The WWE vs. the American education system
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How are public education and WWE connected?
Hello, hello. I'm Brittany Luce, and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR, a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. All right, everybody. This week, you and I are connecting the dots between public education, Ronald Reagan, and the WWE. I know. I know. How are all of these things connected? Well, we are going to find out with NPR's education correspondent, Corey Turner, and bestselling author, Josephine Reisman. Corey, Josie, welcome to It's Been a Minute. Oh, it's great to be here. Perfect.
Thanks for having me, Brittany. Yes.
Okay, so which one of these battles do you think you are more likely to win? A congressional confirmation hearing or a WWE wrestling showdown? I myself personally, the showdown, I think I would win. I think I have big face energy. To use some wrestling terminology, I think I have big face energy.
What historical context shapes the education department's debate?
I don't know you that well, but you have great baby face energy. The crowd is behind you.
Yeah, I wouldn't want to do either. I'm just going to bow out of both.
All right, I'll accept the cop out. I'll accept the cop out.
Thank you.
Luckily, this isn't a battle at all. It's just a good old conversation about what could happen to our nation's education system if former WWE CEO and co-founder Linda McMahon is confirmed as the Secretary of Education. And to start, I want you to remember this, that for every time President Trump does something unprecedented, he's also doing something that's been done over and over and over again in American politics. Because just like fashion, our politics are always getting recycled. And right now, what's getting rehashed is a nearly half-centuries-old debate over the U.S. Department of Education. Now, for those of you who don't know, the Department of Education was established under President Jimmy Carter in 1979. And the very next year, in 1980, when Ronald Reagan was running for president, he pledged to dismantle it, calling the department President Carter's new bureaucratic boondoggle. Gotta bring that word back, boondoggle. Just listen to Reagan's State of the Union address in 1982.
What is the Republican perspective on the Department of Education?
The budget plan I submit to you on February 8th will realize major savings by dismantling the Departments of Energy and Education.
Sounds a lot like President Trump when he pledged to close the department in office and on the campaign trail.
And I'm going to close the Department of Education and move education back to the states. And we're going to do it fast.
Republicans have been dogging the Department of Education for decades, but none of them have ever actually dismantled it. Because when it comes down to it, they do seem to like it. So today, I want us to look at this love-hate relationship Republicans have for the department and how this debate looks a lot like a WWE wrestling match. How it's real and how it isn't. So, Corey, help me out here. What do Republicans hate about the Department of Education?
The easiest answer to that question is they hate the way Democrats in particular have used the department as kind of a cudgel to pursue liberal or progressive items on their agenda. I think the best, most recent example is Republicans were really angry with President Biden when When he tried to expand protections under federal civil rights law known as Title IX, he tried to expand protections for transgender students. And Republicans saw that as a blatant overreach.
Now, on the flip side, what do Republicans love about the Department of Education?
I think the most important thing to talk about here is the Department of Education manages two enormous and enormously important pots of money that go to our public schools. One helps pay for special education through a federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
How are public education and WWE connected?
0:26–1:32
2
What historical context shapes the education department's debate?
1:32–3:01
3
What is the Republican perspective on the Department of Education?
3:01–5:31
4
Why do Republicans love and hate the Department of Education?
5:31–8:54
5
Who is Linda McMahon and what is her role?
8:54–9:45
6
What happened during Linda McMahon's confirmation hearing?
9:45–11:44
7
What is the significance of Trump's relationship with WWE?
11:44–21:22