What Next - Best of 2023 | He Couldn’t Teach ‘Slavery Was Wrong.’ So He Quit.
What Next | Daily News and Analysis
Slate Podcasts
4.3 • 2.4K Ratings
🗓️ 29 August 2023
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As the What Next team catches its breath at the end of summer, we’re revisiting some of the biggest stories of the year. This story originally ran on April 17. What Next will resume regular programming next week.
Iowa was one of the first states in the country to pass legislation against teaching that the United States is systemically racist — an idea some equate with “critical race theory.” But when one social studies teacher asked how he could teach U.S. history without running afoul of the new law, he didn’t get any clarity — or help.
What happens when legislation targets teachers? And as America’s teacher shortage grows — what will this mean for the country’s kids?
Guest: Greg Wickenkamp, former eighth grade social studies teacher in Fairfield, Iowa.
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Transcript
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| 0:39.0 | Hey everyone, it's Mary. |
| 0:41.0 | Heading into the 2024 election, you are going to hear so much about hot button issues. |
| 0:46.0 | You know the ones. |
| 0:47.0 | Gums, abortion, trans kids, parental rights. |
| 0:50.0 | But you know what you're not going to hear? |
| 0:52.0 | At least not enough. |
| 0:53.0 | You're not going to hear from the people most affected by those issues. |
| 0:58.0 | So all this week, we are spotlighting their stories. |
| 1:02.0 | Today, you're going to hear from Greg Wickencamp. |
| 1:04.0 | He was a history teacher for years until Iowa banned teaching about divisive topics. |
| 1:09.0 | One student in particular I remember said, |
| 1:12.0 | I heard we can't learn about black people this year. |
... |
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