Creating democratic learning environments: Educators in conversation

Creating democratic learning environments: Educators in conversation

Author: Ethical Schools February 21, 2025 Duration: 46:48

We speak with Dr. Linda F. Nathan and Jonathan Mendonca, two co-editors of the recently published book, "Building Democratic Schools and Learning Environments: A Global Perspective," an anthology of accounts of creating innovative schools around the world. We discuss autonomy vs large-scale uniformity, issues of scaling innovations, and defining success. The book, intentionally available free online, includes both existing schools and concepts of possible schools.

Overview

00:00-00:59 Intros

00:59-02:48 Building democratic schools and learning environments

02:48-07:02 How the book came to be written

07:02-08:00 “Many ways” that schools can prepare students for democracy

08:00-11:32 The four pillars of democratic education

11:32-14:12 The “common good”

14:12-16:13 Barefoot EDU (Unifly Collective) and Shikha Institute of Education

16:13-20:58 Jonathan Mendonca’s vision of scale and reactions to it

20:58-23:32 Resolution of whether to teach in English or mother tongue in school in Madhya Pradesh

23:32-28:10 Managing tensions between autonomy and large-scale administration in U.S. schools, and examples

28:10-29:15 Sharing innovations

29:15-33:34 Building ability to meet students’ needs into systems: equity vs equality

33:34-37:16 Catalyzing large scale professional development for pre-school teachers in Haryana State

37:16-39:08 Looking at success for the next generation

39:08-41:46 Teaching students to nurture the planet

41:46- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcript of this episode. 

References

  • Click here to download the free e-book created by Dr. Nathan and Jonathan Mendonca "Designing Democratic Schools and Learning Environments: A Global Perspective"
  • Click here to listen to our first interview with Dr. Linda Nathan "Holistic education: Joy, wellness and rigor"

 

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear


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
Education denied: What should reparations look like? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:00
Daarel Burnette II of Education Week delves into the history of Black communities demanding education and school boards conspiring to deprive them of opportunities and resources. We zoom in on Virginia’s reparations to B…
Identity-focused classes: Experiments in cultural relevance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:45
We speak with Dr. Emily Penner, who studied the impacts of two programs in which students delved into their respective races, ethnicities, and communities. San Francisco’s was designed for academically-struggling student…
Practicing ethics: Case studies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:00
We speak with Meira Levinson, Professor of Education at Harvard, about her website justiceinschools.org and books of “hard cases,” designed to help educators and youth workers think about the ethical implications of thei…
Parent voice: Supporting families with special needs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:00
Ellen McHugh, long time activist and Public Advocate Williams’s appointee to the NYC Citywide Council on Special Education, delves into the challenges facing parents of students with special education needs. Ethical rela…
Antiracism: Lessons for the classroom and faculty lounge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:00
We speak with Mica Pollock about US vs Hate and Schooltalk. Student anti-racism messaging in any medium can catalyze youth activism. Comments embedded in teachers’ everyday communication can impact students’ lifetime tra…
Consumption as ethics: Talking with students about food [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:15
We welcome back Monica Chen of Factory Farming Awareness Coalition. She describes the animal-agricultural complex that exploits workers in meatpacking plants and animals in factory farms and devastates communities and th…
Busting out of the classroom: Connecting local history to everyday life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:30
Social studies teacher David Edelman and student Raúl Baez speak about their class’s “Virtual Walking Tour of Slavery in New York City” and other projects in which students become teachers. David’s goal is to instill cur…
Food injustice: The corporatization of school meals [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:59
We speak with Monica Chen, veteran teacher and executive director of Factory Farming Awareness Coalition. Monica tells us how cow’s milk became a staple in school lunches even though most children of color do not have th…
Audit culture: The dehumanization of education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:57
World renowned educational consultant Bill Stroud talks about schooling within our capitalist culture and the impact that on-line learning will have on teachers’ autonomy and teacher-student relationships. He discusses s…