David McIntosh Club for Growth Breakfast Meeting

Date: May 14, 2025 Participants: Gary Sheng, Samuel Armes, David McIntosh Location: Restaurant in Washington, DC

Overview

This breakfast meeting connected Gary Sheng and Samuel Armes with David McIntosh, a prominent conservative leader at Club for Growth. The wide-ranging discussion covered Alpha Schools' AI-driven educational model, potential collaboration on a "Georgetown Day School 2.0" concept, Trump's executive order on AI in education, and broader political and educational strategy. The meeting established a foundation for potential partnerships, with specific plans to meet again for dinner with additional contacts and to pursue introductions to key government officials involved in AI education policy.

Key Discussion Points

Alpha Schools Model

Gary presented Alpha's AI-driven educational approach:

"What we built is the best in the world AI tutor system that gets them through the Common Core within just the first two hours of the day... Imagine two hours Common Core AI gamified learning that adapts to the learner."

"We can get you to top 1%. If you're bottom 10%, we can get you to median. Right? And I don't think I need to remind you that we have our 12th graders reading at a fucking 4th grade level. What a fucking embarrassment."

Gary emphasized their micro-school model with 10 kids per grade and their desire to maintain quality by staying "insulated from political pressure" to "actually focus on the fucking kids."

Education Policy Alignment

David shared his education reform vision that aligned with Alpha's approach:

"My goal would be... convert all funding in education to an ESA. So a parent decides if they want to stay in the public school because that's what they went to, they know it, they check it off. If they want something else, they choose that instead and all the money goes there."

He noted recent progress: "Five billion dollars for vouchers... It's a tax credit for people to set up a scholarship program."

Trump Executive Order on AI and Education

Samuel explained a key policy opportunity:

"Trump, April 23rd, signed an executive order on AI and education. And so Michael Kratsios is headed at, so they're developing a board with different agencies."

Gary emphasized the urgency: "Every day that we waste, we have less time to shape the rules that govern the next however many years of grant policy, at least 24 months of grant policy."

Georgetown Day School 2.0 Concept

Gary proposed a collaboration with David:

"I want to compete with Georgetown Day School with you. I want to start... It could be also middle school. It just has to be one of those cutoffs... But I want there to be a direct pipeline to your fellowship from the youngest age."

David responded positively: "I like that," and offered to connect Gary with people experienced in education scaling.

Faith-Based Education Integration

Gary emphasized the faith component of Alpha's vision:

"I think this could be outside of the movement that Jesus Christ started 2,000 years ago. I think this is the greatest movement the world has ever seen. That's the potential. Because it hits at the core of everything that we care about."

David resonated with this approach: "I think things succeed when you build things when they're actually God's plans and we're tapping into it. Everything that you've described defines it."

Networking and Connections

David offered several valuable connections:

1. Michael Kratsios (Office of Science and Technology) - for AI in education policy
2. Bo Hines - "the crypto guy" in the Trump administration
3. Nate Fisher of New Founding - "invest in Christian and Jason"
4. Ryan Dell - education consultant targeting homeschoolers
5. Greg Schultz - moderate Democrat for bipartisan initiatives

Club for Growth Fellowship

David explained his leadership development program:

"People who may or may not run for office, but are going to be leaders in their community... They're out of school for a while, but in their 30s."

"For the club, it's to mentor, elect, credential the next generation leaders. For me personally, it's to mentor younger folks."

Trump Cities Concept

Gary introduced his vision for "Trump Cities":

"The path to Trump solidifying his power long term is totally... So what's an order of complexity greater than a tower or a golf course? It's a city."

"Freedom cities. He understands that we need to experiment with new cities. He's been saying this since 2023."

Strategic Relationships

The meeting revealed several key strategic relationships:

• David McIntosh: Positioned as a potential partner for Georgetown Day School 2.0 and connector to the Trump administration
• Michael Kratsios: Identified as key target for shaping AI in education policy
• Bo Hines: Crypto leader in the administration who could be a valuable connection
• Josh "Bowser" Henderson: Mutual connection who would be joining them for dinner
• Nate Fisher/New Founding: Potential investment connection for faith-based education initiatives

Next Steps

1. Dinner Meeting: Plans to meet with David and Josh "Bowser" Henderson later that evening or the next day
2. Introduction to Greg Schultz: David offered to connect Gary with his moderate Democrat contact
3. Connect with Michael Kratsios: David to help facilitate a meeting about the AI in education executive order
4. Georgetown Day School 2.0: Further develop the concept for a collaborative school
5. Introduction to Bo Hines: David offered to reach out to Bo ahead of White House meeting on Friday

Personal Connections

The meeting also established personal connections:

• Gary shared his family's immigration story and how Bush's policies enabled him to be born in America
• David revealed his Chicago law school background, which connected with Gary's Chicago connections
• They discovered mutual appreciation for faith-based approaches to education and leadership
• Both expressed alignment on market-based approaches to education reform

Notable Quotes

"I'm not here for an accident, right? I understand that there's an executive order that every day that we waste, we have less time to shape the rules that govern the next however many years of grant policy." - Gary Sheng

"The problem is, having worked here 40 some years, it's too simple, straightforward for Washington." - David McIntosh on his ESA proposal

"I think the only issue that I, like, Sam knows, when I'm passionate about something... It has to be the best. It has to be the best." - Gary Sheng

"Structurally, my biggest responsibility is to raise money so that we can do all that. Underneath that, what I've tried to do is create a funnel for leadership, and that's where the fellowship comes in." - David McIntosh

The breakfast established strong mutual interest in collaboration, particularly around shaping AI in education policy through Michael Kratsios, developing the Georgetown Day School 2.0 concept, and exploring faith-based educational initiatives. Both parties committed to follow-up meetings and specific introductions to advance these goals.