History Rebranded (Critical Critical History)

A Teacher
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  • Education

Have you ever thought, "That's not the history I learned"? Delivered in chapter form, this podcast explores how the teaching of US history has fundamentally changed, told through the eyes of a veteran educator. We aren’t here to change your mind, lecture you, or demand agreement. Instead, we are opening up an honest, grounded space to look at how history education shifted, moving from an approach that sought to unite us, to one that actively divides us. Start with a chapter that interests you or scroll to the Preface on the bottom and listen to the fullness of the audiobook.

Episodes

  1. 7h ago

    Chapter 11: Why Do We Study History...Part II (Sorry Howard)

    Why do we actually teach history in K–12 schools? Is the ultimate end goal just to make kids "think like historians," or are we missing the larger human picture? In this episode, with my apologies to the late Howard Zinnn, we’re stepping straight into the crossfire of the modern history wars to look at the overarching stories we choose to tell in the classroom. Whether you believe American history should be presented as a land of opportunity, a narrative of oppression, or something else entirely—this conversation is built for you. Here is a quick look at what we're tackling in this episode: Why Learning Isn't a Job: I explain why my approach to teaching mirrors youth sports coaching—if school feels like a workplace instead of something engaging, students won't buy into the game. The Problem with "Social Science": We unpack why forcing history into a rigid, pseudo-scientific box misses the nuanced, colorful reality of human nature. New Coke and American History: How a famous quote from a 1985 Coca-Cola press conference perfectly sums up our national debate over perfection versus flaws. Constant "Crisis Alerts": A look at how treating every historical and modern issue as an apocalyptic emergency might be driving student anxiety through the roof. Finding the Balance: Why looking only at historical greatness leaves kids unprepared, but highlighting only the flaws leaves them without hope. We aren't here to hide from our nation's dark chapters, nor are we here to surrender to cynicism. We’re having an honest discussion about meaning, purpose, and how the past can help us raise better human beings.

  2. 2d ago

    Chapter 10: Why Do We Even Study History (No Really) Part I

    Should we teach foundational facts, or focus purely on abstract "critical thinking"? Drawing from years in the classroom, personal anecdotes, and cognitive science, this chapter makes a compelling case for bringing back a shared "bank of knowledge" in our schools. Paulo Freire wouldn't be too happy with this chapter, but the ideas introduced are supported by thoughts from E.D. Hirsch, Daniel Willingham, and Natalie Wexler. Topics The Debate over "Googleable" Facts: Hear a first-hand look at how dismissing memorization and core facts as outdated has quietly degraded student reading comprehension and basic literacy across subjects. The Psychology of Learning: Discover how modern curricula invert natural child development by forcing young students into abstract theory before building concrete, foundational knowledge. The Threat of "Ghost Opinions": Explore how stripping away factual prerequisites leaves students forming strong assertions backed by nothing, making them dependent on outside sources to tell them what to think. Educational Equity: Learn why removing content-rich instruction disproportionately hurts lower-income students who rely on schools to build the vocabulary and background knowledge needed for lifelong success. Whether you are a parent, educator, or simply curious about the state of modern education, tune in for an insightful conversation on why foundational knowledge still matters.

  3. 5d ago

    Chapter 9: Teachers Aren't Activists (Mostly)

    When you scroll through social media or watch the news, it’s easy to get the impression that every public school classroom is a battleground run by radical activists. But what is the reality on the ground? In this episode, we’re cutting through the outrage machine to talk about who is actually standing at the front of the classroom. Drawing from my own years in the building, I break down why the vast majority of educators aren't looking to push an ideological agenda—they just want to avoid the hassle, connect with their kids, and teach their subjects. We’ll look at how post-9/11 anxieties and modern concepts like "microaggressions" cause both parents and students to assume the worst about a teacher's intent. I’ll also share why New Jersey's famous "Jersey Weekend" proves most teachers aren't lining up to absorb the latest progressive pedagogy, and I’ll walk you through how parents and educators can actually talk to each other without immediately resorting to accusations of "far-right fascist" or "progressive pinko commie." Plus, I share my personal three-step framework for handling school concerns directly, from intrusive first-day surveys to middle school curriculum buzzwords and genetics projects for adopted kids, before escalating up the chain of command. If you want to move past the viral short-form videos and build real, constructive accountability with your local school, this conversation is for you. Listen in as we discuss: Why teaching foundational facts (like the Five Pillars of Islam) gets mistaken for theology or activism. The truth about teacher conventions and why most educators aren't radical ideologues. How to handle classroom concerns directly with a teacher before jumping straight to the school board. Why both parents and teachers need to stop assuming the worst motives of each other.

  4. Aug 11

    Chapter 8: Tales from the Classroom

    Educational theories sound great when scholars write about them in ivory towers, but what happens when those ideas actually hit the living classroom? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on real classroom stories, from around the country and right from my own family’s dinner table, to show you how modern educational trends are playing out in real time. We’ll talk about why some teachers get visibly uncomfortable when you point out the historic 50-year peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag, why pre-packaged "History on Trial" videos give Genghis Khan historical nuance while stripping it completely from Christopher Columbus, and how European imperialism gets single-point blame in assignments while the real history of places like Korea or Singapore gets left on the cutting room floor. I’m also sharing personal accounts: from navigating "degreeism" debates with former students who accuse traditional history of "silencing" truth, to analyzing why a Texas teacher got herself fired after weaponizing her 3rd-grade classroom and trying to shame her administration on social media. If you want to know the difference between actual critical thinking and simple activism disguised as education, grab a seat. Let’s look at what's really being taught, what's being left out, and why we need to bring real context back into our schools. Listen in as we discuss: Why positive historical moments get pushed aside when they don't fit the "evil colonizer" narrative. How social justice frameworks often turn multicultural stories inward into a lesson about "me" instead of broadening a student's world. The difference between actual historical nuance and selective moral outrage. Why real virtue costs something—and why "virtue signaling" in schools risks nothing while achieving even less.

  5. Aug 8

    Chapter 7: Canceling the Past

    What does it truly mean to be an American? Unlike most nations bound by shared ethnicity or geography, America was founded on a shared set of ideas, core documents, and universal values. But today, those unifying foundations are increasingly being called into question. We take a nuanced look at how our understanding of history and success is shifting in classrooms and cultural institutions. We explore the controversy surrounding the Smithsonian’s labeling universal principles like hard work, delayed gratification, and strong families as belonging to one group misses the mark. We also dive into how data and success stories across diverse communities are handled, the risks of selectively canceling historical figures like Laura Ingalls Wilder, and why a fair, balanced view of Western history requires looking at both its deep flaws and its incredible, world-changing achievements. Topics The Unifying American Story: How a shared commitment to foundational principles—rather than ethnic identity—has historically brought diverse groups together, and why that common ground is slipping. Values vs. Labels: An honest breakdown of the Smithsonian chart—why framing daily habits like planning for the future and self-reliance through a racial lens oversimplifies what actually drives human success. Context Over Cancellation: Why scrubbing historical figures like Laura Ingalls Wilder from literary awards deprives us of honest conversations about our complex past. A Complete View of Western History: Moving beyond "all good" or "all bad" narratives to appreciate how Enlightenment and Judeo-Christian ideals helped spark global progress, including the eventual end of the transatlantic slave trade

  6. Aug 4

    Chapter 6: Same Book, Different Cover

    "Words can be like weapons, used to wound and destroy... and sometimes they can even change the face of the world." — Václav Havel Have you noticed how the language in education has shifted over the last few decades? It all flows out of the the ideas of Critical Theory using the teachings of Paulo Freire and Howard Zinn as the spigot. If you went to school or got your teaching degree back in the '90s, you probably remember talking about multiculturalism. The idea was simple: expand the conversation, bring more voices to the table, and learn about the world. Fast forward to today, and teachers are walking out of college with a completely different set of terms in their quiver: Social justice. White privilege. Systemic racism. Culturally responsive teaching. Implicit bias. On the surface, it might just seem like new terminology. But in this chapter, I argue it’s the same book with a different cover. What used to be a push to broaden our perspective has, in many cases, turned into a linguistic cudgel—used to shame, silence, and force a single ideological worldview into the K-12 classroom. In this episode, we’re digging deep into the roots of where these ideas actually come from and how they are actively reshaping history instruction, parental rights, and the very concept of childhood: From Practice to Ideology: How "Culturally Responsive Pedagogy" quietly shifted the goal of teaching from how students learn to turning teachers and kids into political "agents of change."  Rewriting the American Story: A look at how mainstream initiatives like The 1619 Project and Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist attempt to lock people into rigid ideological boxes—and why key historical facts don't back up their claims. Capitalism & Slavery: Breaking down the economic fallacies being taught today, and why free-market principles are actually the antithesis of forced labor. The Family: Why radical educational theories are framing standard, loving parental guidance as "oppression", and what happens to kids when the school tries to replace the home. Who will actually be wearing the white bonnets and red gowns of the Handmaid Tale? To understand the changes happening in your local school board meetings or your child’s history textbook, you have to understand the theories and books quietly pulling the strings in the background. If you’re ready for a candid, no-nonsense look at what’s really happening behind the classroom door, grab your headphones and give this one a listen.

  7. Jul 31

    Chapter 5: Shattering the Melting Pot

    SECOND ATTEMPT...1st attempt missed the last minute of the chapter. Remember when we were kids watching Schoolhouse Rock! on Saturday morning, eating sugary cereal, and singing along to "The Great American Melting Pot"? We were taught that no matter where your ancestors crawled out of, Ireland, Italy, Germany, or wherever, they came here to be part of the culture that was simmering in the American stew pot while adding their cultural flavors. You put in the grueling, back-breaking work, and you built a life. Immigrants didn't cry victimization; they grabbed the American Dream by the throat. Then came 1992. In this episode, I’m taking you back to my very first day as a high school history teacher. Stiff shoes, horrible handwriting, and a room full of 11th graders as I learned of the educational shift that was tossing out the melting pot and and replacing it with a salad bowl. We’re diving headfirst into how "multicultural education" went from a well-intentioned idea about understanding your neighbor into the deconstruction of Western civilization. In this episode, we unpack: The Myth of the "Salad Bowl": Why tossing out traditional assimilation didn't create unity—it just taught everyone to fight over which ingredient matters most. The Death of the Immigrant Dream: How modern "privilege" rhetoric completely dishonors the actual poverty, blood, and discrimination our ancestors conquered. The Howard Zinn Hit Job: How a few strategically placed ellipses turned Christopher Columbus from a flawed, legendary navigator into a modern-day monolith of pure evil and why dead historical figures are conveniently taking the fall for present-day moral grandstanding. The Italian-American Erasure: Why mass lynchings, Catholic pushback, and true working-class history got erased the second it didn't fit the approved narrative. They told us "diversity is our strength," but then they threw out the glue holding us together. Take a listen to find out more!

  8. Jul 26

    Chapter 4: Three Little Letters

    Is Critical Race Theory (CRT) being taught in K-12 schools? Ask most teachers, and they'll say no, usually because they do not know the source of empathy education. In this episode, we strip away the clever branding and break down the modern alphabet soup of education, such as CT, CRT, and DEI. Discover how a post-WWI ideology took root to trade personal responsibility for an endless narrative of grievance—rebranding Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of colorblindness as a "symptom of privilege". Critical Theory is an invisible filter shaping what kids learn, read, and experience in the classroom. In this episode: The NFL Slip-Up: Why the media completely missed the mark on Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and owner Robert Kraft's "colorblind" debate. The Devil Wears Prada Effect: How modern curricula pushes Critical Theory while most educators don't even realize they’re wearing the sweater. The "Critical Car" Analogy: How Critical Theory strips away personal agency, merit, and pride in hard work—and blames "the system" for every collision. DEI Unmasked: Why "Equality" and "Equity" are polar opposites—and how forced equal outcomes destroy true meritocracy. The branding sounds great, but what baggage does it carry? Take a listen—because if you don't know the game, you're already playing by their rules

  9. Jul 23

    Chapter 3: Two Guys

    "There’s no such thing as neutral education." Is your child being taught history—or being trained to become a political activist? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on Paulo Freire and Howard Zinn; perhaps the two most influential 20th century educational theorists still shaping the classroom today. From math tables to Good Will Hunting, we discover the sources of some popular progressive educational ideas.  Inside this episode, we dive deep into: The Death of Memorization: Why modern schools buy in Freire's ideology against "drill and kill" Why Even Left-Wing Critics Call Zinn Out: Why prominent progressive writer Ta-Nehisi Coates slammed Zinn’s work. The Battle for the Founding Fathers: Was the Declaration of Independence a corrupt power grab or the most radical manifesto for human freedom in world history? We pit Howard Zinn against Pulitzer Prize-winner Gordon Wood. "Imagine" vs. Reality: Is the ideal or the reality most important in our evaluation of a worldview? Press play to find out if your district has already boarded the Zinn train!

  10. Jul 21

    Chapter 2: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

    Have you ever heard a new educational trend and thought, "This sounds completely nuts... but who am I to argue with a professor?" You're not alone. It’s time we all stop second-guessing our common sense. In this chapter, we’re pulling back the veil on the "intellectual nobility" running today’s classrooms. From Good Will Hunting to the absolute absurdity of the "Grievance Studies Affair," hopefully you'll be encouraged to question when something doesn't make sense. By the end you will realize you don’t need letters after your name to spot an idea built on sand. If knowledge is power, it’s time to start critiquing the critiquers.

  11. Jul 15

    Chapter 1: The Spirit of '76

    How did we go from painting fire hydrants like George Washington in 1976 to fighting culture wars over history class in 2026? In this introductory chapter, a veteran history teacher contrasts the unified, colonial-crazed magic of the Bicentennial with the fractured energy of the nation's 250th anniversary. Looking back at his own childhood and ahead to his decades in the classroom, he explores how history education shifted from a hopeful story to a rigid modern lens of cynicism, and argues why the real job of a history teacher is simply to help students think for themselves. "I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself." — Mr. Keating, Dead Poets Society

  12. Jul 15

    Preface

    Start here as you journey through the audiobook. It will provide the goals and rationale of all that follows.

  • 12 Episodes

About

Have you ever thought, "That's not the history I learned"? Delivered in chapter form, this podcast explores how the teaching of US history has fundamentally changed, told through the eyes of a veteran educator. We aren’t here to change your mind, lecture you, or demand agreement. Instead, we are opening up an honest, grounded space to look at how history education shifted, moving from an approach that sought to unite us, to one that actively divides us. Start with a chapter that interests you or scroll to the Preface on the bottom and listen to the fullness of the audiobook.

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