Yes, the title is sarcastic. Though genuinely, somehow, this is breaking news for some, as the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found through their recent study. Dr. Tim and Dr. Johnny know from their experience that poverty absolutely, 100% affects educational outcomes. In fact, the number 1 predictor of a child's academic achievement is the income of the household into which they were born. More "breaking news": teaching more than the "facts" of history helps students develop critical thinking skills. That means teaching things like how historical standards are set and what makes it into the history books. In short, helping students re-think history. For more of that, check out our partners over at Rethinking Schools.

Plus, a short social studies lesson on the electoral college, spurred by a caller's question.

Busted Pencils is part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-7 pm across Wisconsin. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X and Instagram to keep up with Dr. Tim, Dr. Johnny and the show!