Robert Pondiscio is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and an affiliate of AEI’s James Q. Wilson Program in K–12 Education Studies, where he focuses on K–12 education, curriculum, teaching, school choice, and charter schooling.
Before joining AEI, Mr. Pondiscio was a policy analyst and education reform expert at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education policy think tank. He previously worked for the Core Knowledge Foundation and as an adviser and civics teacher at Democracy Prep Public Schools. Mr. Pondiscio became interested in education policy issues when he started teaching fifth grade at a struggling South Bronx public school in 2002. Before that, he worked in journalism for 20 years, including in senior positions at Time and BusinessWeek.
Mr. Pondiscio is the author of many books, including “How the Other Half Learns: Equality, Excellence, and the Battle over School Choice” (Avery, 2019), which is about Success Academy Charter Schools and was widely reviewed and praised. He is the coauthor of a bestselling series of books for young readers, including “The Ultimate On-Line Homework Helper” (HarperCollins, 1996) and “Kids On-Line” (HarperCollins, 1995). In addition, he is the author of “The Future: An Owner’s Manual” (Harper Trophy, 2000) and “Get on the Net” (HarperCollins, 1999).
Mr. Pondiscio has been extensively published in the popular press, including in The Atlantic, Education Next, the New York Daily News, and The Wall Street Journal. As a frequent speaker, he is often interviewed on radio and television to discuss education issues. His appearances include CNN, Fox News Channel, and hundreds of local TV and radio programs.
Mr. Pondiscio has an MS in elementary education from Mercy College and a BA in English from SUNY Empire State College.
