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.
Dan Gordon, education policy expert at EducationCounsel, returns to amplifiED for a second time to help hosts Margaret Sullivan and Josh Crosson make sense of a federal landscape that's moving faster than anyone can keep up with.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Dan breaks down where things stand since his last appearance: the shift from executive order chaos to the quieter but equally consequential work of implementation and enforcement. From anti-DEI investigations targeting school districts, to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's cuts to SNAP and Medicaid and what that means for school funding in Minnesota, to the proposed 70% cut to federal education funding wrapped in the language of ”local control”—Dan translates the noise into what actually matters for Minnesota students and families.
The conversation also covers the courts, where Dan offers a critical reminder: lawsuits are roller coasters, and a good headline doesn't mean the fight is over. He walks through where birthright citizenship, transgender student protections, and Plyler v. Doe stand—and what Minnesotans should expect to hear from the Supreme Court this summer. The episode closes with a look at the FY2027 federal budget process, the looming midterm elections, and what a potential shift in Congressional power could mean heading into 2027.