Abolish the Bell

In this episode students describe what it means to learn for liberation. In short it means equity, acceptance, inclusion, teachers that look like us, and a full narrative of history being taught.

A few members all join together to discuss what liberatory education means to them. To us, meaning the participants in this episode, it means equity, it means acceptance, it means inclusions, it means more teachers that look like us in the classroom, and a full narrative of history being told, it means learning about other cultures and it means adequately preparing us for the world we have been given the task to make better. To us, liberatory education should be all of that and so much more. Many of us have been pressured to believe a very confined view of success that is founded in whiteness, wealth, and ability, obviously leaving out an extremely large number of people. We want education to offer a kind of success that is inclusive, attainable, and holistic. Success is not one thing, but whatever one chooses it to be with all the resources they need to get there. We want to redefine success and have school help us get there. Tune in to hear us talk about this through our personal anecdotes and a telling of history featuring the Black Panther Party, some indigenous practices, and Montessori and Waldorf methods. Listen to discover what our hopes are for what school and the education system can become in the future.

In this episode we discuss the division seen in the classroom between teachers and students. We also

talk about the stigmas and pressures brought on by the educational system and how it affects both

students’ and teachers’ mental and physical health. Throughout the episode, the hosts give personal

experiences of their student-teacher relationships and how it translated to their success in high school.

We end the episode with our hopes for the future and aspirations for change.

In this episode students explore what we teach, how we teach it, and why it matters

Educators have a duty to teach students about the world. However, when the knowledge teachers impart is outdated, skewed, or irrelevant to students' experiences, are we really preparing the next generation to enter the 'real' world? This episode explores contemporary issues surrounding US classrooms, from political battles over what should and shouldn't be taught, to supporting student mental wellness in competitive environments, to underlying pressures within STEM versus Art and Humanities fields.

This episode is made up of four students of all different ages and backgrounds who share the negative

impact of racism, standardization, and capitalism on the current and past education system. We start

with the history of schooling with information on the factory model, moving on to the history of the

grading system and unfair standardization practices, continue into the inequities of post-graduation

experiences, and end with the disparities in the education system between people of color and white

students. We touch on a great number of things with the root of standardization, capitalism, and racism

connecting them all. Some of the information shared is striking and discouraging but we also highlight

some of the amazing work that is being done to remedy the ills of the education system as well other

solutions we personally believe could make a positive difference.