If you’ve listened to this podcast over the years you know that we champion “historical thinking” as one of our best hopes for sustaining and preserving American democratic life. In this episode we talk with Zachary Cote, the Executive Director […]
K-12 teaching
A defender of liberalism and academic freedom opposes Ron DeSantis’s “anti-woke” agenda
Here is a clip from the end of Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s “State of the State” yesterday: I’ll let writer and political scientist Yascha Mounk, a defender of liberal values and academic freedom, take it from here. His recent piece […]
Hey Oklahoma, teachers need a college degree
Have you heard about this? Here is Janelle Stecklein at the Enid News & Eagle: In response to Oklahoma’s continued teacher shortage, lawmakers passed a measure that no longer requires educators to have a college degree in order to teach […]
Are you listening to the Secondary Sources podcast?
Over the years the Conference on Faith and History (CFH) has worked hard to cultivate relationships with secondary school history teachers. I have been honored over the years to be part of these initiatives and am thrilled to see this […]
The American Historical Association wants to help K-12 history teachers navigate so-called “divisive concepts” laws
Here is more from the American Historical Association website: To date, at least 14 states have passed legislation prohibiting the teaching of concepts associated with race and slavery in the United States. At least another 16 states have similar bills […]
North Dakota bans critical race theory in K-12 schools. How should the state’s history teachers respond?
North Dakota governor Doug Burgum just signed a bill that bans the teaching of critical race theory in K-12 schools. Here are a few of the pertinent sections: Each school district and public school shall ensure instruction of its curriculum […]
“Very fine people on both sides” comes to a Texas school district
Here is NBC News: SOUTHLAKE, Texas — A top administrator with the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake advised teachers last week that if they have a book about the Holocaust in their classroom, they should also offer students access to a […]
A Missouri legislative committee held a hearing on teaching race and racism. No Black parents, teachers, or scholars testified
Seriously? Here is Summer Ballentine at the Associated Press: A Missouri legislative committee on Monday held a hearing on how educators teach K-12 students about race and racism without hearing from any Black Missourians. No Black parents, teachers or scholars […]
Souderton, Pennsylvania debates “critical race theory”
A recent school district meeting on critical race theory in Souderton, Pennsylvania reveals just how crazy this entire debate has become. Based on Kenny Cooper’s reporting of the event at the website of WHYY (Philadelphia’s public broadcasting television and radio […]
John McWhorter on critical race theory and what is happening in schools under the name of “critical race theory”
The Columbia University professor lets it rip, as he is prone to do, at his Substack newsletter. A lot of things worth considering here. McWhorter has always made a lot of sense to me on this issue. Here is a […]
Florida senator Rick Scott introduces a resolution condemning critical race theory
More of the same. Indiana’s Mike Braun and Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn are also on board. Here is the text of the resolution. Expressing the sense of the Senate that Critical Race Theory serves as a prejudicial ideological tool, rather than […]
Out of the Zoo: Saying Goodbye
Annie Thorn is senior history major from Kalamazoo, Michigan and our intern here at The Way of Improvement Leads Home. As part of her internship she is writing a weekly column titled “Out of the Zoo.” It focuses on life as a […]