Education reform advocate and bestselling author Corey A. DeAngelis is joining the Heritage Foundation as a research fellow, The Daily Wire has learned, marking a significant new hire as the conservative think tank reshapes its staff following months of internal conflict.
DeAngelis will serve as a research fellow in Heritage’s Center for Education Policy, where he will focus on advancing school choice, challenging teacher union power, and addressing cultural issues surrounding race and gender in education. He is the national bestselling author of The Parent Revolution and currently serves as an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, among several other policy roles.
“It’s a tremendous honor to become a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, recognized as the world’s leading conservative think tank,” DeAngelis told The Daily Wire. “I am proud to join this powerhouse and lock arms with an education team stacked with the best talent in the education freedom movement. Together, we’ll advance policies that empower families and expand school choice across the nation.”
Heritage formally announced DeAngelis’s Thursday, sharing that he will work within its Center for Education Policy. Jonathan Butcher, acting director of the center and Will Skillman, senior research fellow, praised DeAngelis’s record of research and advocacy.
“Corey has produced high-quality research demonstrating the effectiveness of education choice and regularly exposes policymakers who choose private schools for their own families but deny such choices to others,” Butcher said in a statement. “Corey and the members of Heritage’s education policy staff have been working with the same goals in mind for years, and we are very pleased to add him to the team.”
Jay W. Richards, vice president of social and domestic policy at the Heritage Foundation and the William E. Simon Senior Research Fellow in American Principles and Public Policy, also praised DeAngelis’s addition to the team, emphasizing the practical impact of his work on education reform.
“We are thrilled to welcome Corey DeAngelis to Heritage’s Center for Education Policy,” Richards said. Corey brings a rare combination of rigorous research, real-world policy engagement, and an unwavering focus on empowering families. His work has helped elevate education choice from an abstract policy debate to a concrete, parent-centered reform agenda. We are excited to have his voice and expertise strengthening Heritage’s mission to expand educational freedom and opportunity for all.”
DeAngelis’s hire comes amid a period of internal upheaval at Heritage that has led to a noticeable reshuffling of personnel. The infighting, which spilled into public view in recent weeks, led to a rift among some Heritage staffers and senior figures, accelerating departures and prompting leadership to bring in new talent aligned with its core policy mission.
More than a dozen Heritage staffers departed for Advancing American Freedom (AAF), a Mike Pence-founded and aligned group. Their departure to AAF is significant given that many Trump loyalists and even the White House itself often shies away from the organization’s initiatives due to a dislike of the former vice president.
The staff shakeup followed a high-profile dispute over the ideological direction of the conservative movement, sparked in part by Heritage’s initial defense of Tucker Carlson following his interview with Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist figure.
Heritage President Kevin Roberts later said that his response to the controversy had been a mistake, saying his earlier language was poorly chosen. Since then, the think tank has moved to reinforce its institutional identity and refocus on policy-driven conservatism. Remarks from Ben Shapiro during a speech at Heritage criticized Tucker Carlson and called for “ideological borders” within conservatism.
DeAngelis’s addition appears to be part of that broader recalibration. Heritage has recently announced other high-profile hires recently, notably conservative intellectual Daniel McCarthy, signaling a renewed effort to consolidate talent and reassert the organization’s influence within the conservative policy ecosystem.
We’re thrilled to announce the hiring of one of the absolute best in conservatism today, Daniel McCarthy (@ToryAnarchist).
After Dan’s terrific service @ISI—one of the great institutions on the Right—he will continue his scholarship at Heritage, helping us to facilitate some… pic.twitter.com/3zeNhcZnDR
— Kevin Roberts (@KevinRobertsTX) February 17, 2026
Heritage officials have emphasized that the think tank’s mission remains centered on promoting conservative public policies rooted in free enterprise, limited government, individual liberty, traditional American values, and strong national defense, an agenda closely aligned with DeAngelis’s long-standing work on education freedom.
.png)
.png)
