Abolitionist education: Creating liberatory spaces (Encore)

Abolitionist education: Creating liberatory spaces (Encore)

Author: Ethical Schools March 17, 2022 Duration: 1:17:14

We speak with Swarthmore’s Dr. Edwin Mayorga, who explains how abolitionist classrooms and schools create “freedom as a place” in contrast to racial capitalism. Dr. Mayorga encourages educators to center joy and healing. We also discuss the corporatization of schools that reduces students to their test scores. Schools, as “localized nodes of political power,” should adopt democratic processes that cultivate voice, participation, and collaboration.

Overview

00:00-00:50 Intros

00:50-02:30 Abolitionist education

02:30-04:50 “Freedom as a place”

04:50-08:10 Critical racial ethnic studies; the Sankofa bird

08:10-15:30 Decolonizing education; relationships in the process between colonized and colonizer

15:30-22:30 Intersections of race and class

22:30-26:30 Racial capitalism’s impact in the classroom

26:30-33:30 Kensington Health Sciences Academy (KHSA)

33:30-36:25 Teacher as lead inquirer

36:25-38:30 Moving at the speed of trust

38:30-40:20 Modeling trustworthiness for students

40:20-43:00 How did KHSA become a school focused on trust?

43:00-46:15 Making the shift from a more traditional to a more liberatory school

46:15-49:40  Sustainability after school founder(s) leave

49:40-53:05 Relationships of capital to schools: Now and a century ago

53:05-56:15 Education sovereignty

56:15-59:35 Community land trusts as models for schools

59:35-01:03 Balancing autonomy with accountability

01:03-01:06:20 Humans’ relationships with other animals: Moving away from anthropocentrism

01:06:20-01:10:30 Where the joy is

01:10:30-01:15:55 Takeaways: joys, hope, healing, radical possibilities

01:15:55-01:17 Outro


Conversations about education often focus on test scores and curriculum, but there’s a deeper layer that truly shapes a student’s experience. Ethical Schools digs into that layer, exploring what it means to build a learning community grounded in integrity and care. Each week, hosts Amy and Jon sit down with educators and innovators who are actively reimagining schools. You’ll hear specific, grounded discussions about the practical work of creating environments where every student feels safe and respected. The dialogue frequently addresses how to support young people dealing with trauma, moving beyond theory to share actionable strategies that teachers are using right now. More than just problem-solving, this podcast highlights how to empower students themselves to become advocates and changemakers in their own communities. It’s a series that connects philosophy with daily practice, looking at the social and cultural structures within schools through a lens of ethics. For anyone invested in the future of education-whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or simply a concerned community member-this podcast offers a thoughtful and necessary perspective on the foundational values that make education meaningful.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 240

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
Global Conversations: Nature, Place, and Education, Salon #3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:41
We share brief presentations from the third of the “Saturday Salons” that Ethical Schools is sponsoring with three international partners. Kerry Kirk Pflugh is the executive director of the New Jersey School of Conservat…
School Choice: Who Does the Choosing? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:01
We welcome back Dr. Ujju Aggarwal, assistant professor at The New School, to speak about her book, Unsettling Choice: Race, Rights, and the Partitioning of Public Education. In Unsettling Choice, Dr. Aggarwal focuses on…
Global Conversations: Nature, Place, and Education, Salon #2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:46
We share brief presentations from the second of the “Saturday Salons” that Ethical Schools is sponsoring with three international partners. Sherry Johnson, Tribal Education Director of the Sisseton-Wahpeton-Oyate (South…
Trump cutbacks and policies: stripping minority student protections [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:18
We speak with Derek Black, Constitutional law professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, about the impact of Trump administration’s policies on students’ civil rights. Department of Education offices me…
Global Conversations: Nature, Place, and Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:16
We share brief presentations from the first of the “Saturday Salons” that Ethical Schools is sponsoring with three international partners. Juan Mora of the Center for Artistry and Scholarship and Ramji Raghavan of Agasty…
Pop culture literacies: Engaging students in critical analysis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:41
We speak with Dr. Mia Hood, author of Pop Culture Literacies: Teaching Interpretation, Response, and Composition in a Digital World, about analyzing popular music and films along with more traditional literature. Dr. Hoo…
Join our Global Saturday Salons! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46
Collaborate with teachers and learners worldwide! LEARN MORE AND REGISTER AT GLOBALCONVERSATIONS.NET Along with our partner organizations – Agastya International Foundation, Center for Artistry and Scholarship, and Think…
The pioneers: Democracy front and center (Part Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:16
We speak with Deborah Meier and Jane Andrias, pioneers in the democratic small-school movement. Debbie founded the Central Park East Schools. Jane Andrias was an art teacher and principal at Central Park East I. Debbie a…
The pioneers: Democracy front and center (Part One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:51
We speak with Deborah Meier and Jane Andrias, pioneers in the democratic small-school movement. Debbie founded the Central Park East Schools. Jane Andrias was an art teacher and principal at Central Park East I. Debbie a…