What if schools aren’t incentivized to educate kids… but to enroll them?
Baltimore City Public Schools went from a $1.3 billion budget to $1.8 billion in just eight years. Graduation rates barely moved. Math proficiency? Around 12%.
In this episode, National Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter Chris Papst (Project Baltimore, FOX45) joins us to expose what he uncovered after nearly a decade investigating public education.
What he found:
• 12,500 failing grades changed to passing
• Enrollment driving funding — not performance
• $500 million more per year… with no meaningful academic gains
• Administrative expansion while teacher numbers stayed flat
His bestselling book “Failure Factory” lays out the data, the documents, and the legal battles that forced transparency into a system that fought to hide it.
This isn’t just Baltimore’s story. According to Papst, it’s a nationwide pattern.
If you care about:
• Education
• Tax dollars
• Accountability
• The future of your community
This conversation matters.
📘 About Chris Papst
Chris Papst is a National Emmy-winning investigative journalist and the lead reporter behind Project Baltimore at FOX45. His reporting led to legal precedent-setting lawsuits, state law changes, and recognition from the NAACP.
📖 Grab his book “Failure Factory” here:
👉 https://www.chrispapst.com
👉 Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold
Follow Chris:
X / Twitter: @ChrisPapst
Facebook: Chris Papst
🎯 Topics We Cover
• How funding formulas reward enrollment — not education
• The mechanics of grade manipulation
• Where education money actually goes
• Administrative growth vs classroom investment
• Why public officials avoid accountability
• How parents can investigate their own districts
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 The Education Funding Paradox
03:27 Investigating Baltimore’s Public School System
06:23 The Focus on Funding Over Education
09:27 Uncovering Grade Manipulation
12:35 The Consequences of Failing Education
15:15 The Role of Enrollment in Funding
18:34 Administrative Growth vs. Student Outcomes
21:36 Data-Driven Insights on Education Funding
24:22 The Impact of Poor Educational Outcomes
27:18 The Future of Public Education Funding
33:52 The Changing Landscape of Education
36:25 The Financial Incentives in Public Education
41:45 Investigative Journalism and Its Challenges
48:17 The Importance of Education Reform
54:18 The Broader Implications of Failing Education Systems
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