In this episode of Anchored, Jeremy sits down with Alexandra Hudson, the curator of Civic Renaissance, as she opens up about her unique educational journey and her time working at the U.S. Department of Education. Hudson’s educational background spans homeschool, public school, and charter school, offering her a broad perspective on the American education system.
She shares candidly about her initial excitement to work in the Department of Education, hoping to drive meaningful change in the education sector. However, her experience there left her feeling disillusioned. According to Hudson, the department’s priorities were less about fostering genuine educational improvement and more about maintaining bureaucratic structures and generating profit. This focus on bureaucracy, she explains, often overshadowed the human aspects of education—the very core of why she joined in the first place.
Hudson’s experience in the department led her to reassess the role of government in education and ignited her passion for advocating for educational reforms that put people before profit. She also discusses her newsletter Civic Renaissance, which delves into politics, culture, and the challenges of modern governance, as well as her books and other projects aimed at fostering civic engagement.
Throughout the conversation, Hudson reflects on the tension between the idealism that motivates many educators and reformers, and the often frustrating reality of institutional barriers that prevent real change. Her insights offer a candid and thought-provoking perspective on the state of U.S. education and the ways in which we can better align policy with the needs of students and teachers.