BustED Pencils

Marianne Williamson BustED some pencils!

In this special episode of the BustEDpencils Pod, Tim and Johnny are joined by Democratic Candidate for President of the United States–Marianne Williamson.
Marianne lays out her plan for American public education and discusses her "Whole Student Educational System."
Tim and Johnny also ask Marianne about her vision for a Department of Children and Youth and how the restoration of the American History and Civics curriculum in our schools can function as a critical motivator in building a just democracy!
 

System of a Down: However, there is Hope!

"The first mystery of system change in education is why has the 200-year-old current system in Western societies not transformed when the majority of people have known for at least 50 years that it does not work?"
Michael Fullan wrote this in January of 2023.  In this episode of BustED pencils Extended Pod, Tim and Johnny continue the powerful conversation with Dr. Michael Fullan and Joanna Rizzotto about how to change the current education system from pain, suffering, and despair, to joy, passion, and purpose!
Resources:
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-when-it-comes-to-the-teacher-shortage-whos-abandoning-whom/2022/08
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-teacher-power-can-be-the-force-for-education-what-would-that-look-like/2023/09
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-why-we-cant-escape-the-status-quo-in-education/2023/01
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-how-to-address-system-change-in-education/2023/01

Teaching the Kinship Worldview without Misappropriating Indigeneity

In this episode of the BustEDpencils Pod, Tim and Johnny are joined by Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows) to explore the connections between Indigenous ways of Knowing and the act of teaching and learning in traditional public schools. 
What can an American fifth-grade science teacher do when confronted with the goal of planning to teach state standards while at the same time teaching nature and spirit-based ecology unit?  Run away right?  Don’t Misappropriate! Stick to the standards and play it safe?
Here is an invitation from Four Arrows to lean into the “spirit” of transformative teaching and learning. 
Why should you accept this invitation? 
Who else is going to save the world?
 
Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows), also known as Don Jacobs, has been an educator for four decades. Previously Director of Education at Oglala Lakota College, he is currently a professor in Fielding Graduate University’s Educational Leadership for Change doctoral program. Selected by AERO as one of “27 visionaries in education” he is the author of 24 books, including Restoring the Kinship Worldview, selected by UC Berkeley’s Science Center for the Greater Good as one of the top “Thought-provoking, inspiring and practice” science books of 2022. A musician, surfer, horseman and environmental activist, he lives in Jalisco Mexico where he uses Indigenous worldview as part of his work in creating a marine sanctuary on the Pacific coast of Jalisco.
Resources:
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/biodiversity-un-report-indigenous-worldview/
 
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/our_favorite_books_of_2022
 
https://ices.library.ubc.ca/index.php/criticaled/article/view/186438
 
https://youtu.be/QkQTeVmHn7M
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishmael_(Quinn_novel)
 
 

Education Reform Redux: Challenging the Grift.

In this episode of the BustEDpencils pod, Tim and Johnny are joined by Paul Thomas and John Warner to discuss the post by Michael J. Petrilli-A bridge back to bipartisan education reform.
Petrilli argues that it is time to bring back the days of NCLB and RttT because it was so bipartisan and the changes to public education were celebratory.  However, as Paul, John, Johnny and Tim discuss the post it becomes quite clear that something else is going on.  Maybe the bipartisan reformers fear the current culture warriors and their real threat to the entire American public education system.  Why is this a concern?  The loss of the GRIFT.
Also, check out this post in Politico. The bipartisan deconstruction leads Tim, Johnny, Paul, and John to an analysis of the failed strategy of Democrats when it comes to public schools.  Democrats just don't get the concept of freedom.
Also mentioned during this episode:
https://radicalscholarship.com/2023/08/28/deja-vu-all-over-again-the-never-ending-pursuit-of-scientific-instruction/
https://radicalscholarship.com/2023/08/28/deja-vu-all-over-again-the-never-ending-pursuit-of-scientific-instruction/
 
https://radicalscholarship.com/2023/08/24/education-reform-has-been-bipartisan-and-conservative-for-more-than-40-years-what-would-progressive-education-reform-look-like/
https://radicalscholarship.com/2023/09/18/forty-years-of-failure-when-caricature-drives-education-reform-in-post-truth-america/
Campbell's Law.
Berliner and Biddle.
Tim's son Luke.
 
 
 
 
 

Career Ready or Imagination Ready: How to study parallel universes.

In this episode of BustEDpencils extended pod, Tim and Johnny continue the conversation with Ethan Siegel about how to study parallel universes. 
The conversation started when a 9th-grade student informed Ethan that they were in a computer science career track but wanted to know what to do to study parallel universes.  This question inspired Ethan to challenge current school policy to push students into career tracks too early.
In the extended pod, Tim, Johnny, and Ethan dig deeper into the career ready obsession that dominates public school policy.  
What if career ready is at odds with a powerful and liberating public education?
Check out Ethan's new book: The littlest girl goes inside an atom.
 

A Nation at Risk Part 2

In this episode of BustEDpencils pod, Tim and Johnny interview Dr. Brad Mitchell.  Dr. Mitchell served on the staff for the National Commission On Excellence in Education that produced "A Nation at Risk".
Dr. Mitchell takes us on a trip back 40 years ago and provides first-hand insight and analysis regarding the production and purpose of A Nation at Risk.  
Join us a dig even deeper.

PragerU Propaganda Pedagogy: Subversive Teaching with Dr. Carol Burris

Dr. Carol Corbett Burris joins Tim and Johnny for an extended interview to dig deeper into the depths of teaching with propaganda—PragerU.  
We discuss the essential role teachers in public schools play in maintaining American democracy—teaching students the skill of discernment.  
Carol's post on Diane Ravitch's blog was the inspiration.
The views expressed on this podcast by Carol Burris are her own and do not represent any views of any organizations mentioned in this episode.

A Nation at Risk: Will the Truth finally set US free?

Tim and Johnny welcome James Harvey to BustEDPencils.  In 1983 James was the Chief of Staff at the National Institute of Education and was a key author of A Nation at Risk.  In this episode, James shares the truth behind this 37-page report that duped America and hijacked American public schools' democratic mission.

Kentucky Education Commish Jason Glass: Ethical Leadership!

Kentucky Education Commish Jason Glass joins Tim and Johnny for an extended conversation regarding his decision to step down. "I will not implement the dangerous anti LGBTQ law." 

To Begin the World Over Again! Extended Time

Dr. Harvey Kaye joins Tim and Johnny for an extended talk about reclaiming Thomas Paine's "radical" vision for democracy and how public schools can lead the revolution.