Stay ConnectedTake Back Our Schools puts you on the front lines of the culture wars as Andrew Gutmann and Beth Feeley explore the increasing politicalization of our schools and universities and just what to do about it.
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In this powerful episode of Take Back Our Schools, Beth and Andrew speak with Mom and children’s advocate, Erin Friday. Erin shares her emotional journey rescuing her own teenage daughter from the cult of transgender ideology. She speaks about the role of sex ed curriculum in schools in introducing children to concepts of gender ideology, and how the isolation from extended school closures during Covid encouraged girls to become lost in a sea of toxic social media and susceptible to social contagion. Erin also discusses how schools are deliberating keeping parents in the dark about their children and driving a wedge between parent and child. We also talk to Erin about her advocacy and legislative work in California aimed at protecting vulnerable children and holding schools and healthcare institutions responsible for the damage being down to vulnerable children because of gender ideology and the trans movement. Erin Friday, Esq. is a California licensed attorney and lifetime Democrat. She practiced law for over 20 years in the private sector. Ms. Friday is now a co-leader of the USA's Western Regional branch of Our Duty (ourduty.group), an international coalition of non-partisan parents and allies advocating for safeguarding of minors and young adults against transgender ideology. She also leads the local branch of Parents of Rapid Onset of Gender Dysphoric Kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On this episode of Take Back Our Schools, Andrew and Beth speak with author and anti-woke activist, James Lindsay, known on Twitter as @ConceptualJames. James shares his views on how America’s education system was overtaken by revolutionary ideologies based in Marxism and how these ideologies, including critical race theory and queer theory, are manifested in the classroom. We discuss how parents can recognize this transformation of their children’s schools and what can be done to reclaim our country’s education system and reverse the woke takeover of our institutions. James Lindsay is the founder of New Discourses and the author of several books, including Cynical Theories, Race Marxism and most recently, The Marxification of Education. A former mathematician, James is the leading authority on the ideological foundations of the woke movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Andrew and Beth speak with Dr. Elana Yaron Fishbein, founder of the organization, No Left Turn in Education. Elana tells her story of how she became an activist in the parents movement and founded a national “boots on the ground” grassroots organization. She talks about the issues that motivated her to begin speaking up about the crises of K-12 education, including critical race theory and the sexualization of children. She also shares her views on what has changed in the parents movement over the past several years and where she thinks the parents movement is going. Dr. Fishbein is the Founder and President of the national grassroots movement No Left Turn in Education. She holds a Doctorate in Social Work from University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s (from Rutgers University) and Bachelor’s degrees (from Hebrew University in Jerusalem) in social work. She specialized in child welfare and child abuse and neglect. Her early training was in clinical social work and as she advanced in her career, she focused on planning, policy, management, and research. Dr. Fishbein grew up in Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces, and is a proud mother of three. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On this episode of Take Back Our Schools, Andrew and Beth welcome teacher and author, Daniel Buck. Daniel talks about his new book, What is Wrong with Our Schools, and shares his own experiences as a student in the progressive echo chamber of education schools and as a teacher. Daniel describes his journey away from progressive education and towards knowledge-based traditional education, especially classical literature. We discuss the importance of student behavior in the classroom and the deleterious impact of restorative justice programs. Daniel also interprets and criticizes progressive buzzwords such as “critical thinking” and “child-centered learning.” Daniel Buck is a middle-school English teacher, having taught at both public and private schools He is also senior visiting fellow at the Fordham Institute, and his writing has been featured in many publications including The Wall Street Journal and National Review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On this episode of Take Back Our Schools, Andrew and Beth welcome classical education innovator Jeremy Tate who talks about his experiences teaching in inner city New York City and what led him to found the Classic Learning Test, a standardized test for classical education that aims to compete with the SAT and ACT. We discuss the differences between classical education and progressive/modern education and Jeremy shares his views on the history of progressive education and of standardized testing in the United States. We also discuss the recent news of Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis’s led takeover of the New College of Florida. Jeremy Tate is the founder and CEO of the Classic Learning Test (CLT). Jeremy is also the host of the Anchored Podcast that features discussions at the intersection of education and culture. Prior to founding CLT, Jeremy served as Director of College Counseling at Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville, Maryland. He received his Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Louisiana State University and a Masters in Religious Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Beth and Andrew welcome family physician and author, Dr. Leonard Sax, who shares his views on how both parenting and children have changed over the 30+ years he has practiced family medicine, particularly how the scourge of cell phones, social media and pervasive pornography have impacted our nation’s youth. He also talks about the exploding social contagion of gender dysphoria and trans ideology, especially among girls. Sax passionately implores parents to reclaim their proper role vis-à-vis their children, and to find a better schooling environment if the values of their children’s schools aren’t consistent with their family values. Sax has a PhD in psychology and an MD, both from the University of Pennsylvania. He has practiced family medicine for over 30 years and has also led workshops and given keynotes based on his visits to more than 460 schools over the past 21 years. He is the author of four books for parents: Why Gender Matters (Doubleday), Boys Adrift, Girls on the Edge, and the NY Times bestseller, The Collapse of Parenting (Basic Books). He has been a guest on many television shows, including The Today Show, and his essays about a wide range of child and adolescent issues have been published widely. Videos of some of his TV interviews, and some of his articles, can be found at www.leonardsax.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On this episode Andrew and Beth interview “Britain’s Strictest Headmistress,” Kathrine Birbalsingh. Kathrine speaks about the state of education in the U.K., which we compare with our own experiences in the U.S. She discusses what led her to a career in teaching and to forming her own school in London, Michaela Community School. She also shares her views on woke education and how a culture of victimhood is harming children, especially lower income and inner city children. She explains what being “strict” really means and discusses the challenges of hiring and training teachers in a school environment that values knowledge, discipline and responsibility. Katharine Birbalsingh is Headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School in London and Chair of the Social Mobility Commission. Katharine read Philosophy & Modern Languages at The University of Oxford and has always taught in inner London. She has made numerous appearances on television, radio, podcasts and has written for several publications. Katharine has also written two books and edited another two, the last of which is The Power of Culture, about Michaela. Katharine was appointed Honorary Fellow of New College, Oxford in 2021 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Beth and Andrew welcome former teacher and dissident, Frank McCormick. Frank shares his reasons for why he went into teaching and what led him to become disillusioned with the ideological indoctrination happening in his public high school in Illinois. Frank talks about what critical pedagogy and critical race theory look like in the classroom and the role of teachers unions and school administrators in pushing these Marxist ideologies. Frank also shares his views on what role parents can play in pushing back and how they can be supportive to other teachers like Frank who want to expose the politicization of our nation’s public schools. Frank McCormick taught history at Waukegan High School. He is also the founder of Chalkboard Heresy, a collection of essays, editorials, and stories capturing the pain, frustration, and disillusionment of his time in public education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
On this episode of Take Back Our Schools, Beth and Andrew speak with the Nathan Hoffman, one of the leaders of the school choice movement. Nathan talks about how the issue of school choice fared in the recent midterm elections. We discuss the parent movement’s role in the march for school choice and some of the various criticisms of school choice from both woke and non-woke camps. Nathan talks about what a hypothetical Republican presidential administration could do to in 2024 to further school choice and education freedom. Nathan also shares his views on the importance of Gifted and Talented education as well as the reasons that public school have been failing teaching literacy. Nathan Hoffman serves as the Director of State Policy and Legislative Strategy for the American Federation for Children. An accomplished and recognized leader in the school choice movement, Nathan has served in various roles at state-based and national organizations, including Empower Illinois and the Foundation for Excellence in Education, where he has successfully pursued legislation to empower families and strengthen the overall quality of the education system. Nathan has appeared before state legislatures as well as been a featured speaker to groups across the country seeking to address today’s K-12 challenges. Nathan is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism and a past board member of the Springfield Public Schools Foundation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of Take Back Our Schools, Andrew and Beth speak with parent activist, Betsy Hart. Betsy was, along with our own Beth Feeley, a co-founder of the group Parents of New Trier (now New Trier Neighbors). Betsy and Beth share their stories about being pioneers of the parents rights movement. Betsy talks about what prompted the group's founding more than five years ago, and shares her views on how the parents movement has evolved. We also discuss the recent expose in Mother Jones magazine about the group entitled, "The Right-Wing Attack on Public Education Began in One Elite Illinois High School." Betsy Hart is a free-lance development writer for a variety of non-profits. Previously, she was a syndicated columnist, and served on President Reagan’s White House staff in the Office of Communications. Betsy also serves with Beth on the board of New Trier Neighbors, a local citizen group that keeps an eye on local issues - including schools - in the north suburbs of Chicago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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