? As President Trump is preparing to close the 186 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: Department of Education, many parents are worthy that these services 187 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 1: that provided by the government will be cut and that 188 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: states won't be able to do States will be able 189 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 1: to do whatever they want, so like blue states will 190 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: be hardcore left wing socialism and red states will teach 191 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: you that dinosaurs and humans walk the earth two thousand 192 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: years ago. I think that in order to take a 193 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 1: breath and have a break from that kind of rhetoric, 194 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: it's important to realize what the Education Department Education does 195 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: and doesn't do. The doees primary function is to provide 196 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: financial aid to students, collect data on American schools, make 197 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: recommendations on educational form, and enforce anti discrimination laws. The 198 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: Department of Education does not set curricula, it doesn't set 199 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: national standards, and it doesn't make academic standards. Anyone telling 200 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: you that all woke ideologies coming out of this bureaucracy 201 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: in Washington, DC is not telling you the truth. There 202 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: have been suggestions it's made, there's been recommendations that it's made, 203 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:35,559 Speaker 1: it's attached to some aid. But everything that is primarily 204 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,439 Speaker 1: happening in your kid's school, including standardized testing, is at 205 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: the discretion of the states, the school board, the administrators, 206 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: and the individual teachers. So what's going to happen with 207 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: its shutting down? Secretary McMahon did an interview with Face 208 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: the Nation where she said the department's going to move 209 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: its primary functions to other departments. She said that the 210 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: oversight over special needs education moved to the Department of 211 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: Health and Human Services. Small Business Administration will take over 212 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: federal student loans, she said she believes will actually cut 213 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:06,599 Speaker 1: red tape and make and make it so schools and 214 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 1: needy students will get money faster than they had the 215 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: Department of Education. For those who can't imagine a country 216 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:16,439 Speaker 1: without a Department of Education, I think it's important to 217 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: remember that we didn't have one until nineteen seventy nine, 218 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,679 Speaker 1: when President Carter created it as a gift to the 219 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: teachers union for backing him in the last election. The 220 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,680 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy six election. In certain parts of the federal 221 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: government's functions on education predates the creation of the Department 222 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: of Education. Like Title I, Title nine, the Education for 223 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: All Handicapped Children Act, data collection, all that happened way 224 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 1: before Carter created the Department nineteen seventy nine. While I 225 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: imagine there could be some disruption the immediate change, with 226 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: federal departments shifting gears and different departments taking over new 227 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: roles that were part of the DIE, I don't think 228 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: there's going to be fundamental change that people think someone 229 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 1: will dole out money for Title I, some department will 230 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: protect Title nine. Most of this issue of education will 231 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: remain local. In all of my experience of the seventeen 232 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,959 Speaker 1: seventy six project packs speaking to literally hundreds of school 233 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 1: board members and parents and educators and everybody, there's a 234 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: lot to do on education that's essential. We need to 235 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: tackle the accreditation system. We need to have alternative associations 236 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: for school board members. We need to review the technology 237 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: that comes into classrooms and sells your kids data. We 238 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 1: need to address the safety concerns, and we need to 239 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 1: focus on the science of reading and math and not 240 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: about teaching that American history is something to be ashamed of. 241 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: That's what's essential. That's not coming out of the Department. 242 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: That's going to be your local swamp, not the swamp 243 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 1: in Washington, DC. You're listening to It's a numbers game 244 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: with Ryan Grodowsky. We'll be right back with me this week. 245 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,680 Speaker 1: Is my friend and colleague Aidan Bazzetti. He runs the 246 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: nonprofit that I sit on the board of, the seventeen 247 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: seventy sixth Foundation. Aidan, thank you. 248 00:13:57,280 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 2: For being here, thank you for having me on run 249 00:13:59,480 --> 00:13:59,839 Speaker 2: of course. 250 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: So Aiden, let's start with the Department of Education. It's 251 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: ending or it's closing stores. Trump can't end it by 252 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: executive order, but he's dismantling it. What do you think 253 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: the biggest impact, if any, will have on the local 254 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: school districts. 255 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 3: I think the majority of the impact on school districts 256 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 3: in particular will be fairly limited to the grants, with 257 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 3: a lot of these DEI initiatives attached to them. In 258 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 3: the first place, a lot of the department's activities focused 259 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 3: on loans and a state in local funding accounts for 260 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,479 Speaker 3: the vast majority, over eighty percent of funding. 261 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 2: For school districts. 262 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 3: So I think as they start winding down certain programs 263 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 3: in the Department, that we'll see less of an incentive 264 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 3: for school districts to pursue equity policies and resort of 265 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 3: justice policies that were tied to federal grants. 266 00:14:58,160 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 2: But that's about it. 267 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: What like, can you and if you don't know any 268 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 1: top of your head, then that's fine, but do you 269 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: know of any equity policies that the government spends on? 270 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 2: Well? 271 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 3: Federal prior administration, they listed equity as one of the 272 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 3: broader requirements for all federal grants coming out of the 273 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 3: Department and then and some of them had more specific initiatives. 274 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 3: I wouldn't be able to name all of them, but 275 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 3: it is not uncommon for the federal fundings to have 276 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 3: grants focused on equity or reviewing disciplinary practices with a 277 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 3: focus on resort of justice. 278 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 2: And things like that. But those are mostly holdovers from 279 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 2: the Bible. 280 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: That's what happened under Obama, right. 281 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 3: And a lot of it did begin under the Obama 282 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 3: administration and then continued with the Biden administration. 283 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: Well, specifically with the restorative justice. There was this old 284 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: liberal notion that there was a pipeline prison to school 285 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: pipeline that basically, you know, like the liberal reddick was 286 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: like a black kid got detention once and now he's 287 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: spending life in jail for smoking marijuana. Like this was 288 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 1: like the overall all ridiculous narrative they were putting out. 289 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 1: It wasn't exactly true, but the restorative justice thing that 290 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: you're talking about was they were saying, if a student 291 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: is Hispanic or black, because there's a higher percentage of 292 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: them to their overall population and in prison, to be 293 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: more leanient on them. And this is like the famous 294 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: case now is the was it Sandy Hook shooting? Great, No, 295 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: it wasn't Sandy Hook. It was the one in Florida, 296 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: the Stone Stone Douglas Yes Memorial, whatever it was that 297 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: was in Brower County shooting. That was the case where 298 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: the student had multiple, multiple, multiple infractures, including bringing dead 299 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: pets to school, talking about abusing animals, talking about you know, 300 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: attacking other kids, and it was never They had no 301 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: disciplinary records. So when he went to go buy a gun, 302 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: there was no there was nothing for cops. Is that 303 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: they're in flag and say, oh, this kid could be 304 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: a problem because there was all brushed on the rug. 305 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: So that way, if he went on to be arrested 306 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: for something lighter later on, there would be no record 307 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: or that he had a history of problematic behavior or anything. 308 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 3: And that philosophy, unfortunately happens across hundreds, hopefully not thousands, 309 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:29,120 Speaker 3: but potentially thousands of school districts where they intentionally decide 310 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 3: not to punish students oftentimes or due to their ethnicity, 311 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 3: because they're worried about some kind of disparate impact or 312 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 3: suspensions leading to a lifetime of them in prison for 313 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 3: whatever particular reason. And that's one of the problems that 314 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 3: schools are dealing with now, just these massive disciplinary issues 315 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 3: with their students. It's something that we found everybody cares about, 316 00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 3: whether they're a parent or a teacher or a student, 317 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,159 Speaker 3: the disciplinary situation, and a lot of schools across the 318 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 3: US School. 319 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:05,400 Speaker 2: Of War right now. 320 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 1: You know, we before Aiden ran the seventeen seventies foundation, 321 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: he worked for me at the seventeen seventy six Project 322 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: Pack and we would Aiden was in charge of like 323 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: meeting all the people who wanted to run for office. 324 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: So he has talked to thousands of people about local education, 325 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: which is he was a godsend for me for taking 326 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 1: that on for me. But what what what would shock 327 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:36,440 Speaker 1: us often is how many red states and red districts 328 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: had this problem. There was one in Florida, Super Republican County. 329 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: Now I'm thinking of it Red Red Rivers, Red River 330 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 1: or something like that River County. I forget Indian River, 331 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 1: Indian River, Indian River, Florida. Yes, Aiden is also got 332 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: the only part of a brain that's working because mind 333 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:57,959 Speaker 1: doesn't anymore. Indian River, Florida. They had this. They had 334 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: a desperate, intersperate impact on on students based on the race. 335 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:05,479 Speaker 1: It wasn't it wasn't that the case, right, Aiden, It 336 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 1: was it. 337 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 2: Was racially based. 338 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,439 Speaker 3: They wanted so if you were, they wanted to do 339 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 3: a one to one ratio on disciplinary infractions based on 340 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 3: the race of the students. So and I think that 341 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 3: that district had a had a higher proportion of minority students, 342 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 3: so functionally it would mean that they would punish the 343 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 3: non non minority students more or the minority populations less. 344 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 1: Overall, it's an Asian specifically more than blacks and Hispanics. 345 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 1: It was. It was crazy, but it happens in red 346 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 1: districts too. You know, you talked to I said before 347 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: you talked to thousands of people who running for school 348 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,439 Speaker 1: board to care local education. What's in your opinion, the 349 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 1: biggest misunderstanding in terms of rhetoric coming from talking heads 350 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: both liberal and conservative, to what actually frustrates teachers and princes, 351 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: bulls and parents at school boards. 352 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think on the conservative side, especially because of 353 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 3: what a lot of parents saw during the pandemic, they 354 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 3: have a large scaled mistrust or distrust in teachers and administrators. 355 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 3: And what we found is that especially in states like Louisiana, 356 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 3: who I think it was the only state really that 357 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 3: defied the general decline in education in the United States, 358 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 3: they actually gave more flexibility to teachers in the classroom. 359 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 2: So they had they. 360 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 3: Overhauled their curriculum, but they also allowed the teachers to 361 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 3: be a little more flexible and how they taught that 362 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 3: curriculum in addition to providing other services. But a lot 363 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 3: of teachers rebel on very strict rules, which is fine, 364 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 3: and a lot of parents don't understand that. But I 365 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 3: also think that in general, people don't understand just how 366 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 3: much the school board and the individual member and the 367 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 3: administrators run the day to day operations and set those policies. 368 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:09,399 Speaker 3: Just because, for example, President Trump is doing all of 369 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 3: this action and setting out all these executive orders regarding 370 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,479 Speaker 3: the Department of Education does not mean that the issue 371 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 3: has gone away. It has always been a local problem, 372 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 3: and people need to understand that it's going to take 373 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 3: local solutions to root out a lot of these devisive issues. 374 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 1: Right, And I think that that's you mentioned it before, 375 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 1: mentioned it in your answer. Administrators and the frustration around 376 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 1: administrators is what I would always hear the most often 377 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: about people who are unelected, hired by hired by superintendents 378 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: to sit there and make broad decision that really impacts teachers' 379 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 1: ability to teach in the classroom, and that would seem 380 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: overwhelmingly frustrating that no one really ever talked about. People 381 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:58,920 Speaker 1: think it's always like the teachers being like the super 382 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: progressive ones when act is I would say nine times 383 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: out of ten administrators making teachers do things they don't 384 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:05,679 Speaker 1: really want to do. 385 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:10,120 Speaker 3: That's why having school members who know how to oversee 386 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 3: the superintendent and the administrators is so important, because the 387 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:18,400 Speaker 3: superintendent is basically the CEO of a school district. They're 388 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,440 Speaker 3: doing most of the day to day work school members 389 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:27,439 Speaker 3: in their current form do oversight. They're basically the board 390 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 3: of directors, right, so they can set the policies and 391 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 3: make sure the school district is going in the right direction. 392 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 3: But the superintendent has a lot of flexibility and if 393 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,439 Speaker 3: you have the wrong person then they can lead to 394 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 3: a lot of damage, all the trickling all the way. 395 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:42,920 Speaker 2: Through the system. 396 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: I like the way you put that. Yeah, in school districts, 397 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: school boards hire the superintendents or renew their contracts. What 398 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: is from talking to parents, what is the biggest concerns 399 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: in local education today? 400 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,440 Speaker 3: I think the number one The biggest concern that we've 401 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 3: seen is concern over school safety, not just from outside 402 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 3: threats but inside threats as well, but also generally students 403 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,719 Speaker 3: can't read, and I think more parents are waking up 404 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 3: to the fact that their children can't read, and that's concerning. 405 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 2: I mean, we have to be able to read. 406 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 3: We're very society and talking earlier about the school to 407 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 3: prison pipeline. If your kids can't read, they're more likely 408 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 3: to commit crime and end up in jail. So I 409 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 3: think there's a broader awareness now with parents that one, 410 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 3: schools aren't as safe as they used to be. 411 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:44,360 Speaker 2: Or should be. 412 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 3: And two that schools by and large are starting to fail, 413 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:53,920 Speaker 3: that we have had and poor performance. 414 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:58,400 Speaker 1: And we're not even in a situation where the kids 415 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: are too big to get inside the school. Well, like, 416 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: what is this a school for ants? How can the 417 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: children learn to read if they can't inside the building? 418 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,399 Speaker 1: That's from Zoolander If anyone's under the age of twenty 419 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 1: five and has never seen the movie anyway, But yeah, 420 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: I can really agree with that. But what are what 421 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:21,679 Speaker 1: are the obstacles to innovation for most Let's say you 422 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 1: have a great person who's that wants to run for 423 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: school board, they get elected, what are the biggest obstacles 424 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 1: in the hurdles that we always see that you're hearing 425 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 1: now from running the foundation, that that school board members, 426 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: well intentioned ones who want to do the right thing, 427 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 1: are are dealing with. 428 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:42,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's that's an interesting question. I think I would 429 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:47,360 Speaker 3: say from a structural standpoint, the education community has dealt 430 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 3: with a lot of fads over the last couple of decades, 431 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:52,399 Speaker 3: fads that haven't. 432 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 1: Necessarily talk about some of these fads. 433 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 2: I mean, well, we used to teach site learning. 434 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:00,399 Speaker 3: Yeah, we used to teach teachers, you know, three queuing 435 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 3: where they would point out, you know, the word on 436 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 3: the page and connected with a picture, and we know 437 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 3: that doesn't work. It was the subject of a lot 438 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 3: of debates several decades ago, but a lot of teachers 439 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:15,880 Speaker 3: still use it. So there are parts of the education 440 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,160 Speaker 3: system and teachers colleges that are still using outdated methods. 441 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 3: But because because those stuff around so long and we're 442 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 3: so damaging, there's also some resistance in the community or 443 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 3: the communities that are focused on education reform to looking 444 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:34,960 Speaker 3: at new opportunities as well. 445 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 2: So that's a little bit of a wait. 446 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 1: So what Aiden, wait? Wait, So what Aiden is talking 447 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: about right now is in the two thousands we have 448 00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: you said something called phonics and a lot of classrooms 449 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: back in the eighties and nineties, and then in the 450 00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: two thousands, Bush was all about phonics, and because Bush 451 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: was evil, you know, to a lot of liberals, a 452 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: lot of liberals embrace and then called site learning, which 453 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:59,880 Speaker 1: is what Aidan mentioned, and that's basically where kids would 454 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: marize the word and that's how they would apply, but 455 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 1: they wouldn't actually learn the building blocks of sentence structure 456 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,400 Speaker 1: and word structure. It was a terrible form we put 457 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,199 Speaker 1: it in all the teachers colleges. We've adopted it in 458 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:16,640 Speaker 1: most of our states. It set kids back tremendously in reading, 459 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: and teachers colleges, as Aiden said, still do it. Teachers 460 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: colleges are the root of so many educational issues, teachers 461 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: colleges and teachers' unions because the teacher's colleges are the 462 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:34,200 Speaker 1: wild progressive places and the unions are what, in my opinion, 463 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: forward a lot of innovation because unions represent their workers, 464 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: they don't represent their students. 465 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 2: That's true. 466 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 3: And you know, Florida's done something interesting that they've started 467 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 3: to I think they passed the bill that required teachers 468 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 3: unions to recertify, so it gives the individual teachers and 469 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:55,399 Speaker 3: the district a little bit more power on whether or 470 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:57,239 Speaker 3: not they want to affiliate with the union. And then 471 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 3: if they don't hit a certain threshold, then that you 472 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 3: and has to dissolve. So that's one way that Florida 473 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 3: in particular has been pushing back on right teachers unions, 474 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 3: which has been really interesting to see. But yeah, the 475 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:12,639 Speaker 3: teachers unions, they defend their interests, which is you know, 476 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:17,639 Speaker 3: really the union administrators, not necessarily the teachers, which I 477 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:21,200 Speaker 3: think has been problems with the problem with a lot 478 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 3: of these. 479 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 2: Public secuity unions. In the first place. 480 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 3: They have they haven't really pushed for substantive reform. They 481 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 3: want to make sure that teachers are protected in their jobs. 482 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 3: So when conservatives try to fix the system by introducing 483 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 3: a little bit more personal accountability for teachers, they start 484 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:41,919 Speaker 3: screaming and fight really hard against it. 485 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: If you were advising a school board, let's say all 486 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,399 Speaker 1: five members were or seven members, whatever the member is, 487 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:52,439 Speaker 1: were elected and came to you and said, hey, we 488 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,199 Speaker 1: want you to help us change. What are three things 489 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 1: a local government could do a local school board could 490 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: do to make their education better. And I know everything's 491 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,360 Speaker 1: personalized and different, but an overall thing. 492 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good question. 493 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 3: I think the first thing that we're actually starting to 494 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:12,159 Speaker 3: see now is I would tell them to do a 495 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:16,520 Speaker 3: comprehensive overview on what exactly is in their curriculum and 496 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:18,840 Speaker 3: how much are they paying people to pull it together. 497 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 3: A lot of these school boards have massive budgets, sometimes 498 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,399 Speaker 3: in billions and billions of dollars, so making sure that 499 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 3: they know where the money is going and what exactly 500 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 3: they're paying for is very important. 501 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:35,880 Speaker 2: When you're looking at the progress of the school district. 502 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 3: I would also inform them to set up a way 503 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 3: to track progress with the superintendent and introduce a little 504 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 3: bit more administrative accountability. Like I said before, the superintendent 505 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 3: really is the CEO and the board is just there 506 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 3: to make sure that everything stays on track. But I 507 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 3: think that they can really introduce a culture of accountability 508 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 3: and progress that. 509 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 2: A lot of school districts don't have. 510 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 3: And the third thing is I would make sure that 511 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 3: the school board actually engages parents on a regular basis. 512 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 3: That's not necessarily strictly a policy change, but having printal 513 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 3: input in the school board is extremely important, especially now 514 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 3: because so many people don't trust public schools. And if 515 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 3: you're able to engage parents and see how certain policies 516 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 3: affect the day to day lives of those families and 517 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 3: their kids, then you'll be able to get a really 518 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:37,080 Speaker 3: good handle on what exactly is and isn't working district. 519 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: So what does the seventeen seventy six Foundation do? What 520 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:44,960 Speaker 1: is your goal from the non. 521 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, so our goal on a nonprofit is to really 522 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 3: form a foundation for the turning school districts around in 523 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 3: a positive way. 524 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 2: We have. 525 00:29:57,040 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 3: When I was working with the seventeen seventy six Project 526 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 3: Pack and I was talking with parents and school board 527 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 3: candidates from coast to coast across the country, we found 528 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 3: that basically everybody is dealing with the same problems. It differs, 529 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:13,080 Speaker 3: of course from state to state depending on the laws there, 530 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 3: but broadly speaking, everyone is dealing with the same issues. 531 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 3: And so our goal is to get school board members 532 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 3: from across the country connected. We want to get them 533 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 3: mentorship and start providing them resources to actually turn their 534 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,600 Speaker 3: school districts around and take that successful model and make 535 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 3: sure other people. 536 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:31,360 Speaker 2: Can adopt it as well. 537 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:33,840 Speaker 1: Aiden, that's great. Where can people go to read more 538 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: about what your stuff and the foundation? 539 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I would visit the Foundation's website Foundation seventeen 540 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 3: seventy six dot org and you can follow me on 541 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 3: Twitter at Aiden Ai d E N. 542 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 2: Bizzetti b u z z e t T. 543 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: The great Aiden BEAZETI one of my favorite people I've 544 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: ever worked with. Aiden, Thank you for being on this 545 00:30:54,440 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 1: week's podcast. Hey, we'll be right back after this. Now 546 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 1: it's time for the Ask Me Anything segment of the show, 547 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: where I take questions from my audience about literally Anything, 548 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: and if you want to be part of the Ask 549 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,800 Speaker 1: Me Anything segment, you can email Ryan at Numbers Game 550 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:15,080 Speaker 1: Podcast dot com. That's Ryan at Numbers Plural Numbers Numbers 551 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 1: gamepodcast dot com And maybe next week I'll be reading 552 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: your question. Our question this week comes from Julie is Hi. 553 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 3: Ryan. 554 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: I found out about you through your appearances with the 555 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 1: Buck Sexton Show, which was great leading up to the election. 556 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: Thank you, Julie. I read your article, your article and 557 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 1: the Spectator about the distantass failed presidential run. My question 558 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 1: is whether you think he has another shot in twenty 559 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: twenty eight, What would need to change and do you 560 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: think he can rebound? So what? First of all, Julie, 561 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: thank you for listening to podcast. Thank you for reading 562 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 1: my articles. What I would say what Julie's talking about 563 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 1: was in twenty twenty three, I was invited to a 564 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: meeting with or beginning twenty twenty you know give me 565 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,560 Speaker 1: twenty twenty twenty three, I was invited to a meeting 566 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 1: in Tallahassee with quote unquote influencers who were thinking about 567 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 1: supporting disantas. This was in I think March of twenty 568 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 1: twenty three March or early early April, but it was 569 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: one of the two and she was. I was invited 570 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,520 Speaker 1: along with like a dozen or so quote unquote. I 571 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: hate the term influencers. I don't call myself an influencer, 572 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: but they did, so I'll use the term. I was 573 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 1: invited to Tallahassee with a bunch of influencers to meet 574 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: the governor and meet the team and talk about what 575 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:33,720 Speaker 1: running for president was like. And it was supposed to 576 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: be a completely off the record meeting. And I went 577 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,360 Speaker 1: there and I was a loud mouth like I always am. 578 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,040 Speaker 1: I can't help myself. I do this for a living, 579 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 1: running elections and campaigns, and what I have learned from 580 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: being a consultant for the last two decades is that 581 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:53,360 Speaker 1: you have to be bluntly honest with people. And I 582 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: don't mince words, and I don't have time. And if 583 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 1: you want someone who will just be a yes man 584 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,240 Speaker 1: and kiss your r end, there's allion people you could hire, 585 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:03,760 Speaker 1: but I'm not one of them. I would be much 586 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 1: further along in my career had I done that, but 587 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: I just don't do it. I don't have the time 588 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 1: or the energy. So anyway, we go to this meeting, 589 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,360 Speaker 1: I meet the team, they sell me on their big 590 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: bag of nonsense. And then we go to meet the 591 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: governor and I was like this second. I told all 592 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:25,320 Speaker 1: the influencers when we walked in the room, listen, the 593 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 1: Governor's not where he was in November when he was 594 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,800 Speaker 1: leading in the polls against Trump. You have to be 595 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,280 Speaker 1: very honest with him that things are not going well 596 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: and that he either needs to run like officially run 597 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:39,959 Speaker 1: and run hard, or not run like. I told him 598 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:43,480 Speaker 1: that he looks. I used the word pussy. I said, 599 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 1: you look like a pussy is Trump attacks you and 600 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 1: you don't say anything back to him. I told him 601 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: that his book was not good because it was not aspirational, 602 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 1: and I told him that he needed to connect more 603 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:57,560 Speaker 1: with working class people by talking about his background as 604 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 1: a working class person. I think I specifically said to him, 605 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 1: as smart as you are and as good at playing 606 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,600 Speaker 1: baseball as you were when you were younger, you would 607 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 1: probably not get into an Ivy League school today because 608 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 1: you're a white trade man, and they are discriminated against 609 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: white straight men at these universities. And you should address 610 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 1: that by speaking with your own experience. This is pre 611 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: Harvard case. And anyway, we had the meeting. Then we 612 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 1: had a dinner afterwards with the team the governor. The 613 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:26,800 Speaker 1: governor was lovely, by the way, his wife was lovely. 614 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:28,239 Speaker 1: I have nothing bad to say about them. He's a 615 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:30,520 Speaker 1: great governor. But that was the meeting, and then we 616 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 1: went to the meeting with the team afterwards. I was 617 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 1: very unimpressed by what the team was saying. And the 618 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: general consultant said to me, like during the dinner, was like, so, 619 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 1: what do you think, And I said, I think we're 620 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 1: at an Irish funeral waiting for the body to drop. 621 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: Like I was not optimistic about what was going on. 622 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:47,719 Speaker 1: I was like, this is not like I have no dey. 623 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 1: Anyone's like celebrating right now. So and then I had 624 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:53,880 Speaker 1: one more call. I never worked for the Santus campaign. 625 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:55,360 Speaker 1: By the way, I think it's important to say, like 626 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:57,920 Speaker 1: people have accused me of working for DeSantis, and I 627 00:34:57,960 --> 00:34:59,879 Speaker 1: never did that. I never took a check, I never 628 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:01,879 Speaker 1: I went to two meetings and I just gave them 629 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,319 Speaker 1: my best advice. That's the only thing I ever done, 630 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,160 Speaker 1: and that's what I think people. And I gave them 631 00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: the profession advice I would give anybody. The meeting ends, 632 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 1: and then I get a call from the reporter several 633 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 1: months later, basically repeating what I had said during this meeting. 634 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:21,839 Speaker 1: It was an off the record meeting, and I had 635 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,400 Speaker 1: told by the way, I told all these quote unquote 636 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,400 Speaker 1: influencers who loved as Santas, Hey, you need to be harsh, 637 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:29,560 Speaker 1: you need to tell them the truth. And the minute 638 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:31,800 Speaker 1: after I was speaking, I was the second person to speak. 639 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:35,319 Speaker 1: The minute after I was done speaking, everyone was like, 640 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:37,399 Speaker 1: You're so great, You're so wonderful. You're so great, You're 641 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:40,880 Speaker 1: so wonderful. No one was telling the truth, and no 642 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,840 Speaker 1: one was having an honest conversation. One of the influencers 643 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: were like, we need to talk about trans children. I'm like, 644 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:50,320 Speaker 1: what the f are you all talking about? Like immigration, crime, 645 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 1: the economy, like brin cycle, repeat, AnyWho whatever. Deeply frustrated, 646 00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 1: and the report had called and knew what I had 647 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: said and wanted me to go on records. So I said, 648 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:05,000 Speaker 1: f this. If everyone's leaking about what I said, and 649 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 1: I didn't leak anyone's name, I'm going to just tell 650 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 1: the story from my perspective what I actually said. And 651 00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 1: that's why I wrote the Spectator article. That's a very 652 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:17,120 Speaker 1: long window way of saying of what happened anyway, we 653 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:18,800 Speaker 1: do I think he has a chance to run in 654 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty eight. No, because people's window to run for 655 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 1: president is very, very small. Had Chris Christy not run, 656 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:31,400 Speaker 1: had Chris Christi run in twenty twelve, I don't know 657 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 1: if he would have been the party's nominee. He would 658 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 1: have had a very good shot at being the party's nominee. 659 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:39,080 Speaker 1: He had virtually no shot by twenty sixteen, and he 660 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 1: had really no shot by twenty twenty four when he 661 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 1: ran again. Twenty twenty four, when he ran again, your 662 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,120 Speaker 1: window to be the new kid in town, to be 663 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: the shiny new toy, to be the one who has 664 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:56,600 Speaker 1: earned it is literally very minimal. You have to know 665 00:36:56,640 --> 00:36:57,959 Speaker 1: when it happens, and you. 666 00:36:57,840 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 2: Have to do it. 667 00:36:58,719 --> 00:37:01,640 Speaker 1: Had George W. Bush Way four years or done it 668 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: four years previous, but during Bill Clinton's time, he likely 669 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: would have never become president. You know, it's just if it. 670 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:10,600 Speaker 1: Had Clinton done it right after he was defeated his 671 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: first gugnatory second good natorial election, he likely wouldn't have 672 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:16,440 Speaker 1: gotten it. So there are just times you have to 673 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 1: do it, and you if you don't do it, when 674 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 1: it's the time. And I think Desantas's time was twenty 675 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:24,239 Speaker 1: twenty four. I don't I think if you wanted to run, 676 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 1: that was his only time to run. But he ran, 677 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:30,480 Speaker 1: and he didn't do well. And I think he didn't 678 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 1: do well because and what I said to his team 679 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:36,560 Speaker 1: and what I said to him, was your whole message 680 00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:40,640 Speaker 1: is about Florida. I don't ever want to live in Florida. 681 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 1: I don't like humidity. I really like cold weather. I'm 682 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 1: a Northeasterner. I talk fast, I'm aggressive, I'm abrasive. I 683 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 1: am a Northeasterner. That's who I am. It's part of 684 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 1: my identity. I want to live in the Northeast. What 685 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:56,879 Speaker 1: are you going to do for me as someone who 686 00:37:56,920 --> 00:37:59,880 Speaker 1: lives somewhere like Pennsylvania or Michigan or New York or whatever. 687 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:02,879 Speaker 1: You have to sell a national vision for where you're 688 00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 1: taking this country. It can't only be Flora, the freestate 689 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,720 Speaker 1: of Florida, over and over and over and over again. 690 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:12,040 Speaker 1: And I think that that was missing. And I think 691 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,440 Speaker 1: that his failure to connect to people in a way 692 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:19,799 Speaker 1: that made them feel like they knew him. You know, 693 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 1: everyone says, oh, he's so icy, or he's so smart 694 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:26,040 Speaker 1: and so he's a little cold. I would have leaned 695 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:28,799 Speaker 1: more heavily into that when he there was a time 696 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:30,399 Speaker 1: in the campaign trail where he said to a kid 697 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:33,000 Speaker 1: like that ice cream is a lot of sugar. People 698 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,920 Speaker 1: were like, oh, you know, look at him, he's so autistic. No, 699 00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 1: I would have leaned into it. I think that's great. 700 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:39,560 Speaker 1: I think that's actually who he is, and he should 701 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:41,719 Speaker 1: have leaned into that. But it was very weird and 702 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:44,400 Speaker 1: he just didn't do well. I mean, Nikki Haley performed him, 703 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:50,000 Speaker 1: and she her campaign was on just absolutely nowhere in 704 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 1: the summer in twenty twenty three when she first ran. 705 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:55,919 Speaker 1: So I don't think that he can rebound. I think 706 00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:00,080 Speaker 1: that history is littered with great men who would have 707 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: been great presidents, and ron de Santas will be one 708 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:05,480 Speaker 1: of them, because he would have been a great president. 709 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:07,600 Speaker 1: But I just don't see it that that's possible in 710 00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:11,320 Speaker 1: the future. And from my knowledge, there's only been one 711 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:15,680 Speaker 1: former vice president who sought out his party's nomination and 712 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:19,680 Speaker 1: didn't get it, and that was Mike Pence in twenty 713 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,839 Speaker 1: and twenty four. Every other time a vice president has 714 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:27,200 Speaker 1: sought his party's nomination, he's received it and JD Vance. 715 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 1: If he pursues his party's nomination, he's most likely going 716 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:32,480 Speaker 1: to receive it, So that would push the can back 717 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:36,799 Speaker 1: to at least twenty twenty eight or further. And by then, 718 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:39,520 Speaker 1: no one's going to remember COVID. No one's going to 719 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,680 Speaker 1: remember any of these things, or the war unwoke or 720 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:46,840 Speaker 1: you know, there's not it's just time has passed. And 721 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:48,839 Speaker 1: I wish him well. I wish him the best, and 722 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:51,320 Speaker 1: I think he'd be, you know, great and almost anything, 723 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:55,680 Speaker 1: because he's such a fabulous governor. But I just don't 724 00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:59,040 Speaker 1: think being presidents probably in the cards for him, and 725 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:01,960 Speaker 1: I don't think that he can rebound from that. But 726 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:04,759 Speaker 1: who knows. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't think I am, 727 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:07,279 Speaker 1: but that's my best mite. That's my personal take on 728 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:11,360 Speaker 1: that anyway. Thank you so much for your email, Julie, 729 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:13,440 Speaker 1: and once again, if you want to be part of 730 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:18,800 Speaker 1: this segment on this show, please email me ryanat numbers 731 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:22,200 Speaker 1: gamepodcast dot com. Thank you again for listening this week, 732 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:25,799 Speaker 1: Like and subscribe on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or 733 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,480 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you to see you 734 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:29,320 Speaker 1: guys next week.