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The Purple Zone
Hosted by Alexis Morgan, The Purple Zone explores how governance, public institutions, community, and history shape the places we call home.
Through conversations, storytelling, and policy analysis, the podcast connects local experiences to larger civic and political currents--from education, healthcare, and governance to culture, identity, and institutional change.
Rooted in Idaho but reaching far beyond it, The Purple Zone is less about hot takes and more about understanding how communities evolve, how decisions shape everyday life, and what it means to participate in civic life together.
Alexis Morgan is a PhD candidate in public policy and administration, longtime community participant, advocate, and civic storyteller.
The Purple Zone
All about Charter Schools and the Missing Innovation Pipeline with Duncan Robb
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Idaho has had charter schools for nearly three decades. They were created to innovate, and the question today is: are they doing that? In this episode, I’m joined by Duncan Robb, education policy expert and the writer behind the Substack K–12 Education in Idaho (k12educationidaho.substack.com). We break down the basics, what charter schools are (and aren’t), how they’re governed, and the role of the Idaho Public Charter School Commission...then zoom out to the bigger policy design question: if charters were meant to be “labs of innovation,” who is responsible for making sure what works actually transfers to traditional public schools? We also talk through current education policy debates, including state testing, accountability, and what meaningful flexibility really looks like in practice. By the end of the conversation, it was clear we had only scratched the surface, so stay tuned for more conversations with Duncan as we continue digging into charter schools and education policy in Idaho. Bonus: Duncan and I don’t agree on everything, which makes for a fun conversation.
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Send Alexis an email with guest requests, ideas, or potential collaboration.
email@thealexismorgan.com
Find great resources, info on school communities, and other current projects regarding public policy:
https://www.thealexismorgan.com