Corey DeAngelis on Breaking Battlegrounds
Few people have done more to make school choice a national issue than Corey DeAngelis. He has joined Breaking Battlegrounds to discuss education freedom, teachers unions, and why more parents are leaving the traditional public school system. That debate is especially relevant in Arizona, where Breaking Battlegrounds has covered the ESA program closely.
This page collects every Corey DeAngelis interview on Breaking Battlegrounds.
Who Is Corey DeAngelis?
Corey DeAngelis joined The Heritage Foundation in February 2026 as a research fellow in its Center for Education Policy, where he focuses on school choice, cultural issues around race and gender, and opposition to teachers unions.
He is also president of the Educational Freedom Institute, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and a board member at the Liberty Justice Center. He has been called the “school choice evangelist,” and he appears regularly on Fox News and Newsmax.
He wrote The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools (Center Street, 2024) and has authored or co-authored more than 40 journal articles, book chapters, and reports on education policy. He holds a Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas, plus a business degree and a master’s in economics from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Earlier in his career, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and received the Buckley Award from America’s Future in 2020. His research focuses on how school choice affects nonacademic outcomes such as crime, character skills, mental health, and political participation.
Corey DeAngelis's Appearances on Breaking Battlegrounds
Podcast 303: Why Even Democrats Are Embracing School Choice (May 2026)
DeAngelis discussed the growing momentum behind education freedom across the country. He explained why even some Democratic governors are starting to embrace school choice, examined what he sees as the ongoing failures of the Chicago Teachers Union, and argued that parents are increasingly choosing alternatives that put students first.
The episode also features constitutional scholar Ilya Shapiro on the Supreme Court and former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb on border security.
Podcast 77: Corey DeAngelis on School Choice
In his first appearance, DeAngelis joined Chuck and Sam to make the case for school choice. Christopher Bedford, senior editor at The Federalist, joined later in the episode to discuss free speech and journalism online.
What Corey DeAngelis Argues: Key Themes
- Funding should follow the student. DeAngelis argues that education money belongs to families, not systems.
- Competition improves schools. He contends that choice pressures public schools to improve rather than defunding them.
- Teachers unions are the main obstacle. He has been one of the sharpest critics of union influence, especially in Chicago.
- School choice is bipartisan. His point that some Democratic governors are adopting choice programs is central to his 2026 argument.
School Choice in Arizona: Related Episodes
- George Khalaf on ESAs, Henry Thomson on Elections & John Rogers on 2026 Strategy
- College Is Broken, China Is on Defense, and Arizona School Choice Is Under Fire
- Socialism, the Charlie Kirk Case, and Arizona’s ESA Fight
- Rachel Walden on Getting Schools Back to Basics
- Tom Horne and Luke Rosiak on the State of Public Education
Follow Corey DeAngelis
- The Heritage Foundation: announcement of his appointment
- Reason Foundation: Corey DeAngelis’s profile
- X: @DeAngelisCorey
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Corey DeAngelis?
A research fellow at The Heritage Foundation and president of the Educational Freedom Institute, known nationally for advocating school choice.
What book did Corey DeAngelis write?
The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools (2024).
What did Corey DeAngelis discuss on Breaking Battlegrounds?
In Podcast 303, why some Democratic governors are embracing school choice and the failures of the Chicago Teachers Union.
Where did Corey DeAngelis earn his Ph.D.?
The University of Arkansas, in education policy.
