The End of (the Department of) Education: President Trump's First 100 Days, part 3

We continue our discussion of the first 100 days of President Trump’s second administration by focusing on his plans for the Department of Education and a program for education reform.

Matt Parks and David Corbin explore the ideas behind today's headlines.

Opening and closing music from “2020 Vision (Worse than Blind)” by Fred Lancia. Used with permission.

Opening (0:54) - We discuss the arrival of March weather and March Madness.

Ending the Department of Education? (2:03) - We discuss President Trump’s plans to close the Department of Education along with the current staffing and spending of the department. Links: President Trump’s pending executive order; Plans to reduce Department of Education staffing; Blue State Attorneys General lawsuit.    

Education Ancient and Modern: (8:07) - We reflect on classical models of education, the significance of Christianity in refining those models, and the contemporary American focus on career preparation in education. Links: Aristotle, The Politics, book VIII; Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, Book II. 

Reforming Education (21:49) - We address three problems in the contemporary approach to school community and culture, correctives of each, and the prospects for operationalizing them in our day. 

Tocqueville’s Crystal Ball (36:01) - We make our picks for the Final Four of the NCAA tournament and the low seed that will make the deepest run. 

Email: DemocracyinAmericaToday@gmail.com

Matt Parks and David Corbin both taught politics at The King’s College in New York City and have written together on reviving American republicanism, The Federalist, and Democracy in America. All views expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker and not necessarily those of his present or former employers.