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PODCAST

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin

Texas Public Policy Foundation

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin is a product of the Texas Public Policy Foundation that hosts real conversations with real parents from across Texas where they share their experiences, struggles, and victories within the Texas education system. From concerning content in public schools to classroom behavior and wins in homeschooling, Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin covers all aspects of Texas education through the parents eyes—and asks how we can ensure transparency, quality, respect, and

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

42:34

Taking on Taxpayer Funded Lobbying with Rep. Hillary...

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/10/28

Rep. Hillary Hickland of Belton shares her experiences with the taxpayer-funded lobbyist complex that's leeching off our education system, pushing ideology on kids, and ensuring that property tax bills just go up and up.

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45:56

Following the Public School Money w/ Robbye Kirkpatrick

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/10/20

Mandy interviews Robbye Kirkpatrick, businesswoman and co-founder of Texas TransformED, about spending in Texas public schools - why is teacher pay so low, where is the over $100 billion we spend going, and why are results getting worse, not better, even as we add more money into the system?

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28:26

What Happens When a Public School Building Breaks?

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/10/06

Texas is spending hundreds of billions on school buildings and football stadiums, but when those break, someone still has to deal with the aftermath. In this second episode with Marc Gravely, Marc breaks down the legal background of construction defects in schools - what can break, who's to blame, and, of course, how much it costs taxpayers.

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26:48

Foreign Nations Accessing Texan Intellectual Property

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/09/18

Foreign nations have poured billions into Texas colleges and universities. They have not done so out of the kindness of their hearts, but rather, because they're using their gifts and grants to gain access to intellectual property, research, and inventions. TPPF's Higher Education Policy Analyst, Kate Bierly, joins Mandy to break down the foreign influences in Texas higher education.

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28:57

Transforming Texas Education with Ashley B. Cash

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/09/16

Our kids are failing to launch after they graduate high school. It's time we fix that by fully preparing them for college, career, or the military before they graduate rather than hoping they figure it out after graduation. Ashley B. Cash, co-founder of Texas TransformED, joins Mandy Drogin to chat about all things education, and especially how we can better prepare our children for adult life.

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28:51

Are Texas Public Schools Being Extorted? w/ Marc Gravely

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/09/05

Taxpayers on on the hook for millions upon millions of dollars in damages and other issues thanks to nebulously worded contracts, poorly regulated risk pools, and other sorts of legal drama. Marc Gravely, a legal expert and construction defect lawyer, breaks down how our public schools are being tricked or even extorted by outside groups.

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44:16

Preserving the Lessons of the Past with Dr. Don Frazier

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/08/25

Dr. Don Frazier, the Director of The Texas Center at Schreiner University in Kerrville, shares the rich history of Texas and discusses what we can do to make history more informative and engaging in our Texas public schools.

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45:34

Educating Texas' Vulnerable Children with Rep. Steve...

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/08/14

Join Representative Steve Toth from House District 15 (The Woodlands, Texas) as he shares his legislative priorities in education reform. In this interview, Rep. Toth discusses his work on parent empowerment in schools, educational policy changes, dyslexia support programs, and advocacy for students across Texas.

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46:13

How Houston Turned Its Failing Public Schools Around

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/08/08

Just a few years ago, Houston ISD - HISD - was the worst performing public school district in Texas, as well as one of the largest. After a new Board of Managers was appointed, HISD has completely turned around, and now, no HISD schools are failing. Join Mandy as she interviews Cassandry Bandy, a courageous Houston mom of two who stepped up to the plate on the Board of Managers and helped bring academic achievement back to the families of Houston.

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52:21

Local Government Reform with Senator Mayes Middleton

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/07/31

Senator Mayes Middleton of Galveston breaks down how local governments are running massive deficits, taking on huge amounts of debt, and not just wasting taxpayer money, but weaponizing it against their own citizens.

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45:56

Fighting Woke Indoctrination in Schools with Christie...

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/07/16

Join Mandy Drogin on Parent Empowerment as she sits down with Christie Slape, Texas Ambassador for Moms for Liberty, to discuss the battle for parental rights and quality education in Texas public schools. From exposing inappropriate library books and advocating for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) to challenging woke indoctrination and fighting against taxpayer funded lobbying, Christie shares her journey as a mom of four and accidental activist. Learn about Moms for Liberty’s mission,

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72:18

Freeing Our School Boards from Woke Influences

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/06/23

The Left has been waging a decades-long war to take over our school boards and grant their authority to unelected administrators. Luckily, courageous school board members like our guest, Brandon Hodges from Midland ISD, are looking for alternatives to the associations that are robbing school boards of their power - and they're finding them in organizations like Texans for Excellence in Education, from which both John Petree and Kara Belew join us today.

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59:33

Classical Education, Reading Lists, and Learning to Read

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/06/13

Mandy sits down with Erin Fonner, a mother of three and Development Director at Valor Education, to chat about Valor’s classical curriculum. Erin shares insights on the school’s rigorous approach to education and its commitment to parent partnership.

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36:11

Grade Inflation & Texas Public School Accountability

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/06/05

Join Mandy Drogin on Parent Empowerment as she sits down with Mary Lynn Pruneda, Senior Policy Advisor at Texas 2036 and mother of three, to dive into the truth about grade inflation, the importance of the STAAR exam, and the A-F accountability system.

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27:13

Teachers' Bill of Rights

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/05/22

Mandy brings on TPPF's K-12 Education Policy Director, Jorge Borrego, to chat about the Teachers' Bill of Rights in House Bill 2.

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41:07

How the Progressive Agenda Gets into Our Schools

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/05/15

Our teachers are being bombarded by the leftist agendas long before they enter the classroom. TPPF's Kate Bierly breaks down how her professors and courses pushed DEI, Social Emotional Learning, and other progressive agendas.

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46:16

Ari Weisenfeld & Rabbi Yerachmiel Garfield

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/04/30

Mandy chats with Ari Weisenfeld from Agudath Israel of America and Rabbi Yerachmiel Garfield of the Yeshiva Torat Emet Jewish Day School to discuss the support in the Jewish community of Texas for school choice.

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47:43

Cassandra Posey, Homeschool Mom & Former Teacher

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/04/29

Mandy chats with Cassandra Posey, homeschool mom and former public school teacher, about her experiences in the classroom and what parent empowerment means for all Texans.

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59:52

Jen, Texas Public School Teacher

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/03/26

Jen, a Texas Public School Teacher, shares insight on the crisis in our public schools.

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19:29

Representative Jeff Leach, HD 67

Parent Empowerment with Mandy Drogin ·

2025/03/19

Representative Jeff Leach, HD 67, is a father of three kids who go to Texas public schools, and he knows how important it is to get education right. Representative Leach breaks down his support for ESAs and what other things he's working on for public education.

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46 results

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