Podcast Summary: "Saving America's Schools, with Norton Rainey"

VINCE | Cumulus Podcast Network | Episode 177 | November 26, 2025
Host: Vince Coglianese
Guest: Norton Rainey, CEO of ACE Scholarships

Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

In this special Thanksgiving week edition of VINCE, host Vince Coglianese sits down with Norton Rainey, a leading advocate for school choice and CEO of ACE Scholarships. The episode tackles the educational crisis in America—especially low proficiency in reading and math among public school students—and introduces a revolutionary new federal school choice tax credit. The conversation dives into the root causes of failing educational outcomes, the impact of school choice, and how listeners can actively participate in transforming American education, especially for low-income families.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crisis in American Education

• Recent data illustrates a dire situation: only 14–19% of low-income students are proficient in math and reading; a third of eighth graders are functionally illiterate ([05:17]).
• Historical context: Educational failure has been acknowledged for decades, tracing back to the "A Nation at Risk" report in the early 1980s ([05:17]).
• Despite record spending, outcomes continue to decline; the U.S. nears $1 trillion in annual public education spending, but results lag ([07:50]).
• High spending doesn't translate to better education—average public school spending per student is ~$20,000/year, while private schools average about $10,000 ([08:51]).

2. The Real-World Consequences of Illiteracy

• Early literacy, specifically reading by third grade, is a pivotal milestone. Failure to achieve it is closely linked to lifelong struggles, including poverty and incarceration ([10:01]).

  "If you can't read by third grade, you really never catch up."
  —Norton Rainey, [10:01]

• 2/3 of prison inmates are high school dropouts; lack of education perpetuates generational poverty and government dependence ([11:27]).

3. Education as the Lever for Societal Improvement

• Addressing education is a gateway to solving larger social problems (crime, healthcare, immigration, etc.):

  "If you educate our kids, you can actually take care of every one of those other issues. So it all begins with education."
  —Norton Rainey, [10:01]

4. ACE Scholarships: How the Model Works

• ACE provides privately funded, partial-tuition scholarships for low-income families to attend K-12 private schools across 30 states ([16:14]).
• The scholarship is split three ways: ACE, participating schools, and families (who contribute about $2,000/year on ~$50,000 average annual income), fostering high engagement and “skin in the game” ([16:14]).

  "99% of our kids graduate" from high school, versus far lower rates for similar demographics in public systems ([17:16]).

• Focus is not just on graduation rates, but real proficiency in core areas: scholarship recipients are 3-4 times more proficient in math and reading than their peers ([17:29]).

5. The New Federal School Choice Tax Credit

• The "big beautiful bill" (2025) creates a federal tax credit for school choice donations, starting January 2027 ([18:59], [20:39]).
• How it works: Anyone can donate up to $1,700 annually to organizations like ACE Scholarships and receive a tax credit—dollar-for-dollar reduction on their IRS bill ([20:56], [21:06]).

  "Now...you can now give that to an organization like ACE so it doesn't cost you a penny."
  —Norton Rainey, [18:59]

• Designed to vastly expand funding for school choice, potentially benefiting millions of students, not just the current thousands ([22:29]).
• Governors can opt their states out, and while many red states will opt-in, bipartisan support exists in places like Colorado ([23:12]).

6. The Transformational Potential

• Vince and Norton stress the once-in-a-generation chance to reshape American education if enough Americans participate ([22:29]).

  "This could actually fundamentally change the entire face of education in the United States."
  —Vince Coglianese, [22:29]

• The tax credit isn’t limited to private schools; it can also support enrichment within public and homeschool settings ([22:29]).
• Personal stories illustrate the stakes and the difference ACE makes—from families saving children from destructive environments to success stories enabled by scholarships ([23:12]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "[O]nly a third of these kids in 8th grade are actually literate, which is a very alarming data point."
  —Norton Rainey ([05:17])

• "It's not always about the money. It's about having the right environment for a kid where a parent can choose to put their kid in a school that's right for their kids."
  —Norton Rainey ([09:06])

• "If you can't read by third grade, you really never catch up."
  —Norton Rainey ([10:01])

• "2/3 of all prison inmates are high school dropouts. Two thirds. And there's people who just didn't make it to the end."
  —Vince Coglianese ([10:51])

• "The American dream is that you can live in the greatest country in the world and that through your education, you can advance in life..."
  —Norton Rainey ([11:27])

• "We operate in 30 states currently and we do it two ways. We have privately funded scholarships for generous people who believe in what we do..."
  —Norton Rainey ([16:14])

• "99% of our kids graduate"
  —Norton Rainey ([17:16])

• "[The federal tax credit] allows every American beginning in 2027 to claim a seventeen hundred dollar tax credit when they give to programs like ACE Scholarships."
  —Norton Rainey ([18:59])

• "It's like stealing the money that you would actually pay in taxes to Uncle Sam every year. You can now give that to an organization like ACE so it doesn't cost you a penny."
  —Norton Rainey ([18:59])

• "We think that we have a chance of actually raising billions of dollars at a national level and filling the seats in our schools..."
  —Norton Rainey ([21:38])

• "It's about Our children. It's not about special interest groups."
  —Norton Rainey ([23:12])

• "We're thankful for the people who are trying to constantly improve [the country] ... you can reshape the face of American education."
  —Vince Coglianese ([25:13])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:55: Vince introduces the educational crisis and national report card results.
• 05:17: Norton Rainey outlines the scope and history of educational decline.
• 07:50: Discussion on record education spending and where the money goes.
• 10:01: The lifelong impact of early illiteracy and its connection to other social issues.
• 11:27: The link between education and poverty, crime, and the American dream.
• 16:14: Details on the ACE Scholarships model and results.
• 17:16 – 18:11: Graduation rates and proficiency among ACE recipients.
• 18:59: Explanation of the new federal school choice tax credit.
• 20:39 – 21:06: Practicalities of claiming the tax credit.
• 22:29: The national transformational potential of the program.
• 23:12: Limitations, state opt-in/opt-out, and bipartisan support.
• 25:13 – End: Closing thoughts on the mission and impact of ACE Scholarships.

How Listeners Can Get Involved

• Beginning in 2027, Americans can participate in the federal school choice tax credit by donating up to $1,700 to ACE Scholarships for a full tax credit refund ([20:56]).
• More information and ways to help are available at acescholarships.org ([26:21]).

Final Thoughts

Vince and Norton urge listeners to recognize education as the foundation of American greatness and self-determination. The new tax credit represents an unprecedented national opportunity for ordinary Americans to drive change—potentially on a massive scale.

"Understand something. Your support of ACE scholarships, it works. It's a tremendous return..."
—Norton Rainey ([25:55])

Happy Thanksgiving from VINCE and the ACE Scholarships team—future generations are counting on informed, engaged citizens to act.