The Ballad of Grit

In this episode, Josh and Chuck dive deep into the concept of grit—that stick-to-it-iveness and perseverance that some people seem to have in spades—and how it went from a promising psychological discovery to a problematic education policy that started with good intentions but spiraled into something much messier. The hosts explore how psychologist Angela Duckworth's groundbreaking research about grit got swept up into the national education conversation, championed by the media and government officials who thought teaching character and determination could solve America's school problems. But as they uncover, turning grit into a measurable, high-stakes standard that teachers are graded on created all kinds of unintended consequences, especially for the kids who needed the most support in the first place.