The Right Idea

Is more school funding really the key to better student outcomes—or does how we spend matter more than how much?
In this episode of The Right Idea, host Brian Phillips and TPPF’s Andrew Brown sit down with Dr. Eric “Rick” Hanushek, Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, to explore one of education’s toughest questions: Do dollars drive results—or does design and discipline matter more?
Dr. Hanushek is one of the world’s leading experts on the economics of education. His groundbreaking research has shaped how policymakers think about teacher quality, school finance reform, and student achievement.
Together, the panel dives deep into:
  • The myth that more spending equals better outcomes
  • Texas’ $100B+ public education budget
  • What’s working in Dallas, Houston, and Washington, D.C.
  • The rise of administrative bloat in public schools
  • Teacher pay, accountability, and school choice
• • The impact of AI in the classroom and the future of learning

Creators and Guests

Host
Brian Phillips
Brian Phillips is the Chief Communications Officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. For over a decade, Brian has helped policymakers and political candidates develop effective messages and communication strategies. Phillips is a veteran of presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial campaigns, and has extensive experience working in the United States Congress and public policy think tanks.
Host
Derek M. Cohen
Derek M. Cohen, Ph.D, is the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Chief Policy & Research Officer and Right on Crime Senior Fellow. Previously the Vice President of Policy and director of Right on Crime, the Foundation’s criminal justice reform initiative, Cohen was instrumental in the passage of the First Step Act, federal legislation that borrowed from successful changes to prisons and sentencing that he had helped pass in conservative states. In addition to leading the Foundation’s work on criminal justice, he is also the lead researcher of firearms policy.

What is The Right Idea?

The Right Idea: The Texas Public Policy Foundation's weekly look at the people, policy, and politics that drive Texas.