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
Police and metal detectors in schools: Student perspectives [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:30
Nia Morgan and Anahi Ortiz Fierros of Urban Youth Collaborative describe how police and metal detectors humiliate and traumatize students. The story of the “fork in the backpack” illustrates the system’s absurdity. And w…
*UPDATE* Civics education: A Constitutional right? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:05
Last year we interviewed Mark Santow, one of the plaintiffs suing the State of Rhode Island under the 14th Amendment for failing to provide some students civics curricula and other components of an adequate education. Af…
Too Late For Reform: Abolishing the Police in Schools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:15
Toni Smith-Thompson, Senior Organizer at NY Civil Liberties Union, discusses the importance of replacing police presence in schools with restorative practices. Toni envisions ethical schools, in which all students feel b…
Reimagining college admissions: Performance assessment pilot at CUNY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:00
Dr. Michelle Fine speaks about better alternatives to standardized tests for students to demonstrate college-readiness. NYC’s Consortium Schools, which use Performance Based Assessment Tasks, collaborated with CUNY to op…
Why teach history? Knowing “why” shapes “how” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:30
Richard Miller, who taught in progressive NYC secondary schools for 28 years, talks about teaching students to think like historians, weighing different sources and drawing their conclusions from evidence. The past gives…