In 1961, Norma and Mel Gabler were a quiet couple living in Longview, Texas. One day, they noticed some factual errors in one of their sons’ textbooks. What began as a small complaint morphed into a multi-decade crusade to shape what children of Texas — and therefore the country — read in their textbooks. In an election year with raging debates around education, this audio documentary charts how Texas dictated American education over the last sixty years and examines how the fight over our childrens’ classroom has only intensified today.
BONUS: Words to Win By: Protecting Our Freedoms
Today, we’re bringing you another podcast from Wonder Media Network that we think you’ll love: Words to Win By. Hosted by renowned communications researcher and campaign advisor Anat Shenker-Osorio, this season unpacks real-world narrative shifts that led to real-world victories, from Brazil to Ireland to here in the United States. In the 2022 Midterms, Americans defied polling, pundits and precedent to stave off the predicted Republican “Red Wave” takeover. Despite significant challenges, Democrats were able to hold the Senate, minimize House losses, and flip or retain key battleground state legislatures and governorships. In the first episode of the latest season, we delve into why conventional wisdom about politics doesn’t just miss the mark, but actively impedes what we must do to prevail against right-wing efforts to seize and hold power. Hear about the research, ad making, organizing and strategy that helped deliver key Democratic victories by reminding us of the collective power we have to decide our own future. Learn more about the show at WordsToWinBy-Pod.comFollow Anat on TwitterFollow Wonder Media NetworkWebsiteInstagramTwitterSubscribe to Michael Podhorzer’s substack Weekend ReadingKeep up with Way to Win’s work on their website
1/30/2024 • 41 minutes, 45 seconds
Live from Texas Tribune Fest!
Since Teaching Texas wrapped last fall, the state has been embroiled in a debate over school vouchers, climate change education and district takeovers. But flying slightly under the radar – though equally consequential – is House Bill 1605. In a discussion recorded live at Texas Tribune Fest, Grace is joined by Rep. Gina Hinojosa and State Board of Education Chairman Keven Ellis to dive into how the bill re-allocates power, impacts teachers, and charts a new future for Texas public education.
10/6/2023 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 50 seconds
Live Taping at Texas Tribune Festival
Info about the session:https://festival-platform.texastribune.org/agenda/session/1193355
9/19/2023 • 34 seconds
BONUS: Introducing...As She Rises Season 3: The Colorado River Basin
Hey listeners! We've sharing the first episode of another podcast we think you'd love: As She Rises. On the latest season, we're traversing the Colorado River Basin – understanding water through a new lens and centering stories of resilience in the face of the drought. Hosted by Leah Thomas, eco-communicator, author, and founder of the non-profit Intersectional Environmentalist, each episode focuses on a different corner of the basin, beginning in the river’s reservoirs on the borders of Arizona and Utah, and finishing in the dry delta in Mexico.In this episode, we’re starting our journey just south of Lake Powell, in the Navajo Nation. Today, Lake Powell is around a fifth of its original size. Pools that used to be deep enough to dive into have turned into puddles of mud. And as the water disappears, the forgotten canyon beneath reemerges. Over the years, the U.S. government has signed a number of treaties with the Navajo Nation, promising certain amounts of water, and water infrastructure. But, as they struggle to reallocate water in the face of drought, the government still tends to leave indigenous communities out of the conversation.Poet Kinsale Drake reads her poem, “after Sacred Water,” about how the U.S. government drowned an ecosystem to create a dam that is now shrinking fast. Emma Robbins, director of the Navajo Water Project, explains how her organization ensures households have running water, and that the Navajo Nation has a seat at the table. Wondery+ subscribers can listen to all of season 3 of As She Rises early & ad-free. Find Wondery+ on the Wondery App or Apple Podcasts. For More:Support Navajo Water ProjectDiscover more of Kinsale Drake’s poetryAs She Rises is a Wonder Media Network production. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram and Twitter.
5/22/2023 • 33 minutes, 36 seconds
Chapter 8: How We See Ourselves
Each year, Texas public school students learn the story of their state’s origin: the battle for the Alamo. The story has become a rallying cry throughout the ages for Texans, and Americans – It’s an underdog tale of sacrifice. But, it’s also not very historically accurate. In the series finale, Grace explores the danger of teaching myths as though they’re fact. Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war. WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08
11/15/2022 • 40 minutes, 19 seconds
Chapter 7: Collision Course
This fall, for the first time in 12 years, the Texas State Board of Education was due to review the Social Studies TEKS. In doing so, they attempted to answer the question: how should we teach U.S. History? Against the backdrop of outrage over CRT and a midterm election that will likely bring a more conservative board to power – what did the SBOE decide?Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war. WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08
11/8/2022 • 37 minutes, 37 seconds
Chapter 6: Who Draws the Line?
Library books aren’t required reading like textbooks are, but they can play a big role in a child’s education. As activists and politicians bring book banning back into the education debate, one group of Texas parents are fighting back. They want their kids to read stories that center diversity – and in the case of one contentious book, they won. Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08
11/1/2022 • 36 minutes, 15 seconds
Chapter 5: The Latest Bogeyman
Critical race theory. It’s the latest rallying cry for people attempting to disrupt trust in public education. What do we lose when parents vilify educators? To find out, Grace pays a visit to the Texas suburb at the center of the national conversation.Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08
10/25/2022 • 32 minutes, 22 seconds
Chapter 4: What Sleeping Rocks Dream Of
Nowadays, standards known as TEKS dictate what every Texas student needs to learn. The State Board of Education is in charge of approving these standards. So, when a creationist dentist gained control of the board, those standards started to reflect his beliefs – for better or worse.Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08
10/18/2022 • 36 minutes, 57 seconds
Chapter 3: The Pilgrimage to Longview
When the Gablers’ protégé, Neal Frey, gained control of Educational Research Analysts…he took a different approach. Grace journeys to Longview, Texas to meet the man himself and witness the last vestige of the Gablers’ enterprise.
10/11/2022 • 38 minutes, 34 seconds
Chapter 2: The More Sex You Teach...
By the 80s, Norma and Mel had gained real traction in the textbook industry. And with their newfound power, they start dictating what goes into textbooks. They threaded their conservative Christian beliefs into textbooks across the nation, with little regard for separating fact from opinion.Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08
10/4/2022 • 30 minutes, 3 seconds
Chapter 1: Under God
On the outskirts of Hawkins, Texas, a couple found a problem in one of their kids’ school books. They didn’t have a background in education, but because they lived in Texas, their concern ignited a national movement and several decades of influence over what the rest of the country learned. Teaching Texas is a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08
9/27/2022 • 35 minutes, 16 seconds
Introducing: Teaching Texas
Introducing Teaching Texas, a new audio documentary from Wonder Media Network that uncovers the surprising history behind America’s latest culture war.WMN on Twitter: @wmnmedia Grace Lynch on Twitter: @gracelynch08