Keri D. Ingraham

Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and Director of the Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education. She is also a Senior Fellow at Independent Women.

As a nationally recognized education thought leader, Dr. Ingraham is a regularly requested guest for national television and podcast interviews and a sought-after speaker for conferences and events.

Her articles have been published by The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, The Washington Post, The Federalist, The Washington Times, The Epoch Times, Washington Examiner, The Daily Wire, Real Clear Education, The Daily Signal, National Review, The American Spectator, Daily Caller, and a host of other media outlets. Her work has been featured by Fox News, referenced in The Wall Street Journal, and cited in countless publications.

Dr. Ingraham was appointed by the President of the United States to serve on the Commission on Presidential Scholars, has received several invitations to the White House, appeared in a White House video, and is quoted on the White House website. She has advised Cabinet members, governors, and members of the U.S. Congress.

In recognition of her leadership and impact, Dr. Ingraham was named a "World Changer" in the field of education and recognized as an influential leader by the Influential Women’s Forum.

Prior to joining Discovery Institute, Dr. Ingraham spent nearly two decades leading within the field of education as a national consultant, requested conference speaker, head of school, virtual and hybrid academy director, administrator, classroom teacher, and athletic coach.

Dr. Ingraham holds a Doctor of Education degree and a Master of Education degree from Regent University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from George Fox University, where she was named an Academic All-American and was a four-year collegiate athlete. Dr. Ingraham also earned an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Professional Certificate from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and the Stanford University School of Engineering.

She authored four chapters in the education policy playbook, Sketching a New Conservative Education Agenda. In 2022, her article “Teacher Certification & Uniform Salary Schedules Hinder Career Technical Education Staffing” won first place nationally in the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s Wonkathon for her innovative education reform policy ideas. In 2019, she was invited as a contributing author for the book, MindShift: Catalyzing Change in Christian Education and co-authored “From Gutenberg to 5G.”

Dr. Ingraham was awarded the George W. Selig Doctoral Fellowship in 2013. Early in her career, she was selected as a “Teacher of Excellence,” was a state championship-winning coach, and a five-time recipient of “Coach of the Year” honors. Dr. Ingraham is passionate about education preparing students to live, work, and thrive in tomorrow’s world, which will require tremendous and large-scale education transformation.

Archives

Is a Four-Year College Degree Still Worth the Price?

_{Keri D. Ingraham
September 21, 2026}

With some American colleges charging $100,000 a year, families are right to ask a basic question: What are we actually getting for that price? A college degree can be tremendously valuable, but a prestigious name and an astronomical price tag do not guarantee a strong education, a meaningful career, or a successful future. Parents and students should look beyond rankings and historic reputation and ask about graduation rates, career outcomes, debt, and return on investment. The goal is not simply to get a degree. The goal is to be prepared to succeed. For too long, America has treated a four-year college degree as the default next step after high school. It shouldn’t be. Some students will thrive at a four-year university, while others will be better served by a community …

Parents, You Are Your Child’s First and Most Important Educator

_{Keri D. Ingraham
September 9, 2026}

Parents, as your children head back to school, remember this: You know and love your child best. You are your child’s first and most important educator. You have a right to know what your child is being taught, what information the school is keeping about your child, and what decisions are being made that affect your child. Recent court decisions and federal protections have strengthened parental rights. Here are four rights every parent should know, and what you can do to exercise them: You Have the Right to Opt Out Know Your Right: Parents have constitutional protections when school instruction conflicts with their religious beliefs. Recent Supreme Court decisions have strengthened parents’ ability to receive notice and opt their children out of certain …

Replacing Federal Overreach With Education Freedom

_{Keri D. Ingraham
September 2, 2026}

President Donald Trump’s recent White House “Back to School and Education Freedom Event” showcased the extraordinary progress his administration has made in just a year and a half to replace federal overreach with parental empowerment and education freedom. As President Trump declared in his remarks, “We’re systematically ending every single one of these radical left betrayals, and we’re putting the parents back in charge. They’re the ones that love our children. They’re the ones that should be in charge.” President Trump and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon understand the fundamental truth that parents, not distant government bureaucrats, belong in the driver’s seat of their children’s education. One of the Trump administration’s most consequential …

A Hard Reset for American Education

_{Keri D. Ingraham
September 1, 2026}

For far too long, Washington has expanded its control over K-12 education while student learning has continued to decline. However, President Trump is changing course by returning education to the states, advancing education freedom, and restoring parents’ rightful authority over their children’s education. After decades of federal overreach, a long-overdue hard reset for American education is underway. The U.S. Department of Education has been a 45-year, astronomically expensive failure. More than $3 trillion has been spent without improving student learning. While states receive only about 10% of their education funding from the federal government, those dollars bring a disproportionate burden of rules, regulations, and bureaucracy. The result is less freedom to innovate, …

The Rise of Socialism Starts in the Classroom

_{Keri D. Ingraham
August 18, 2026}

A poll by the Cato Institute found that over 60% of Americans aged 18-29 hold a “favorable view” of socialism, with 34% saying the same of communism. By contrast, 98% of those age 65 and over have an “unfavorable” view of communism. This shift did not emerge overnight. With an anti-capitalist and anti-free-market worldview taught in K-12 education, Gen Z has been conditioned to view socialism not just favorably but as superior to capitalism, free enterprise, and free markets. At the same time, rising housing costs, inflation, and affordability concerns have made promises like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s government-owned grocery stores, rent freezes, and universal child care sound like solutions. If we want future generations to …

The Innovative Iowa Blueprint Leading the Nation in Education Freedom

_{Keri D. Ingraham
August 13, 2026}

Last week, Iowa led the nation with the first Workforce Pell Grant program in the country approved by the U.S. Department of Education. According to a press release from the Department, it is “a major milestone in expanding faster, more affordable pathways to careers in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations.” Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds explained that “Now, the Workforce Pell program will allow schools to fast-track students within eight to 15 weeks into rewarding careers with little-to-no debt, expanding high-quality career opportunities and paving the way to a stronger and more resilient economy.” Director of the Iowa Department of Education McKenzie Snow said, “With the nation’s first …

Educational Institutions Dividing Students Based on Race

_{Keri D. Ingraham
August 10, 2026}

Nearly 60 years after Congress outlawed housing discrimination, the federal government has had to remind America’s colleges and universities that racial segregation is still illegal. That fact alone should alarm every American. This summer, Craig Trainor, assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), issued a Dear Colleague letter reminding colleges and universities of an important legal and moral principle. In the letter, Trainor wrote: “The law is clear: When educational institutions permit the existence of racially segregated student housing — or openly encourage separation on the basis of race, color, or national origin, advertise a discriminatory preference, or have policies that discourage …

It’s Essential to Educate the Next Generation About Free Enterprise

_{Keri D. Ingraham
July 31, 2026}

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” Thomas Jefferson’s warning remains timely today. A free people will not remain free if they do not understand the ideas that protect freedom. As we continue to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary this year, it’s an important time to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. As we consider the future of our country, it is imperative that our nation evaluates the education of its citizens. How we educate our next generation will determine the direction our country heads. Today, the majority of students exit K-12 public education without achieving basic proficiency across academic subjects, lacking critical thinking and …

Wyoming’s Education Leader Is Delivering Results

_{Keri D. Ingraham
July 22, 2026}

In an era when many education leaders are focused on maintaining the status quo, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder has chosen a different path. Her bold leadership, meaningful reforms, and unwavering focus on students, families, and teachers have benefited students and educators alike. Instead of just talking about academic excellence and educational innovation, results have occurred. Perhaps Degenfelder’s most significant accomplishment has been her leadership in advancing education freedom for Wyoming families. She helped champion Wyoming’s Education Savings Account program, which provides families with funding for educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, curriculum, and other customized learning opportunities. …

America Needs More Models Like the Outdoor Discovery Center Network

_{Keri D. Ingraham
July 15, 2026}

For generations, education has been confined to four walls, desks arranged in rows, and a curriculum increasingly disconnected from the world students are preparing to enter. Sadly, the majority of students today are disengaged and unmotivated. It is not because they lack potential, but because school feels removed from real life. At the same time, today’s children spend an average of nearly seven hours a day on screens while engaging in only a few minutes of unstructured outdoor play. As opportunities to explore, wonder, and learn through firsthand experience disappear, so too do many of the conditions that help children thrive. In Holland, Michigan, the Outdoor Discovery Center (ODC) Network is offering a way forward. It demonstrates what becomes possible when education is …

Career Exploration Should Begin Long Before College

_{Keri D. Ingraham
July 10, 2026}

Skepticism about the value of a traditional four-year college degree is growing across the United States. According to The Wall Street Journal, nearly half of American parents say they would prefer their children not enroll in a four-year college. While higher education remains a valuable pathway for many students, this growing trend reflects a larger concern: Too many young people are told that college is the only route to success, even when it may not be the best fit for their interests, talents, or career goals. For decades, students have been encouraged to pursue a college degree regardless of their individual strengths or aspirations. As a result, many young adults enter college without a clear plan. Unsure of what career they want to pursue, the skills they possess, or how a …

Move Over, SAT and ACT. There’s a Better Test.

_{Keri D. Ingraham
July 9, 2026}

A recent open letter signed by more than 2,000 University of California science, technology, engineering and math professors expressed concerns about something that put “UC’s mission…at risk.” Over the past five years, they wrote, students have become increasingly unprepared for college math courses. The decline has been “so severe that instructors must reteach middle-school mathematics.” The professors proposed a solution: The UC system should once again require students to submit SAT or ACT scores in the admission process, a practice it abandoned in 2020. Lowering standards did not level the playing field. Instead, students were given an illusion of readiness. It’s about time some healthy competition was introduced into the college entrance …

America’s Best Days Are Still Ahead

_{Keri D. Ingraham
July 1, 2026}

This was originally published in The Believe! Journal on July 4th, 2025, with the title: Is America Doomed to Decline? We republish it here for the United States’ 250th birthday, since its message remains relevant and important on this historic anniversary. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”The Declaration of Independence With the 250th anniversary of our nation upon us, many are reflecting on the past while also considering the future. What makes America unique? Where is the great American experiment headed? Are our best days behind us? Is America doomed to decline? Despite all America has …

Appalachia’s Opportunity Gap Is an Education Gap — and It’s Time to Fix It

_{Keri D. Ingraham
June 26, 2026}

Across 423 counties in 13 states, 26 million Americans live with a persistent opportunity gap. It’s not because of a lack of effort, talent, or community commitment, but because big government systems meant to serve them have failed to deliver. At the center of that failure is education. For too long, families in Appalachia have been asked to accept a one-size-fits-all public education system that assigns children to schools based on ZIP code rather than need, fit, or school quality. The results have been predictable. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, just 27.3 percent of adults in the region hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 35 percent nationally. In Kentucky’s Appalachian counties, that …

The New Department of Education Agreements That Just Gave More Power to the People

_{Keri D. Ingraham
June 17, 2026}

Today, the Department of Education announced four additional interagency agreements as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to return education to the states. In typical fashion, the teachers’ unions and their political allies immediately attempted to spread fear, claiming that federal protections are being eliminated, a claim with no basis in reality. Instead, it’s yet another strategic step to reduce unnecessary federal bureaucracy, improve services, and move education decisions closer to the students, families, and communities they affect most. The first agreement establishes a partnership between the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. …

Parents Should Replace Screen Time With Books This Summer

_{Keri D. Ingraham
June 15, 2026}

The Second Lady, Usha Vance, recently unveiled a Summer Reading Challenge for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Designed to combat the learning loss that often occurs during the summer months, the initiative encourages children to spend their break immersed in books rather than disconnected from learning. Children who choose to participate will read 12 books between now and September 4. Those who successfully submit their reading log will receive a certificate of completion, a personalized letter from the Second Lady, an America 250-themed bookmark, and an opportunity to win a trip to Washington, D.C. As a mother of three young children and expecting her fourth, Vance understands firsthand the importance of reading. She recently shared that reading is a daily part of …

A Path Out of the Education Woods in Appalachia

_{Keri D. Ingraham
June 11, 2026}

For decades, the Appalachian region of America has been the subject of political promises, federal programs, philanthropic funding, and endless so-called solutions. Despite trillions of dollars in government spending and generations of outside intervention, the majority of Appalachian communities continue to struggle with poverty, addiction, outmigration, economic stagnation, and weak educational outcomes. Appalachia has long been given “the wrong kind of attention,” according to Garrett Ballengee, president and CEO of the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy. Under Ballengee’s leadership, the Center for Appalachian Renewal is committed to creating a brighter future for people, not another generation of paternalistic programs or distant experts managing …

Center for Appalachian Renewal Launches to Transform Education & Create Opportunity

_{Keri D. Ingraham
May 28, 2026}

Vice President JD Vance’s remarkable journey from a trauma-filled childhood to holding the second-highest office in the country is a clear depiction of the American Dream. It is also a powerful reminder that education and opportunity can fundamentally change the trajectory of a person’s life. It’s been 10 years since Vance published “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” publicly sharing the horrors of his childhood and how he was able to rise above them through his military experience and higher education. The book quickly became a #1 New York Times bestseller. Then, in July 2024, the book once again drew tremendous interest when President Trump selected Vance as running mate for his 2024 reelectioncampaign. In a 2017 interview, Vance acknowledged …

Dismantling the Department of Education Is Happening

_{Keri D. Ingraham
May 20, 2026}

It’s been just over one year since President Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and return authority to the states. It was a historic day to take the first step toward stopping the status quo of pouring astronomical amounts of money and layering on more and more federal bureaucracy, without improving learning. Education is intended to be governed at the state and local level. While it will take votes in Congress to fully eliminate the Department of Education, under the leadership of Secretary Linda McMahon, much progress has already occurred in downsizing it. For example, $2 billion in funds that supported radical ideologies have been cut, staffing has been downsized nearly 50%, and it announced it will move into a smaller, more …

The Missing Ingredient in Education Is Meaningful Choice

_{Keri D. Ingraham
May 20, 2026}

Roughly $800 billion is spent annually on K-12 education, yet the National Assessment of Educational Progress results indicate that, on average, seven out of 10 public school students score below grade-level proficiency in reading and math. As I wrote in my article last month in The Daily Wire, when it comes to the pitiful student learning results in education, “The missing ingredient is not money — it’s meaningful choice.” Parents have been trapped by the government-run, teacher-union controlled K-12 public education monopoly. While federal spending accounts for only roughly 10% of overall education spending, it controls perhaps 90% of the rules and regulations. This federal bureaucracy significantly hinders the ability of states to innovate. Thankfully, for …