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: en-us Episodes: 100

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
Towards the school you want to see: Plan, Act, Reflect, Repeat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:28
We speak with Justin Cohen, whose work focuses on the intersections of education, race, privilege, and public policy. Cohen’s recent book is Change Agents: Transforming Schools From the Ground Up. He looks at ways a facu…
Challenging credentialism: An alternative vision of education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:30
We speak with Arlene Goldbard, writer, visual artist, speaker, social activist and consultant, whose most recent book is “In the Camp of Angels of Freedom: What does it mean to be educated?” An autodidact from a working-…
Restorative Justice: Cultivating cohesive communities [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:00
We speak with Sarah Eblen and Reginald Berry Jr., former middle school teachers and now district coordinators for the restorative justice program in the Kansas City Public Schools. Eighty percent of RJ is community build…
Intersections: Supporting Black LGBTQIA+ students [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:27
We speak with Dr. David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, NBJC, about the challenges faced by Black LGBTQIA+ students. Most young people at this intersection live in the South among other…
ChatGTP: Cheating optimizer or force for teaching transformation? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:09
We speak with Lev Moscow and Richard Miller, veteran high school teachers, about the panic around the release of chatGPT. The AI tool produces respectable essays that students can pass off as their own. The best teachers…
Climate anxiety: a generational plague [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:31
We speak with Lian Zeitz, co-founder of the Climate Mental Health Network, which promotes wellness in light of the climate crisis. According to a recent survey, 70% of young people are fearful for their future due to cli…
Climate education: not just for science class (Encore) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:44
We speak with Dr. Deb L. Morrison, research scientist at the University of Washington School of Education, about centering climate science throughout the K-12 curriculum. Dr. Morrison talks about ClimeTime, a Washington…
Undocumented students: Keeping secrets, navigating obstacles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:02
Dr. Gerardo Mancilla, associate professor in the School of Education at Edgewood College and host of Educators and Immigration podcast, reflects on his experiences as an undocumented student in the ‘90s. We discuss what…