“If you’re a parent, read this book and learn how you can take back your child’s education.” – Shawn Ryan, Former Navy SEAL and host of the Shawn Ryan Show
Join a Book Club on Education!
The new book Woke and Weaponized by Robert Bortins and Alex Newman traces how American education was deliberately transformed and makes the case for what families can do about it. If you have ever sensed that something is deeply wrong with the direction of education in this country and wanted a clear, honest account of how we got here, this book is worth your time. Read more about the topics covered in the book.
This summer, Education Independence is hosting a 16-week virtual book club on education walking through it together — one chapter at a time, read aloud, and discussed as a community. No homework. No prep. Just attend, listen, and think alongside families who care about the same things you do.
See the Book Club Schedule to Register
Why Families Are Joining the Woke and Weaponized Book Club
- The conversation is already happening. Questions about education, family formation, and who shapes children’s minds are not going away. This book club gives you a grounded, thoughtful space to work through those questions alongside a community that takes them seriously.
- No homework required. Each session begins with reading the chapter aloud live on the call. You bring nothing but your curiosity. The content comes to you.
- Remarkable voices at the table. Each week, we invite a guest reader — an author, advocate, or community leader — to read and discuss alongside us. Their presence is part of what makes each session worth showing up for.
How the Virtual Book Club Works — No Homework Required
Each Monday at 4:00 PM EST, we gather on a Teams webinar for approximately 60 minutes.
A VIP guest opens the session by reading that week’s chapter aloud. Then we discuss what the chapter means, what it stirs, and what it changes about how we think. The weekly guest stays for Q&A.
That’s it. No reading ahead. No discussion questions to prepare. The format is built for busy families who want to engage meaningfully without adding to an already full plate. Come as you are. Bring a friend.
Woke and Weaponized Book Club Schedule — All 16 Sessions
Click on the date to register for that week’s book club. We encourage weekly attendance so you don’t miss a chapter!
| Week | Date |
Session |
| 1 | June 23 | Preface + Introduction: The Battle for Your Child’s Soul |
| 2 | June 30 | Chapter 1: The Origin of Public Schools: Seeds of Collectivism, Doctrines of Demons |
| 3 | July 7 | Chapter 2: Failure to Thrive: Our Education System is Collapsing |
| 4 | July 14 | Chapter 3: Distortion of Mind, Body, and Soul |
| 5 | July 21 | Chapter 4: Before the Hijacking: Education in America Before Government Took Over |
| 6 | July 28 | Chapter 5: Horace Mann and the Great Betrayal |
| 7 | August 4 | Chapter 6: John Dewey: The Humanist Revolutionary Who Used Government Education to Destroy Christian America |
| 8 | August 11 | Chapter 7: From Discipleship to Conditioning: How SEL and AI are Replacing Biblical Training with Behavioral Control |
| 9 | August 18 | Chapter 8: Big Foundations Unleashed: The Collectivist Transformation of American Education |
| 10 | August 25 | Chapter 9: School Choice Funding: Billionaires on the March |
| 11 | September 1 | Chapter 10: The Homeschooling Movement |
| 12 | September 8 | Chapter 11: School Choice |
| 13 | September 15 | Chapter 12: Swedish Warning: How School Choice Became State Control |
| 14 | September 22 | Chapter 13: The First Principles of Liberty and Free Market Economics |
| 15 | September 29 | Chapter 14: Better Alternatives |
| 16 | October 6 | Chapter 15: The Solution |
This Week’s Featured Guest
We have an exciting line-up of guest speakers who are authors, advocates, and legislators whose names you may recognize. Follow us on social media or monitor this blog for the announcement of the guest speakers!
Free Registration — Woke and Weaponized Virtual Book Club
This event is hosted as a Teams webinar. Use the links in the schedule to register — it takes less than a minute, and you will receive a confirmation with your join link by email.
Register Now — It’s Free!
Already registered? Invite someone who would like to join the book club to learn more about the history of education. Forward this page, share the link, or simply tell a friend — Mondays at 4, starting June 23. The more voices in the room, the richer the conversation because we believe, as the fourth pillar of Education Independence states, “Wrestling with Truth promotes blessing and virtue for the whole community; therefore, we conclude that a flourishing society emerges from a free market of ideas.”



