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Third Rail ClassroomAuthor: Third Rail Classroom
Touching on the topics NOT discussed in education Language: en-us Genres: Education, Government Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Episode 1: The Past, Present, and Future of Book Bans
Wednesday, 8 October, 2025
PEN America has documented nearly 23,000 book bans in public schools nationwide since 2021 with nearly 7,000 taking place in the 2024-25 school year. Coinciding with Banned Books Week, Santha and John discuss their own personal experiences with censorship in the classroom, which pale in comparison to the challenges faced by their colleagues in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and others. Then, Dr. Ann David, professor at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio and co-editor of The Impacts of Censorship, joins the conversation to offer some context on the national picture of censorship in schools, as well as a practical "how-to" guide for teachers who face book challenges. Dr. Ann David’s Recommendations and Other Resources:Dangerous Ideas: A Brief History of Censorship in the West, from the Ancients to Fake News by Eric BerkowitzNational Report of Teacher’s Experiences with School Justification for Book Censorship Ricki Ginzberg, Kyungae CheSchool Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education by Laura PappanoJustice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent in Mahmoud v. TaylorJustice Gorsuch discussing Pride PuppyWindows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors by Dr. Rudine Sims BishopLots of Ways to Be Brave: A Teacher’s Guide to Facing Censorship (iNCTE)List of PEN America’s most commonly banned booksPlease consider supporting our show using this link (buymeacoffee.com/thirdrailclassroom) and be sure to visit our website (https://thirdrailclassroom.com/) to access all previous episodes and links to lots of resources. Thanks so much for listening!
