Joshua Bowman, executive director of the Ciceronian Society, sat down with Jenna A. Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, to discuss education reform. Their discussion focused on the Martin Center’s advocacy for overhauling teacher education through state-level policy, particularly in the area of reading instruction. Robinson highlighted how strengthening teacher preparation with evidence-based methods can directly improve literacy outcomes for students.
The conversation also explored deeper philosophical questions about the purpose of education, the dangers of indoctrination, the role of pedagogy, and the importance of “place” in shaping the formation of teachers. Robinson emphasized that meaningful reform requires grounding teacher education in both sound scholarship and a commitment to preparing educators who can transmit knowledge rather than ideology.