About this episode

Chris Michaels interviews Chris Papst about the failures of public education in America, focusing on Baltimore's school system and its implications nationwide.

Chris Michaels sits down with national Emmy Award–winning investigative reporter Chris Papst of WBFF Fox 45 Baltimore to confront an uncomfortable truth about public education in America. For nearly a decade, Papst has led Project Baltimore , an exhaustive investigation into Baltimore City Public Schools — a system with a $1.7 billion annual budget , yet only 10% of students proficient in math and graduation rates that remain stagnant despite massive funding increases. His findings, documented in his bestselling book Failure Factory , reveal a system driven not by student success, but by data manipulation, administrative expansion, and the relentless pursuit of funding . In this conversation, Papst breaks down: How graduation rates can stay high while academic proficiency collapses Why hundreds of millions in new funding never reached classrooms The quiet explosion of administrative salaries and executive perks How discipline data, safety reports, and academic outcomes are manipulated The unintended consequences of federal directives on suspensions and arrests Why teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers How underprepared students are pushed into college debt they…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Michaels

Guest: Chris Papst

Topics covered

• public education
• investigative journalism
• funding issues
• academic proficiency
• administrative expansion
• teacher retention
• accountability in education

Keywords

• public education
• Baltimore City Public Schools
• funding
• graduation rates
• academic outcomes
• teacher shortages
• data manipulation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WBFF Fox 45 Baltimore

Books & works: Failure Factory

Places: Baltimore City, Baltimore

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