On a lonesome, Tim-less episode of BustED Pencils Dr. Johnny Lupinacci is joined by newly-minted producer Jakob. They discuss the paths people take along their education journeys, the Frozen Four, and sticking up for the idea that Diversity is American so we can all enjoy the country we love. Western Michigan’s teacher training program gets […]

Apr 12, 2025

45:32

Spring sports run the gambit between everything from track and field to baseball, softball, lacrosse, and so SO many more, but which spring sports are closest to OUR hearts? Today we look to get to the bottom of that very question as Dr. Johnny Lupinacci and new producer Jakob spend their Friday debating the merits […]

Apr 11, 2025

23:44

This week on a very special episode of BustED Pencils Doctors Johnny Lupinacci and Tim Slekar discuss the politicization of the education landscape as states like New York choose to sacrifice federal funding in order to uphold their DEI policies while others like Kentucky and Ohio move in the exact opposite direction as they now […]

Apr 9, 2025

23:34

Today Dr. Tim Slekar comes fully leaded with a perplexing story out of Oklahoma as the state makes a controversial decision to begin teaching 2020 election denial as part of its official state social studies standards, a move that even David Griffith from the conservative think tank the Fordham Institute called “disappointing.” But is there […]

Apr 7, 2025

23:47

Pencil Busters, this episode is a little different. Today, we celebrate 10 incredible months of Producer Jess’s time with BustED Pencils. Why? Because this educated educator is going on to more education! Over the past 10 months, I- that is Jess- have learned and grown so much. I planned and produced each episode of the […]

Guest: Jess Plotkin-Sell

Apr 5, 2025

45:33

Randi Weingarten, President of AFT, joins us to discuss the lawsuits her organization is pursuing against the Trump administration’s reckless and harmful policies. She shares the deliberations she and AFT undertake when considering which lawsuits to pursue. It comes down to two simple factors. First- is the policy actively hurting people and standing in the […]

Guest: Randi Weingarten

Apr 2, 2025

21:14

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the trajectory all of our lives. Now, five years since the onset of the pandemic, we look at all that we’ve become. So often, we hear the endless clarion call of “learning loss” in education. Rarely do we hear about all of the learning students, teachers, and families gained. Nor do […]

Mar 31, 2025

22:41

Class, we talk about AI a lot here. Is it good or bad? Well, it’s technology, so it is neither and both depending on the user. But what if we could consider it as *more* than a tool, and far less than a replacement for a teacher? Britni Walz, Instructional Services and Technology Director for […]

Guest: Britni Walz

Mar 29, 2025

45:31

Class, welcome to our next season of covering essential curricular activities! We began this weekly segment in fall with First Downs and Friday Night Lights. Then, we transitioned into Free Throws and Face Offs. Now in spring, we introduce Hurdles and Home Runs! You can expect to catch up on the classic spring sports of […]

Mar 28, 2025

21:38

Class, we are so excited to share that our friend Hallie Newman Schmeling is running for School Board! Teacher Hallie- as we call her around here- and Teacher Joanna are Educators Amplified, a podcast dedicated to raising up the voices of educators. Hallie joins us today to discuss why she chose to run for School […]

Guest: Hallie Schmeling

Mar 26, 2025

22:28