Welcome to Magnet Voice!

Magnet Voice is the official podcast of Magnet Schools of America, featuring real conversations from the field about magnet schools and public education. Hosted by MSA CEO Ramin Taheri, the podcast elevates the voices of educators, school leaders, policymakers, and partners who are shaping innovative, inclusive schools by design.

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Hosted by MSA CEO
Ramin Taheri

Each episode explores what’s working, what’s evolving, and what’s next in magnet education—from classroom practice and student pathways to equity, diversity, and community impact. Through candid discussions and real-world examples, Magnet Voice highlights how magnet schools create choice, opportunity, and meaningful learning experiences for students across the country.

Whether you’re a district leader, educator, policymaker, or advocate for public education, Magnet Voice offers insight, inspiration, and practical perspectives from those doing the work every day.

Magnet Voice: The Data Behind Student Success

Episode 5 | Release Date: June 25, 2026

FEATURED GUESTS:

Dr. Peggy Carr

Peggy G. Carr, Ph.D., is a nationally recognized leader in education statistics who served as Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) from 2021 to 2025. Appointed by President Joe Biden, she was the first woman and first African American to hold the position. As NCES Senior Executive, Dr. Carr oversaw the nation’s premier source of education data and became widely known as the public voice of the Nation’s Report Card (NAEP) for decades.

Internationally, Dr. Carr represented the United States in major cross-national efforts, including service with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), where she was Vice Chair of the Governing Board for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), helping guide global education comparisons.

Dr. Carr is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Maryland in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology. Earlier in her career, she served as Chief Statistician for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and as a professor of statistics and research methodology at Howard University. Throughout her career, Dr. Carr has been widely recognized for distinguished leadership and public service at the national and international levels, including election to the National Academy of Education.

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