The Critical Teaching and Learning Forum

Erik Jacobson
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The Critical Teaching and Learning Forum is a group of educators who discuss and explore education from a left-perspective. Podcast episodes will focus on critical pedagogy and related issues in a variety of contexts. The website for the group is https://criticalteachingandlearningforum.org/

  1. Sep 17

    The Necessity of Police Abolition in K-12 Schools

    In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Renee Johnston, a long-time educator and community activist. Much of her organizing work focuses on abolition, and she is involved in electoral work as a Chairperson in the Green Party of New Jersey. Renee is also co-host of a program on Black Liberation Media called Saturdays with Renee, where policing, copaganda and the need for abolition are frequent topics of discussion. Our conversation specifically focuses on the nature of policing in K-12 schools, how it is rooted in systemic racism and capitalism, and how classrooms and schools are critical sites of resistance.  You can check out Renee's show at: https://blkliberationmedia.org/saturdays/

  2. May 28

    Restorative and Transformative Justice In Schools and Other Carceral Spaces

    In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Jason Williams, Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Jason is committed to connecting his scholarship in critical criminology with work in local communities, particularly in Passaic County. His projects include promoting harm reduction as an essential part of drug policy, supporting various efforts to reduce violence and working with individuals preparing for re-entry. Jason is also co-chair of the Restorative Justice Hub in Paterson. Our conversation examines the genesis of the hub, the relationship between restorative and transformative justice, and how these concepts are helpful in the struggle to stop the damage caused by carceral spaces, including schools.  Selected Publications by Jason Williams Williams, J.M., & Kniffley, S. (Eds.) (2019). Black Males and the Criminal Justice System. Routledge Saleh-Hanna, V., Williams ,J. & Coyle ,M.J. (Eds.) (2023) . Abolish Criminology. Routledge Cook, K., & Williams, J. (Eds.) (2022). Survivor Criminology. Rowman and Littlefield

  3. May 28

    Cuba as Curriculum: The Praxis of Solidarity

    In this episode of the podcast, I speak with the University of Orange's Doug Farrand about his recent trip to Cuba as part of the Solidarity Forever delegation lead by the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization. This annual action brings food and medical supplies as a response to the damaging decades long US embargo, and given the current increased pressure applied by the Trump administration, is more important than ever. Doug explains the logistics of the trip, what he saw in Cuba, what he learned and what questions he was left with.  Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization https://ifconews.org/who-we-are   University of Orange https://universityoforange.org

  4. Mar 26

    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.

  5. Feb 17

    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.

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

  6. 07/25/2025

    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.

  7. 07/25/2025

    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/

  8. 01/28/2025

    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.

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About

The Critical Teaching and Learning Forum is a group of educators who discuss and explore education from a left-perspective. Podcast episodes will focus on critical pedagogy and related issues in a variety of contexts. The website for the group is https://criticalteachingandlearningforum.org/

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