It's back-to-school season, and the very meaning of a proper education seems to be more up for grabs than ever before. K-12 education is still bobbing in the long, tumultuous wake of pandemic lockdowns that invited unprecedented parental scrutiny of what happens in the classroom, resulted in years of learning loss, and catapulted schools into the political and cultural arena. 

We've invited on Deb Fillman, creator of the fascinating Substack The Reason We Learn, because she offers sharp, critical analysis of the current state of American schools informed by a blend of her real-world experience as a teacher, tutor, and homeschool parent and her philosophical commitment to individualism and free and critical thought, all of which she believes are under sustained attack. We also debate whether Fillman is correct in her opposition to school choice programs.

0:00—Introduction

2:48—Defining a good school

6:01—The literacy crisis in education

8:55—Teaching methods and their impact

12:00—The importance of the Western canon

14:47—Digital age and reading habits

21:09—Socioeconomic disparities in education

24:05—The future of education and equity

37:05—Ideological capture in education

41:29—The role of ethnic studies in schools

48:58—The complexity of historical narratives

54:50—The shift in educational focus

01:01:08—The rise of collectivism in education

01:07:55—The evolution of identity politics

01:10:56—Fillman's critique of school choice programs

01:30:54—A question Fillman thinks more people should be asking

"Not-so-great expectations: Students are reading fewer books in English class," by Sharon Lurye

"Teaching Teens to Think in a World That Doesn't Want Them To," by Deb Fillman

Voices: An ethnic studies curriculum

"American Kids Are Functionally Illiterate, and Only Their Parents Can Fix It," by Tim White

• Producer: John Osterhoudt

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