Education

Should Certain Books Ever Be Banned in School?

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis passed a state education reform package meant to restrict certain books and how gender, sexuality, and race are taught in public schools. In Texas, school administrators restricted access to more than 800 books in 22 districts over concerns about whether they were considered “developmentally appropriate for student use.” Similar actions were carried out in Pennsylvania and Tennessee. In fact, all across the country school administrators are grappling with new pressures concerning what their students are reading and how they are taught. At its core is the fundamental question of whether some books are beyond reproach.…

May 19, 2023
May 19, 2023

Should Certain Books Ever Be Banned in School?

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis passed a state education reform package meant to restrict certain books and how gender, sexuality, and race are taught in public schools. In Texas, school administrators restricted access to more than 800 books in 22 districts over concerns about whether they were considered “developmentally appropriate for student use.” Similar actions were carried out in Pennsylvania and Tennessee. In fact, all across the country school administrators are grappling with new pressures concerning what their students are reading and how they are taught. At its core is the fundamental question of whether some books are beyond reproach.…

Should Elite Universities Reinstate the SAT?

High school students have breathed a sigh of relief for the last couple of years as some colleges decided to make their applications test-optional during the COVID pandemic, meaning they did not need to submit…
May 3, 2024

Is Religion a Force for Good?

Religion has long shaped human civilization, from creating legal systems based on religious laws to inspiring countless works of art and foundational aspects of culture. Yet its influence can stem beyond this into other topics,…
April 5, 2024

Childhood Obesity Guidelines: Good Medicine or Too Extreme?

In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued groundbreaking guidelines to tackle childhood obesity, affecting over 14 million U.S. children and adolescents. These guidelines advocate for earlier, more aggressive interventions, including evaluating adolescents with severe…
March 29, 2024

How to Resolve Conflict in Relationships: A Conversation with Esther Perel

Conflict is not reserved for politics or public policy — it also happens within relationships.  Couples have arguments over what’s happening behind closed doors, their beliefs, and how to navigate the future together. However, it’s through…
February 9, 2024

David Petraeus and Andrew Roberts on Conflict, War, and Debate

Debate is a form of conflict that is played out through words, arguments, civility, and the capability to exchange ideas with people we disagree with. But what happens when debate fails — and what leads…
January 12, 2024

David Brooks on the Art of Seeing and Hearing Others

A special conversation episode with David Brooks and John Donvan. In a society that is becoming increasingly polarized, as evident in our national political discourse and the powerful and divisive reverberations from two wars, people feel disconnected and hesitant…
December 29, 2023
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