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July 13, 2026

Title: FREE ICE CREAM FOR MATH
Topic: Public Education

Discussed by Kate Bierly
with Texas Public Policy Foundation (www.TexasPolicy.com)

Are we doing the children all across America a disservice by not teaching them the building blocks of reading and math?

Kate Bierly is a Higher Education Policy Analyst at Next Generation Texas at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Kate is dedicated to advancing policies that promote freedom and opportunity in higher education.

Click here to read her op-ed on this important topic.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

A few weeks ago, Kate received a call from a very frustrated friend. She is exactly the kind of teacher every parent hopes their child gets – dedicated, thoughtful, and has high expectations for her students. The issue that prompted her call was not a disagreement over curriculum or school resources, but ice cream. What’s the rest of the story?

Is this a perfect example of demanding participation trophies for all?

Did Abraham Lincoln understand that children must be educated?

Does America need more teachers who possess the courage to uphold standards and fewer administrators who sacrifice truth so they don’t “hurt feelings”? Kate stresses that competition is good for kids – both in academics and life in general.

What can parents and grandparents do during the summer to keep their kids engaged?

Click here to help support the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

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May 13, 2025

Title: War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Diversity is Strength.
Topic: Woke Progressives

Discussed by Kate Bierly
with Texas Public Policy Foundation (www.TexasPolicy.com)

One day, as part of her student teaching requirement at Stanford, Kate Bierly was explaining a math lesson to a fourth-grade classroom when a boy became disruptive.

Today, Kate Bierly shares the rest of the story and why “social-emotional learning” is so dangerous. Kate Bierly is a Higher Education Policy Analyst with the Next Generation Texas Initiative, which is a division of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Click here to read Kate’s original op-ed with this story.

Click here to read Kate’s op-ed in response to her former classmates’ critique of her experience.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

What happened when Kate Bierly taught a simple math problem as a student teacher? How did Kate’s supervisor respond when told of the incident?

Why did Kate leave teaching and take a position with the Texas Public Policy Foundation?

What is “social-emotional learning”? Is “social-emotional learning” saturating public education even in Texas? Kate explains that it is a spin-off of DEI – but much, much worse.

Is “social-emotional learning” similar to the George Orwell quote: “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Diversity is Strength” from his book, “1984”? Kate Bierly discusses Orwell’s explanation of “double think” and gives some modern-day examples.

Why was Kate Bierly surprised recently to see fireworks erupt on the Texas House floor during a heated debate over a proposed school discipline bill? Click here for more information about House Bill 7.

How can we recapture the minds of those lost in “social-emotional learning” and double think?

Click here to help support the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

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