amplifiED Podcast
EdAllies’ amplifiED podcast digs into the nuances, details, and lesser-known aspects of education equity through discussions that poke and prod at policymaking, systems, and much more. Hosted by Josh Crosson, EdAllies’ Executive Director and Margaret Sullivan, EdAllies’ Programs and Outreach Manager, amplifiED has discussed topics such as student discipline, innovative schools, chronic absenteeism, teacher diversity, literacy reform, legislative progress, the power of youth advocacy, and more!
You can listen and subscribe to amplifiED on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at the player below!
This is AmplifiEd, the EdAllies podcast.
At EdAllies, we partner with schools, families, and communities to ensure that all Minnesota students have access to a rigorous and engaging education. We advance policies that put underserved students first, remove barriers facing successful schools and programs, and foster an inclusive conversation about what’s possible for students.
In the AmplifiEd podcast, we dig into the issues of the day, the opportunities and challenges facing students, educators, and families, and the ways policy, advocacy, and collaboration can ensure better outcomes for us all.
In this episode of amplifiED, hosts Margaret Sullivan and Josh Crosson sit down with Rachel Berger, lobbyist, parent advocate, and what Josh calls ”the godmother of literacy advocacy at the Minnesota Capitol,” for a deep dive into the history, hard work, and real-world impact of Minnesota's Read Act.
Rachel traces the journey from 2013, when she and a group of fired-up parents with kids diagnosed with dyslexia decided to change the laws, through years of coalition-building and Capitol testimony that culminated in the Read Act's passage in 2023. Along the way, she and Josh break down the difference between balanced literacy and the science of reading and why that distinction matters enormously for kids who can't just pick up reading by being surrounded by books.
The conversation covers Minnesota's remarkable progress: teacher prep programs have gone from 28% to 93% alignment with science of reading standards, and a new, required hands-on literacy field experience was passed into law in 2026. But Rachel and Josh are clear-eyed about what's still ahead. You don't turn the Titanic overnight and parent voice, which drove this entire movement, remains essential to seeing it through.