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PODCAST

BustED Pencils

BustED Pencils; Fully Leaded Education Talk is a powerful radio show/podcast dedicated to public education. BustED Pencils is known for its commitment to the hard facts with a humorous twist. Hosts Dr. Tim Slekar and Dr. Johnny Lupinacci cover the “real” issues in education. The show establishes an alternative space and discusses education reform from an entirely progressive perspective. Our approach is funny, edgy, passionate, witty and gritty and features an array of guests. BustED Pencils

news news commentary

All Episodes

33:56

Keeping Promises to Public Education

BustED Pencils ·

2026/02/11

Friend of the show Heather DuBois Bourenane returns to talk about a number of pressing topics in public education. As we spoke about with Rep. Angelina Cruz, Heather and the Wisconsin Public Education Network are working on keeping promises to fund special education, WPEN is leading the way on their voucher/charter taxpayer transparency project, and bringing folks together for their annual summer summit.BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast

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34:30

Groundhog Adjacent. PCS#37

BustED Pencils ·

2026/02/06

With America coming together to celebrate Groundhog Day this week, the Producer's Choice Show is posing a medley of groundhog adjacent questions. Host Producer Jakob asks his guests Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci about the magic of Groundhog Day, inquires about the validity of superstition, and questions what about 2026 leaves us asking "Am I waking up in 2025 again?" Jakob's brother Lincoln asks about our favorite spring sports on THIS sprung episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The

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32:00

Quality Screentime with Britni Walz

BustED Pencils ·

2026/02/04

You know her, you love her, it’s Britni Walz! Britni has made her exciting return to the podcast to update the educated educators on recent developments with friends of the show CESA 4 and LIFToFFS. Britni talks about the process of finding constructive, useful ways to integrate technology into schools to ensure we replace quantity screentime with quality screentime. 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

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13:48

Zohran vs Snow Days

BustED Pencils ·

2026/02/02

As we brace ourselves for frigid temperatures and a cascade of snow blanketing our streets, Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are thinking about snow days. We love them, don't we folks? But someone who DOESN'T love snow days is New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani who has announced that snow days in his city are being replaced by remote learning. How do we feel about this atrocity? You'll have to listen to find out as we discuss Zohran vs snow days!BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is

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43:00

Putting Politicians to the Test

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/31

Today on BustED Pencils Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci discuss a new bill in Nebraska which would require their state senators to take a civics test. Passing the test would not be mandatory, but the results would be made public. Is this a good idea? Tim and Johnny CLASH over this vital question as Nebraska's putting politicians to the test. Producer Jakob channels George W. Bush during this episode. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the

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46:00

Education Trends in January. PCS#36

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/30

Welcome to the final Producer’s Choice Show of the month of January. Today your host Producer Jakob is looking back on the first month of this year to see what trends we’ve noticed developing in the world of education. Equipped with a list of 4 education trends to watch out for in 2026 provided by K12 Dive and joined by two education policy wonks, Drs. Johnny Lupinacci and Tim Slekar, we're reviewing January on this FRIGID episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with

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31:16

Gravity, How Does That Work?- Class in Session

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/28

Today Dr. Tim Slekar is breaking through the paradigms through which we see the world by highlighting an interesting scientific question; gravity, how does that work? Dr. Johnny Lupinacci does his best to answer Tim's question using facts and logic. Producer Jakob has no idea what's going on. The point? Well, you'll just have to listen to find that one out for yourself. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a

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14:43

Yes, DEI Is Back, Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/26

Today Dr. Tim Slekar has found an interesting news story about the ongoing battle to roll back the Trump Administration's efforts to implement sweeping right-populist reforms in education. After a long legal battle, the government has given up efforts to appeal a court ruling that limited its ability to use threats to cut federal funding in order to coerce policy changes at schools and universities. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to be

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43:00

Trust-Based Observations

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/24

Today Dr. Johnny Lupinacci and Producer Jakob are joined by Craig Randall to talk about a better way to approach teacher observation. It's something all teachers have experienced; having their work evaluated. It's a stressful time that can make teachers feel like they're being judged and often results in few opportunities for genuine growth. Craig Randall doesn't think it has to be that way, and he's here to tell us how it can be different. With Trust-Based Observations, teachers can become part of

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39:30

Who’s Your Hero? PCS#35

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/23

Producer Jakob is joined by special guest Dr. Johnny Lupinacci to talk all about heroes! What is a hero? Why do we build people up into heroes just to tear them down? Should we have heroes at all? And who are Jakob and Johnny's heroes? Find out on this HEROIC episode of the Producer's Choice Show! Who's your hero? 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

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35:49

MLK Day Thoughts- Class in Session

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/21

This week we're looking back and remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are sharing their thoughts. How are we celebrating Dr. King in 2026? Has his image and the way he's remembered changed since MLK Day became a holiday in 1986? And how can Dr. King's example guide our actions today? We talk about this and more as Tim and Johnny share their MLK Day thoughts. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the podcast to

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24:23

Teacher Mercenaries- Homeroom

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/19

Today Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are talking about alternative career paths for teachers. Do all teachers need to end up in a school? Or are the skills of an educator applicable and, indeed, VALUABLE in other walks of life? We discuss these teacher mercenaries that rake in the big bucks on THIS episode of BustED Pencils Homeroom! In feudal Japan, there existed a class of samurai warrior that knew no master. These samurai were free to roam the various domains in search of lords to serve

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43:00

Epidemic of Loneliness

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/17

Today on BustED Pencils we're talking about the epidemic of loneliness impacting millions of young Americans. Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci delve into the problem, talking about the sources and how schools can step in and play a role in finding a solution. 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

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34:25

Reacting to Reddit Teaching Advice. PCS#34

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/16

Today on the Producer's Choice Show we're taking a look at some of the advice being shared around on the internet forum Reddit. Our host, Producer Jakob, has found three pieces of advice for new teachers posted to r/teaching. Does the internet give good advice? Today Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci join Producer Jakob to break it down and react to Reddit teaching advice on THIS dialed-up episode of the Producer's Choice Show! The Producer's Choice Show with Producer Jakob is part of BustED

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30:45

Do What You Say- Class in Session

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/14

Today on Class in Session we're joined by Wisconsin State Legislator Angelina Cruz from the Fightin' 62nd District. Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci talk to Representative Cruz about her fight to pass the Keep Our Promise on Special Education Reimbursement Act, a bill which aims to hold the state legislature accountable for funding special education. This interview was recorded on January 7th, 2026. BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media. Subscribe to the

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46:24

Greenland; From Erik the Red to Donald the Orange

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/12

Today Dr. Tim Slekar and Producer Jakob share the Greatest Story Ever Told; the history of Greenland. From Erik the Red to Donald the Orange, Greenland has a rich history. Vikings, Hitler, and delicious shrubbery being killed by climate change; Greenland's history takes us into discussion of history's wildest topics. So get your battle axe ready because we're setting sail for the bountiful shores of Greenland on this history-centric Homeroom! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of

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43:00

Talking About the Minnesota Fraud Scandal

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/10

Today on BustED Pencils, Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci are joined by Producer Jakob to break down the Minnesota fraud scandal. A recent viral video has brought nationwide attention to investigations into an alleged mass fraud scheme involving childcare in Minnesota. What happened? Who's to blame? And is the Trump administration dealing with the scandal in good faith? We talk about it all on this episode of BustED Pencils! BustED Pencils: Fully Leaded Education Talk is part of Civic Media

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39:20

The Students Are Revolting. PCS #33

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/09

On today's fantastic edition of the Producer's Choice Show we're talking about student protests and how teachers should handle those moments that stoke the flames of youthful passions. Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci join host Producer Jakob to talk about creating healthy classroom discussions around causes their students care about. How should teachers talk about challenging times? What role do educators play in preparing young citizens to express their views constructively? And how can

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34:00

A Decade of Emergency- Class in Session

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/07

Today Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci teach Producer Jakob about the subject of "emergency teaching licenses". With Wisconsin Public Radio reporting that the state issued 20% more emergency licenses in 2025 than in 2022, Tim reminds us all that the teacher staffing issue isn't about a lack of quality teachers; it's about districts failing to retain them. What are emergency teaching licenses? Why is the state depending on them? Do they serve the teachers who receive them and the students they

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14:47

End of Winter Break- Homeroom

BustED Pencils ·

2026/01/05

Drs. Tim Slekar and Johnny Lupinacci have sharpened their pencils, straightened their ties, and trimmed their beards. Why? Because winter break is over! The holidays have come and gone, so it's time to get back to homeroom and get ready to learn! Highlights; Johnny gets stuck in a snowbank and Tim gets stuck singing a random song from the 1980s.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

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935 results

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