Introducing Corey DeAngelis, 2020 Buckley Award Winner

America’s Future is excited to introduce Corey DeAngelis as a 2020 Buckley Award winner. Corey is a leading voice in education and school choice and has made a significant impact in the national conversation surrounding these issues. His work was brought to the forefront this year as the pandemic and presidential election have raised questions surrounding our current education system. 

As one nominator wrote, “He has been incredibly active in his rebuttals of media assertions regarding school choice. During the Democrat primaries, Corey debunked information regarding certain candidates, and stood strong against attacks on social media. His reporting and analysis has been seen by many, including President Trump… Since the start of the pandemic, Corey has pushed for educational reform, encouraging funds to be spent on students rather than public schools and teachers’ unions.”

It’s clear that Corey’s work has impacted many, leading to multiple Buckley Award nominations. Another nominator says, “he has shifted the national narrative around school choice through his academic work and commentary.”

His scholarly research, articles and publications, and public statements have earned Corey an award for both “meaningfully impacting news coverage of a high profile issue” as well as “contributing to the advancement of the ideas of a free society.”

Get to know Corey!

1. What moment or opportunity in your life do you believe played the largest part in getting you to where you are today?

My economics professor and mentor, John Merrifield, advised me to pursue a Ph.D. in education policy at the University of Arkansas. The connections and training I received there propelled my work on school choice.

2. What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your career so far?

Transitioning from writing for an academic audience to writing for the general public.

3. What piece of work or accomplishment are you most proud of?

My new co-edited book “School Choice Myths: Setting the Record Straight on Education Freedom” and publishing 32 peer-reviewed journal articles.

4. What inspired the above work or accomplishment?

The public school monopoly perpetuates a lot of myths when it comes to school choice. But the reality is that there aren’t any good reasons to fund institutions when you can fund students directly instead.

5. In your words, what motivates your belief in freedom?

Voluntaryism.

6. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing America today?

The public school monopoly. A broken K-12 education system is the root of so many other problems.

7. What is the next big goal or project you’re working on? 

I am seeking data to examine the effects of a Florida private school choice program on adult criminal activity. I am also already starting to respond to the attacks on school choice coming from the new administration.

8. What advice do you have for those who want to advance liberty and make a difference in our society?

Continue to engage in civil debate and make the case for individual liberty no matter how repetitive it may feel. The fight for liberty never stops.

9. We’re assuming you’re working from home a lot these days, but what does a typical day “at the office” look like for you? 

I worked from home even before the pandemic, so things aren’t much different on that end. But I don’t really have a “typical” day – it really depends on the media appearances that are scheduled on a given day and whether a deadline is approaching for a report. That said, I’m usually working on an op-ed, a full-length study, a podcast, or another type of media appearance.

10. Hobbies/side gigs/secret skills no one knows about? Any new quarantine-induced hobbies that you’ve picked up?

I spend way too much time on Twitter. But I also enjoy running and really miss traveling for conferences and other events.

11. What are you watching on Netflix/Amazon/Hulu right now? 

Queen’s Gambit

Hot takes:

Brewed coffee or latte/mocha/etc.? Iced Latte

Cat or dog? Dog

Android or Apple? Android

Email, GChat or Slack? None of the above. Text messaging, WhatsApp, or Twitter messages

Paper book or Kindle? Audiobook or podcast? Paper Book, Podcast

Wine or beer? Gin & Tonic

Hamilton, Jefferson, or Douglass? Milton Friedman

Uber or Lyft? Uber

Favorite band? I don’t have one

Home office or work from the couch? Home office

Pizza or tacos? Tacos

Social handles?
Twitter: @DeAngelisCorey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coreydeangelis
Instagram: @CoreyDeAngelis
Parler: @CoreyDeAngelis

Corey A. DeAngelis is the director of school choice at Reason Foundation. He is also an adjunct scholar at Cato Institute.

Corey’s research primarily focuses on the effects of school choice programs on non-academic outcomes such as criminal activity, character skills, mental health, political participation, and schooling supply. He has authored or co-authored over 40 journal articles, book chapters, and reports on education policy. His research has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals such as Social Science Quarterly, School Effectiveness and School Improvement, Educational Review, Educational Research and Evaluation, Journal of School Choice, and the Cato Journal. His work has also been featured at outlets such as USA Today, New York Post, The Hill, Washington Examiner, Foundation for Economic Education, EdChoice, and Education Next.