BustED Pencils

Whatever remains of the Department of Education is giving out over $150 million for civics training. Pretty cool, right? Well as with everything with the current president, there's strings attached. Still, Dr. Johnny loves him some civics, so he's not ruling anything out! We preview our investigation into what's up with this program on today's episode. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Today on BustED Pencils Drs. Johnny Lupinacci and Tim Slekar discuss an interesting Substack article Tim was sent. Written by Hollis Robbins, the article sets out a vision for how artificial intelligence stands to disrupt existing structures within education. Will schools and faculty be able to adapt quickly enough to the changes caused by A.I. or will revolutionary technology result in a turbulent transition period? We get into it on today's episode of BustED Pencils! Ka-chow! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

On today's unusual episode of the Producer's Choice Show, host Producer Jakob is joined for an intense 1 on 1 interview with Star Trek expert Dr. Tim Slekar. Together they discuss Star Trek as a means for introducing students to difficult concepts, reflect of some of Tim's favorite episodes, and ponder how the nature of a progressive vision for the future has evolved since Star Trek first debuted in the 1960s. It's Star Tim: the Next Johnny-ration on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Dr. Tim Slekar

From special education to the special educators that occupy classrooms all across this great nation, folks in education are facing tough times these days. Who do the people that look out for our kids call when they need someone to look out for them? Today's guest, Ted Kraig, that's who! Ted is regional director at WEAC Region 7, and he's here to give us an update on the challenges being faced in education in the United States in 2025. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Ted Kraig

Today Dr. Tim Slekar and Producer Jakob talk about the tremendous cuts being made to the Department of Education. With massive reductions in staff, many essential functions which the DOE is involved with are struggling. Among those functions is working with children with special needs. Testing, creating Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and providing kids with the care and opportunities they need. Every day that these services are delayed is a day that sets these kids back. So why is President Trump gutting the department that provides for them? We discuss, but more importantly; we want to hear from you. Text us via the Civic Media app to tell us what you need and let us know about how you or your loved ones have been impacted by the gutting of essential services in education. Dedicated to mr. ALEX MORGAN. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jakob

Today on the Producer's Choice Show we're tacking a red hot subject; literacy. Can kids in America read? What's up with all these scary statistics that make it look like our kids can't? And does reading still matter, anyway? Or is it time to kiss reading goodbye? To answer these questions and more, your host Producer Jakob welcomes Drs. Johnny Lupinacci and Tim Slekar onto the show to check it out, dig in, and tell you what they believe in. So stay cool and don't be somebody's fool, because these righteous and bold guests are here to answer Jakob's big questions on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Today on BustED Pencils Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are joined by one of their favorite guests; Teacher Hallie! She's not just one of our favorite recurring guests, she's also a newly minted entrepreneur! With her new service Regulate 2 Educate, Teacher Hallie is helping educators get themselves into the right state so that they can be their best selves and help their students thrive. When teachers do good, students do good. It's not that complicated! Producer Jakob was adjusting his fantasy hockey depth chart during this episode. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Hallie Schmeling

Social media, who needs it? Probably not children. So how do we keep our kids safe from the dangers of social media? Denmark thinks that they've found the answer. A proposed law in Denmark would ban children under 15 from using social media. Are rules like these good? How do you implement them? And should adults give up their rights for the good of the children? Join BustED Pencils today as we decide if Denmark's the spot to emulate when it comes to kids and social media! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Today on a very special episode of BustED Pencils Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci evaluate Zohran Mamdani's proposal to end gifted programs in early childhood education. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist running for Mayor of New York City, presents his education proposals as more equitable and fair than the current system. What do we think about all of this? Find out in today's episode! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Should teachers and administrators be paid bonuses for the success of their students? Today on the Producer's Choice Show your host Producer Jakob presents that question to two extremely knowledgeable guests; Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci. Is it a good idea? How could it go wrong? Is it all about the money? And how do you measure student success anyway? We cover it all on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Today on BustED Pencils Dr. Tim Slekar and his young ward Producer Jakob are joined by rural superintendent Mike Beighley to talk about the exciting innovations coming in education. Last time he joined us Mike told us about the innovative ways in which he and LIFToFFS Learning were using A.I. as a pilar of their innovative program. Now Mike has returned from a trip to China with a ton of new thoughts on education and the challenges facing kids in a rapidly changing world. How can teachers and administrators create a structure that let's them maximize their students' potential? It starts with getting out of kids' ways! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Mike Beighley

Tim and Jakob talk about Halloween costumes, the joy of celebrating holiday seasons with children, and stories from Halloweens past on this first Homeroom of October. They talk about their favorite Halloween costumes, debate whether store bought is better than homemade, and have a HAUNTINGLY good time. But wait, where's Johnny? Could it be... no, it's not possible... but, perhaps... DID A GHOST GET HIM?!?!? It's spooky season, so anything is possible! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jakob

Guests? We don't need no stinking guests! Today on BustED Pencils Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are joined by Producer Jakob to talk about the hottest stories in education this week. Is it illegal for the Department of Education to come out against Democrats? Why are Harvard and other universities bowing to political pressure from the Trump administration? And how mad can Tim and Johnny get at Rahm Emanuel? Today we're talking about it all as we catch up on education headlines on another Saturday edition of BustED Pencils! Also, do you think Johnny is going to force us to talk about Chunk the Bear? Yes sir! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Today on the Producers' Choice Show we're moving an apostrophe and inviting multiple producers to submit their questions for our guests! Your host Producer Jakob nobly steps aside as two of BustED Pencils' most lauded former producers, Luke Mathers and Producer Jess, take a crack at asking Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci questions. Who has the best questions? How will Tim and Johnny react to this blast from the past? And will Jakob's chess game app on his phone keep him entertained as he sits back and listens to someone else ask questions for a change? Find out on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Luke Mathers, Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci, Producer Jess

Today Dr. Johnny Lupinacci and Producer Jakob are joined by Dr. Jonathan Shailor to talk about the Shakespeare Prison Project. Started by Shailor in 2004, the Shakespeare Prison Project helps incarcerated men learn, perform, reflect and grow through the embrace of theater. From volunteers to students to families and inmates, embracing Shakespeare in prison has changed thousands of lives during the decades since it first began. Education doesn't have to take place in a classroom, and not every lesson worth learning comes from a syllabus plan, so join us for this special episode of BustED Pencils as we break it all down for you. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jonathan Shailor

Breaking news; Dr. Tim Slekar, a highly educated educator, has come to us today with a massive education scoop on a story out of North Carolina. Also we cover the Department of Education's plans to provide a good, patriotic education to all red blooded Americans. Enjoy the program, folks! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Today on BustED Pencils Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are joined by author and associate professor Christopher Tienken to talk about A.I. and the ways in which it can revolutionize education in America. There are many challenges and potential pitfalls when it comes to the A.I. education revolution, but one thing is certain; A.I. is here to stay. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Christopher Tienken

Today on the Producer's Choice Show we're joined by disobedience experts Drs. Johnny Lupinacci and Tim Slekar to discuss the topic of rebellious youngsters. Is it good for kiddos to push boundaries and gain experience speaking truth to power? When does healthy disobedience become unhealthy disruption? How should teachers react when those wacky tykes start breaking the rules? Does a little bit of rebellion go a long way? Your host Producer Jakob walks us through those questions and more on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Today Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are joined by retired teacher turned children's book author Suzy Scudder to discuss her brand new book Count upon your Friends! As a teacher, Suzy noticed that many children struggle to make the transition between counting in the tens to counting in the teens. That's why Suzy decided to take matters into her own hands and write her own book to help teach our young ones that tackling the tricky teens isn't the tough task they take it to be! Count upon your Friends teaches kids to count to 13 and back, and provides plenty of fun story and stunning artwork along the way. You can purchase your own copy of Count upon your Friends here! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Suzy Scudder

Dr. Tim Slekar and Producer Jakob give their response to Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly's fifth State of Education address. How is Wisconsin's public education system performing in 2025? What's the cause of it's shortcomings? And does it all come down to Jill Underly, or are the challenges facing education more complicated than one woman can solve on her own? Tim and Jakob get into it on this Homeroom edition of BustED Pencils. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jakob

There are only so many hours in a day (around 26 or so, I think), and we all want to find ways to maximize the amount we're able to do in the time we have. That's why Dr. Tim Slekar was so excited to learn that something called Alpha School down in Texas had come up with a way to get a full day's worth of learning done in just 2 hours. How do they do it? Well if Tim's involved then you can bet A.I. is as well. Chris Locke, principal of the Alpha High School, joins Tim and Dr. Johnny Lupinacci to give us a taste of what they've got cooking down there in Texas. So join us as 2 hour learning meets 1 hour podcasting! Jeez, where does the time go? BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Chris Locke

Today your host Producer Jakob is joined by two esteemed academics, Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci, to talk about freedom of speech. It's on the tips of everyone's tongues these days, but what is it, really? Tim, Johnny, and Jakob offer their perspectives on the issue of freedom of speech and try to answer those tricky questions. What does it mean to have a right to expression? Who do our rights protect us from? What good are rights if we're still told to watch what you say? We ponder these questions and more on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

On the last Saturday show Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci interviewed friend of the show Randi Weingarten about her new book Why Fascists Fear Teachers. Despite dedicating a whole hour to it over the weekend, Tim and Johnny have even more thoughts on the book and, more importantly, the implications of it. So join us as we do the ol' Randi rewind and keep on discussing the Saturday show! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Dr. Johnny Lupinacci and Producer Jakob preview an exciting upcoming digital event being held by friends of the show the Wisconsin Public Education Network. The Go Public Transparency Project aims to push for "private voucher and independent charter school costs to be listed on your property tax bills". Why does that matter? Johnny and Jakob are here to break it down for you. So join BustED Pencils and WPEN and stop the scam this Wednesday via their online training and toolkit. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jakob

Today one of our favorite guests makes her triumphant return to the show to talk about Dr. Johnny Lupinacci's favorite book! Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, has just finished writing an incredible new book called Why Fascists Fear Teachers, available now at all fine bookstores. It's a good book for teachers to read, and a GREAT book to help anyone learn about teaching and education in America. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Randi Weingarten

Today host Producer Jakob is joined by Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci for a somber episode of the Producer's Choice Show to help him grapple with the frightening proliferation of political violence in America. In the wake of Wednesday's assassination of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, as well as a tragic shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado, violence continues to scar our educational environments. How do we begin to heal as a society? How can language lead to violence? And how do we start to see our political opponents as fellow citizens again rather than as enemies to be disposed of? We discuss these topics and more on today's Producer's Choice Show. Producer's Note: As any of us who have lost a love one well before their time can well attest, it is a feeling of devastation that cannot be healed in a day, nor a week, nor a year, and perhaps not within a lifetime. We feel for the family of Charlie Kirk, we feel for the families impacted by the Evergreen shooting in Colorado, and we feel for all of those people across this country suffering tonight from the scourge of violence which plagues American life. The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

This week Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are talking all about books and reading. Is our children learning how to read? Are phones and such hurting our comprehension? And what's up with our upcoming guest Randi Weingarten's brand new book? Find out this and more in TODAY's exciting episode of BustED Pencils! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

It's time to go back to school. You know what that means, don't ya? My tummy hurts... mom, can I stay home? Today your host Producer Jakob interviews two esteemed educators about their experiences with faking sick, hearing bad excuses from their students, enjoying snow days, and much much more. Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci bring decades of experience as educators to this groundbreaking discussion on staying home from school on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Today on BustED Pencils Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci review the idiotic ideological purity test that Oklahoma actually spent some amount of money implementing. This test, designed by PragerU, will be given to new teachers from blue states before they're given the privilege of teaching in Oklahoma. While Producer Jakob passed it with flying colors easily, the Drs. have some doubts about it. Should we have purity tests for teachers? Is this stupid? No and yes. Also, Johnny had his appendix removed hours before this episode and was a real trooper for coming in to record anyways. So join us on BustED Pencils as Johnny's bursting to roast this dumb test! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

As we go about our days on this Labor Day holiday, Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci would like to take a moment to discuss the recent tragic shooting in Minnesota. It's nothing new at this point in American society, but that doesn't make it any less devastating every last time it happens. We share our thoughts, many of which you've heard before, many of which are sadly very fresh. Producer's Thoughts: Many may say that it is too soon to start talking about a tragedy like this in terms of policy and legislation. In truth, however, it is far too late. It is too late for the children who have lost their lives, it is too late for those who have been wounded, it is too late for the families which will never again be whole. It is too late to prevent this tragedy from happening, but there is still time to take the necessary steps to prevent this from ever happening again. May those who have been lost rest in peace. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Wisconsin State Representative Angelina Cruz makes her long anticipated debut on BustED Pencils! Drs. Johnny Lupinacci and Tim Slekar have been looking forward to this episode and boy did it live up to expectations! Representative Cruz talks us through her journey from educator to union organizer to her current position representing the fightin' 62nd assembly district. What motivates her to keep fighting for public education? Is our current education budget enough? And how do we bring about change? We talk about all of this and more on this special Saturday edition of BustED Pencils! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Angelina Cruz

When we think about education, we usually think of two types of people; teachers and students. Today's guests have played both of those roles at different points in their lives. But there's a third role in education that Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci have experience with as well. That's right, parents! You can't have a show about education without talking about parents. So what role should parents play in their children's education? What is the right role for parents in education? How should teachers deal with parents when issues arise? Your host Producer Jakob extracts quality answers to all these questions and more on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Today as Dr. Tim Slekar has come down with the sniffles, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci and some producer talk about an interesting article they found online. High school chemistry teacher Marcie Samayoa is having her students put away their laptops and start working with pencil and paper again like it's the 1400s. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? How can educators decide what technologies they should integrate into their classrooms? And most importantly of all, how do we decide when and where tech adds to education rather than detracting from it? Let's get to the bottom of this on today's BustED Pencils! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jakob

Ryan Walters is the superintendent of public schools in Oklahoma. Ryan is worried that there are too many people from New York and Los Angeles who are itching to move to Oklahoma and start spreading WOKE. In order to combat this, Ryan has mandated that teachers applying for jobs in Oklahoma from New York and California will now have to take a special test to make sure that they aren't liberals. That's how you create diversity of thought. This is dumb. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Today on BustED Pencils Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci welcome journalist Jeffrey Young onto the show! Jeffrey has long covered the intersection between technology and education, but he's finally taking a great leap forward into the future by starting his own podcast about AI and education. That's why Tim asked him to be here today and be his new best friend (Tim loves A.I.). Why did Jeff get into this line of work? What's so fascinating about technology in the first place? And why should YOU check out his new podcast HERE?! You'll find out on today's episode of BustED Pencils as Tim makes a new A.I. friend! Check out Jeff's new podcast Learning Curve. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jeffrey Young

Producer Jakob has had enough. This week he's sending Drs. Johnny Lupinacci and Tim Slekar back to school, whether they like it or not. But that's got his noggin' joggin'. What's it like to be a teacher when it's time to go back to school? Your host Producer Jakob asks Tim and Johnny to share some back to school stories, their thoughts on the move from teaching secondary school to teaching at university, and their go-to icebreaking activities for the first day of class on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Dr. Tim Slekar and Producer Jakob are on the bleeding edge of technology; literally for Jakob and metaphorically for Tim. While Jakob's nose keeps gushing blood throughout the episode, Tim talks about a boring anti-AI professional development session that he recently had to sit through. Is AI all it's cracked up to be, or is it all smoke and mirrors? Should schools close their eyes to AI or take part in shaping the way it's implemented? Are we all just machines that mimic the behaviors we're taught are appropriate? It's a philosophical episode of BustED Pencils! Speaking of boring meetings, Johnny was stuck in one this week so he couldn't be here. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jakob

Homeroom has been a staple of BustED Pencils for years and years. It's a name that invokes those precious memories we all hold in our brains of the times that we had homerooms of our own to attend back in our school days. But are all homerooms the same? Do students today still go to them? Was homeroom in the 1980s different from homeroom in the 2010s? Today Dr. Tim Slekar and his caretaker Producer Jakob compare their respective homeroom experiences to see what changed and what stayed the same over the decades. And how about you, dear listener? Do you remember your homeroom? Happy late birthday to Johnny's daughter! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jakob

This week Dr. Johnny Lupinacci interviews his friend Dr. Tim Slekar about Tim's recent high honor. Tim was called upon to serve the great state of Pennsylvania by participating in a panel on higher education in the beautiful city of Harrisburg. What did Tim talk about? What plans does he have to improve education? Will BustED Pencils do a live show in Pennsylvania called BustED Pencilsvania? Find out this week on BustED Pencils! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

It's the second ever BustED Pencils Go To Hollywood today as Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci guest on the Producer's Choice Show to list their top 3 teachers from television. Host Producer Jakob breaks protocol and actually brings a list of his own, adding to the tension and setting the stage for a competition for the ages! Who is your favorite TV teacher of all time? Contact us to let us know after listening to THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Tonight on Busted Pencils, we're talking about what it really takes to rebuild public education for the future—especially in rural America. Our guest, Cory Kulig, is the superintendent of the Eleva-Strum School District in Western Wisconsin and one of the visionary co-founders of LIFToFFS, a groundbreaking initiative that's uniting educators, communities, and service agencies to reimagine what's possible for students, teachers, and entire hometowns. From bold experimentation to AI-powered learning tools, LIFToFFS is proving that rural schools can lead the way in preparing future-ready learners. Cory, welcome to the show. Tim couldn't be here for this episode but he still wanted to participate in some small way. So Producer Jakob (me) allowed him to send in that description. Usually Jakob (me) likes to write these himself, but he (me) figured he (I) could make an exception in this case for Tim's sake. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Cory Kulig

It's that time of year once again. The leaves are changing colors, the pumpkins are plopping out of the ground, and Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are about to head back to school. Post your classroom decorations, prepare your lesson plans, and get ready to see those smiling faces head back on into schools all across this great country of ours, because school's (almost) back in session! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci might be doctors, sure, but it turns out that they aren't experts in everything. In fact, when it comes to science, they're only tied for the 2nd most knowledgeable people on this show. This week they're joined by top science expert Ethan Siegel to discuss those burning science-based questions that have been wafting around the show for the last few months. How do we confront a troubling trend of doubt in science among the public? What impact do our increasingly energy consuming lifestyles have on the environment? Find out on this episode chock-full of weird science with Ethan Siegel! Click here to check out Ethan's book; The Grand Cosmic Story: An Illustrated Timeline 13.8 Billion Years and Beyond. Click here to read Ethan's article on what he calls "vibe physics". BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Ethan Siegel

Today on the Producer's Choice Show host Producer Jakob sits down with two very special guests to talk about those formative experiences as educators that made them the celebrity teachers they are today. Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci will partially listen to questions about their early teaching experiences, both good and bad, and reflect on the lessons they took with them on their teaching journeys. It's another blast from the past as we visit Tim and Johnny; young teachers on THIS exciting episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Today Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci take a look at a inflammatory sounding news headline. Want your student loans forgiven? Just join ICE! That's just ridiculous, but is it really that simple? Not exactly. Tim and Johnny have a bit more information about this subject and can't help but find the headline a bit misleading. Get ready to dig a little deeper beyond the surface and into the core of the issue on THIS Class in Session as we travel down the misinformation super highway! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

It's a sad day when even Mr. Rogers has fallen victim to cancel culture. Who canceled him? Was it the woke mob? The lefties? Joe Biden? Surely it was Obama, right? No, none of those guys. Mr. Rogers is getting canceled by the most sensitive snowflakes of all; MAGA. Today Dr. Tim Slekar and his young ward Producer Jakob talk about Mr. Rogers and the value that public programming for kids brings to America and what stands to be lost. Watch the full clip we played here. "Neighbors are people who are close to us And friends are people who are close to our hearts I like to think of you as my neighbor and my friend." BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guest: Jakob

We all know Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci the educated educators, they're beloved teachers and frequent panel guests on the Producer's Choice Show, but fewer knew Tim and Johnny the STUDENTS. Today on The Producer's Choice Show Producer Jakob is taking his guests back in time to the 1900s to explore their own experiences as students and how those events shaped the educators they grew up to be. Let's explore the adventures of young Tim and Johnny on THIS exciting edition of the Producer's Choice Show! It's gonna be tons of fun! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has released a new Dear Colleague letter with some guidelines for bringing artificial intelligence into the world of education. But wait a second... didn't Linda say she was boarding up that whole Department of Education thing? Are they back? Is this a genuine new direction for AI? Or what? Linda McMahon to the rescue? This is trippy, man. Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are here to discuss. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Columbia University has agreed to a $200 million settlement with the Trump administration after facing allegations of failing to curtail antisemitism on their campus. This raises an important question; how should college administrators balance protecting students' rights to speak and be exposed to the widest possible range of ideas without allowing those ideas and expressions to spill over into something ugly? When does expression become dangerous? It's a fine line that must be walked. Is the Trump administration trying to make the situation better? Or does he see this as an opportunity to humble academia and exert his will upon it? Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci discuss how to keep balance in the struggle of campus freedom vs. campus safety. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!

Do you like showing people how to do things? Are you the helpful sort? Do you get along well with people that are younger than you? Perhaps, then, you would be a good teacher! But where do you start? Today on the Producer's Choice Show your host Producer Jakob has brought in two experts to answer those questions and more as we start at square one and show how any of us can take our first steps to becoming teachers. How can I become a teacher? Well Drs. Johnny Lupinacci and Tim Slekar are here to point you in the right direction on THIS episode of The Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk which is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message! Guests: Dr. Tim Slekar, Dr. Johnny Lupinacci

Today Dr. Tim Slekar has come to the show with an article showing that folks are feeling a bit anxious about AI. Does this mean that A.I. is making us anxious, or are people anxious about societal expectations and biases around A.I.? Dr. Johnny Lupinacci has a deeper concern; does A.I. further erode trust in the concept of truth? When an A.I. can generate anything, how do we know what is real and what is fake or misleading? In A.I. we trust? Tough questions call for tough educators, and that's exactly who we have leading the way today on THIS episode of BustED Pencils. Producer Jakob is largely absent in this episode because he was playing with the A.I. on his phone. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! Go to bustedpencils.com for swag, all of our episodes, and for information on partnering with us! For information on all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows. Join the conversation by calling or texting us at 608-557-8577 to leave a message!