Ian Underwood Archives - Granite Grok

UNDERWOOD:📣 Two (2) New BMBooks!

December 8, 2025 Jody Underwood

It’s been a while since Ian Underwood has published a Bare Minimum Book. And now we have two! Just in time for the holidays. Rethinking Fun in Education and Slouching Towards Concord. New book 1:Rethinking Fun in Education This third book in the Rethinking Education trilogy argues that schools have morphed into de facto community centers, in … Read more

Granite State Live: Education Disaster + Department of War!

September 11, 2025September 9, 2025 Granite State Live

This week on Granite State Live, we start with what public schools have become, the education funding disaster in Claremont, and the opportunities it presents for real reform with guests Kevin Tyson, and Jody and Ian Underwood. Then it’s Tyler Grey, Actor and Star of SEAL Team, a former Delta Force Operator, and the Author of Forged in Chaos: A Warrior’s Origin Story, on the … Read more

Podcast: The Case to Fund SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS not EXPENSIVE SCHOOLS!

May 24, 2025 The New England Take

Ian Underwood, a scientist and mathematician (not to mention a libertarian), breaks down why we should rethink how schools measure success and the impact it should have on education funding. Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those of Grok Media, LLC, GraniteGrok.com, its sponsors, readers, authors, or advertisers. Follow these links for … Read more

Don’t Forget Melanie’s Birthday

May 1, 2025 Julie Smith

May 20 is just an ordinary day for most people, but not for Ms Melanie Levesque. It’s her birthday and I’m giving everyone early notice so they can plan ahead just like I have. No, I am not giving her a brand new pair of roller skates or a brand new key. I have something … Read more

A Deep Dive Into The Claremont Decisions Part VII

April 2, 2025 Steve MacDonald

With former NASA planetary scientist and AI researcher, Ian Underwood Paul Ingbretson continues the critical Claremont Decision interviews with a New Hampshire based mathematician and former NASA scientist who offers much needed clarifying common sense about the implications of the Supreme Court’s now-infamous Claremont rulings. Missed the previous installments? Disclosure: Ian is a longtime contributor … Read more

GrokTALK! With Ian and Jody Underwood – Education Funding

April 2, 2025January 15, 2025 GrokTALK!

My guests are Jody and Ian Underwood. The topic is education, Public, private, Homeschool, charters, funding, including EFAs, and more. From unconstitutional monopiles to Claremont, from 5 feet to 30,000 feet, we fit it all in one hour. Production note: I’m still futzing with the program details: lighting, framing, logo, splash, music, all of it. … Read more

GrokTALK (Sort Of). Let Me Explain

April 2, 2025January 8, 2025 GrokTALK!

GrokTALK is back, and I have Ian and Jody Underwood lined up to talk about education freedom accounts, Public ed in New Hampshire, and so on. We were going to record on Monday evening, but I was incapacitated. I cannot speak (at least not clearly), so talking to anyone for an hour was out of … Read more

American Flag original image by by Dave Sherrill on Unsplash

A Republic, If You Can Keep It

July 9, 2025November 30, 2024 Russ Payne

I appreciate Ian Underwood addressing a quote in my 11/23 article, “Make America States Again.” “I’m just responding to this from the article: Our Constitutional Republic structure, called Federalism, was wisely summed up by James Madison: The powers of the federal government are few and defined, while the states have unlimited powers. ‘I find it … Read more

Promoted from Comments: “For a long time, parents have treated ‘public schools’ like some kind of birthright, to be funded at everyone else’s expense.”

April 29, 2024 Steve MacDonald

We’ve been talking (in comments) about Ian’s great comments (Ian Underwood). They are almost always thought-provoking, which is the point of comments. Yeah, we like the sark, snide, and sarcasm, too, but the intellectual journey demands people be willing to get pushed out of their comfort zones.

Comment of the Week Winner: Ian Underwood

April 25, 2024 Steve MacDonald

Apologies for the delayed announcement. I started it but then got sidetracked. It happens. But we posted the comments, and you voted, and this week’s winner is Ian Underwood.

Book Report: “Stop Lying about Education Savings Accounts”

March 18, 2024 Julie Smith

When I learned that Ian Underwood’s latest book was available, I eagerly awaited an opportunity to buy it. An in-person sale that didn’t require excessive miles on my odometer. Today was the day because his wife had a table at an event in my zip code.

The Feudal Model of State-funded Education

December 7, 2024February 29, 2024 Kevin P. Tyson

I recently attended Ian Underwood’s presentation titled “Back to Schools” at the Sullivan County GOP Committee meeting, during which he argued coherently and consistently for separating the concerns of what to include in government-funded schools and what to exclude.

Our First “Comment” of the Week Winner!

January 8, 2024 Steve MacDonald

Let me begin by saying this was not easy. There were many excellent comments on a wide range of topics across nearly every piece of content we published last week. But as they say in the Movie Highlander. There can be only one.

If Black Lives Mattered They’d Be Demanding Reading Proficiency not Reparations

September 3, 2023September 3, 2023 Steve MacDonald

Ian Underwood has a great article on education priorities. He talks about the goals for which schools and their advocates (parents, lawmakers, taxpayers, society) should strive. That if you teach kids to read, they can then learn anything.

Croydon+Budget+Battle+half+cover.001 Bare Minimum Books

Shoutout to Grokster Ian Underwood – a Book Report on Ian’s Books

July 16, 2023 Skip

I have known Cindy Bennet for a while now, and while we may not always be on the same paragraph on things, I admire her as she’s SMAHT, is aware of what’s going on in a whole range of issues, is thoughtful and great to talk to. She also has a YouTube channel here.

Required Reading – The Fast and Easy Way to “Level Up” Your Understanding …

May 25, 2023 Op-Ed

For the sake of honesty and full disclosure, I should first point out my lack of qualifications to fancy myself a book critic, but when I have something to say that’s worth shouting from the rooftops, why hold back?

XIV: How the Fourteenth Amendment Ate the First Ten

July 10, 2022 Op-Ed

I’m going to pimp my husband Ian Underwood’s first published book! If you’ve ever wondered why the government can search you in an airport or why there can be gun laws despite what’s in the 4^th and 2^nd amendments, if you’ve ever seen 400-page legal tomes and wished you could get the information in one sitting, if you enjoy reading Ian’s ‘Grok posts, this is the book for you.

Notable Quote – Ian Underwood

May 5, 2020 Skip

Yep, Grokster Ian gets a two-fer Day today; this one “Why Liberty?” and gives a perfect answer: Every other organizing principle for society begins by denying this fundamental truth about humans: You don’t know what’s best for me, and I don’t know what’s best for you. And so every other organizing principle is doomed to the kind of failure that … Read more

Ed-icaid: A Better Word for the Failed Government Monopoly on Education?

March 7, 2020March 7, 2020 Steve MacDonald

The government-run public school experiment has failed. Costs are out of control, and most of the money is spent on overhead, in other words, typical of government interventions. We’re wasting millions annually, at every opportunity, to pay staff and managers who have nothing to do with teaching.