The Critical Teaching and Learning Forum

Adult Education on the Ground In Minnesota

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Kaija Bergen, Patsy Egan and Ann Trochlil. They are all adult educators in Minneapolis and Minnesota working in various capacities. During the conversation, they relate their experiences on the ground, describe adult education's response to ICE's deadly Operation Metro Surge and share important lessons they have learned. We also discuss a document produced by the Literacy Action Network and ATLAS entitled "Advice From Minnesota Adult Education Providers." The document itself is free to download, and I encourage you to check it out [https://docs.google.com/document/d/12iWLEb2Y_DMHQtVfSwg2BWIFKJ4z5_X1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117593796755865474955&rtpof=true&sd=true].

As Public As Possible: Radical Finance for America's Public Schools

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with David I. Backer, author of As Public As Possible: Radical Finance for America's Public Schools. During our conversation, we explore the connection between public schools and the private bond market, the function of debt in education policy making at both the systemic and individual levels, and how a series of manufactured crises has helped the right reshape public education to meet their broader ideological goals. David also makes the case for using the framework of solidarity to counter these corrosive narratives about public education and public financing. There is work to be done regarding public schools, but it might not be what we have been led to believe.   In addition to his book, you can follow David's work via his Substack called Schooling in Socialist America, and you can find him on social media on - @schooldaves.

Lessons from Martin Sostre's Continuous Struggle

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Garrett Felber, author of A Continuous Struggle: The Revolutionary Life of Martin Sostre. We begin with Garrett giving a brief overview of Sostre's revolutionary work and thinking, and then explore the nature of Sostre's political education inside and outside of carceral spaces. This includes a discussion of who Sostre himself learned from and his commitment to workingwith youth in the local communities he was a part of. Sostre demonstrates that nobody learns by themselves, even when in solitary. We end by thinking about the implications of Sostre's praxis for teaching and learning during these fraught times. You can find more information about Sostre's case and updates about advocacy efforts to clear his name at martinsostre.com. For information about the Mississippi Five case, please go to https://www.studyandstruggle.com/ms5. To donate books or funds to the Free Society People's Library, you can check it out on Instagram and other social media platforms.

Union Training for Green Jobs

In this episode, I speak with Michaela Boren, from the Green Building Training Program of 32 BJ (a union for building services workers). We start by talking about her own experiences withsustainability in her home country of the Philippines and what changed when she moved to the United States. She then discusses strategies for helping adult learners develop an understanding of sustainability, particularly within theconstruction and maintenance trades. This includes making the case along economic lines. Part of our conversation explores finding language that encourages people to think more deeply about the issues involved. You can find more information about the training programs at the 32 BJ Training Fund website - https://training2.32bjfunds.org/

Teaching and Learning About Anti-Fat Bias

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Stephanie Spitz, an educator and activist involved in the struggle to eliminate anti-fat bias in society, including in school settings. Stephanie addresses a number of issues during our discussion, such as the connection between white supremacy and anti-fat bias, the harmful effects of a health care system that stigmatizes weight instead of taking a more holistic approach to understanding the body, and how classrooms can be redesigned to be more welcoming and supportive of all body types. We also discuss the language that is used to discuss this issue, and Stephanie provides suggestions for preferred terminology.