EdNews Virginia | February 19, 2026
The Heritage Foundation announced Thursday that Dr. Corey DeAngelis, one of the nation’s most prominent advocates for educational freedom, has officially joined the organization as a research fellow in the Center for Education Policy.
The move places the man often called the “school choice evangelist” at the D.C.-based think tank just across the Potomac from Virginia — a development that local advocates say could accelerate the drive for parental rights and education scholarships in the Commonwealth.
A ‘Powerhouse’ Partnership
In its official announcement, The Heritage Foundation highlighted DeAngelis’s track record of data-driven advocacy and his work exposing hypocrisy within the educational establishment.
“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,” said Jonathan Butcher, acting director of the foundation’s Center for Education Policy. “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.”
In a statement shared by Heritage, DeAngelis expressed his enthusiasm for the new role, which places him at the center of the nation’s most influential conservative policy debates.
“It’s a tremendous honor to become a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, recognized as the world’s leading conservative think tank,” DeAngelis said. “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.”
The Virginia Angle: A Call for ‘Greater Freedom’
For Virginia families, the move is more than just a personnel change in a D.C. office. According to the Heritage Foundation’s Education Freedom Report Card, Virginia currently ranks 22nd overall in education freedom, but it lags at 33rd in the nation for “Education Choice” — a gap advocates hope DeAngelis can help close.
Nathan Brinkman, executive director of EdReform Virginia, sees the move as a major win for the region. Brinkman noted that DeAngelis offered “great encouragement” during the early stages of launching EdReform Virginia.
“Corey was a source of great encouragement when I was first brainstorming the idea of launching EdReform Virginia,” Brinkman said. “Having Corey at Heritage, just across the river, bodes incredibly well for Virginia families yearning for greater educational freedom. His stated mission to fund students, not systems, is only going to intensify right in our backyard.”
A Growing Movement
DeAngelis joins a team at Heritage that includes educational thought leaders such as Jason Bedrick and Matthew Ladner. His arrival comes as more than a dozen states have moved toward universal school choice programs in recent years. DeAngelis’s move to Heritage offers a major shot of adrenaline to Virginians wanting to join that list.