Mark Hlavacik, "Willing Warriors: A New History of the Education Culture Wars" (U Chicago Press, 2025)

In this episode of The New Books Network, host Laura Kelly interviews Mark Levichick, professor of communication at Texas A&M University and author of 'Willing Warriors: A New History of the Education Culture Wars.' Levichick traces five pivotal moments in American education policy where culture wars derailed progressive reforms through strategic rhetoric, particularly the 'rhetoric of expose.' He examines cases including the National History Standards, the 1619 Project backlash, and Alan Bloom’s 'The Closing of the American Mind,' revealing how carefully crafted narratives—often built on years of behind-the-scenes groundwork—can halt or distort educational progress. Levichick argues that while conflict in education is inevitable and even healthy, the current discourse is often dominated by fear-based, oversimplified narratives that distract from deeper, more constructive debates about the purpose of education, curriculum design, and civic engagement. He calls for a shift from winner-takes-all narratives to classrooms where students actively debate and co-construct meaning, emphasizing intellectual rigor, accuracy, and critical thinking over ideological victory. The episode concludes with Levichick reflecting on his current research into the Department of Education’s history and his ongoing observation of culture wars in real time at his university.