Hello everyone! It has never been the goal of this podcast to push one side of the current issues education is facing. I value the complexities of what we do in schools, and as a consequence, value wide ranging opinions from people who care about education’s future.

Last week, I brought Daniel Buck to the show, who brings his expertise, willingness to dialogue, and unafraid opinions to discuss what he calls the biggest debate no one is talking about… the knowledge vs skills debate as it relates to pedagogy and schools.

This week, we dive into a plethora of topics (such as supporting families, school choice, keeping politics out of classrooms...), but the one that encompasses them all is Daniel's defense of direct teaching and how it can improve student learning.

For the uninitiated, Daniel has been featured in places such as the New York Post and Wall Street Journal, has a healthy Twitter following, and is the author of the upcoming book, What Is Wrong With Our Schools? The ideology impoverishing education in America and how we can do better for our student.

This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their new book, Whispering in the Wind: A Guide to Deeper Reading and Writing Through Poetry, by Linda Rief.

Do your students cringe when you teach a poetry unit? Do you? Whispering in the Wind is Linda Rief’s latest book and it’s a cure for poetry agony.

This book shows you how to launch a simple, self-directed student poetry project that will help your students read more poetry, respond to it authentically, and maybe even discover that they actually enjoy it.

Focusing on poetry really can make your students stronger readers and stronger writers.

And you’ll finally have a plan for teaching poetry that you’ll love too.

Learn more and download a free sample at Hein.pub/Whispering.