Law professor and public education policy expert Derek Black joins us to talk about his new book "Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy." In this informal but profound discussion, we review how the country's founding fathers and early government documents linked public education to the survival of the new democracy and where we have arrived today with public school funding, vouchers, and charter schools. From Betsy DeVos's promotion of religious schools to small-government advocates and libertarians' desire for choice, public education has been under attack during the past decade while recent years have also seen large demonstrations in support of teachers, bringing the nation's commitment to public education to a critical juncture, accentuated by the pandemic. This critical episode is the first in our new series about education and teaching.

Derek's new book:
https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/derek-w-black/schoolhouse-burning/9781541788442/

Derek's Ted Talk he mentions:
https://www.ted.com/talks/derek_black_a_well_informed_citizenry_fact_vs_fiction_in_american_media_then_and_now

Follow Derek on Twitter:
@DerekWBlack

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