Emmy-winning investigative reporter Chris Papst (Project Baltimore) unpacks Failure Factory: soaring Baltimore City Public Schools budgets, stagnant outcomes, grade-changing allegations, and public-records battles that raise waste and potential fraud red flags. What real accountability could look like for taxpayers, parents, and students. As the nation grapples with government fraud allegations across the country, Papst brings a unique perspective.

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Chapters:

00:00:00 – Why Independent Voters Need a Different Education Conversation
00:00:29 – Introducing Chris Papst and the Failure Factory Investigation
00:01:42 – Following the Money: Rising School Budgets, Stagnant Outcomes
00:05:27 – Graduation Rates vs Math Proficiency: The Data Gap
00:07:28 – Where the Money Really Went: Administrators Over Classrooms
00:11:46 – Grade Changing and the Illusion of Student Success
00:14:01 – Suing the School System and Uncovering Systemic Fraud
00:16:29 – Accountability Failure and the Role of Local Elections
00:21:18 – Broken Incentives, Leadership Failure, and Voter Responsibility