The education conversation with experience
What helps kids learn, think and thrive?
Former teacher and veteran Philadelphia talk host Dom Giordano brings old-school wisdom, new-school debate and next-school ideas to the questions shaping our children’s future.
“Honor the past. Build the future.”
Latest episode
Kathy Barnette on Reading, Parents and the Mississippi Miracle | Episode 74
In this pre-election episode, Dom Giordano argues that school choice and parental rights should be decisive issues for voters. He also examines Pennsylvania's new bell-to-bell school cell phone restrictions and explains "aliteracy"—the ability to read without developing the habit of reading. Dom is joined by radio host and former U.S. Senate candidate Kathy Barnette for a discussion of the F3 Forum in Philadelphia and the question at its center: Can Philadelphia replicate the Mississippi Miracle? Barnette describes the barriers facing children, the need for parents and communities to take responsibility, and why she believes local school-board involvement matters. The conversation later turns to Pennsylvania's 2026 elections, including the Scott Perry–Janelle Stelson congressional race and the Josh Shapiro–Stacey Garrity governor's race, as well as campaign funding, debate strategy and grassroots organizing. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and the pre-election stakes 02:06 Pennsylvania's bell-to-bell cell phone ban 02:34 Aliteracy and why reading practice matters 04:02 Introducing Kathy Barnette 05:44 Can Philadelphia replicate the Mississippi Miracle? 06:22 Community, parenting and the barriers children face 08:06 Daniel Patrick Moynihan and government programs 09:44 Reading as a path to redemption 11:07 Parents, school boards and teachers unions 13:59 Pennsylvania's 2026 congressional races 16:38 Josh Shapiro, Stacey Garrity and campaign strategy 19:18 Where to follow Kathy Barnette 20:53 Closing thoughts Referenced material and guest links: Pennsylvania Governor's Office, "Gov. Shapiro Signs Bell-to-Bell Ban into Law": https://www.pa.gov/governor/newsroom/2026-press-releases/gov--shapiro-signs-bell-to-bell-ban-into-law--students-learn-wit Kathy Barnette, "The F3 Forum: Faith, Family & the Future of Education in America": https://kathybarnette.substack.com/p/its-official-our-2nd-annual-conference Kathy Barnette on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Kathy4Truth Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Maximum Feasible Misunderstanding: https://books.google.com/books/about/maximum_feasible_misunderstanding.html?id=E6VlFX1mkBkC Send questions and observations to domshow@aol.com. More episodes: https://oldschoolnewschool.com
The premise
Education isn’t one argument. It’s every decision that shapes how a child understands the world.
We examine what traditional education got right, what today’s systems must improve and what families should demand next.
School choice remains essential—but so are reading, history, civics, technology, screen time, teachers, parents and the culture surrounding learning.
Explore the questions
More than school choice
Schools & Teachers
Standards, classrooms, unions, learning loss and what still works.
02Parents & Families
Rights, responsibilities and the practical choices families face.
03Technology & Kids
Screens, social media, AI and the struggle for attention.
04School Choice
Who decides, who benefits and why access matters.
Teacher → Broadcaster → Education advocateMeet your host
Dom never really left the classroom.
Before talk radio, Dom Giordano taught elementary and high school students across Philadelphia and South Jersey. His innovative approach to teaching made him a sought-after education commentator—and ultimately led to a broadcasting career that has lasted nearly four decades.
This podcast brings that journey full circle: a teacher’s insistence on results, a broadcaster’s appetite for argument and a parent’s conviction that children deserve better.
Dom’s story