598: Human Restoration Inside the School System?

We've talked a little in the past about school survival. But we haven't given enough attention to those who work inside the schools to make them more survivable. My guest is Chris McNutt, a public school teacher and one of the founders of the Human Restoration Project. HRP is an educational movement to transform school systems, restoring students as human beings rather than a vessel for standards. The organization focuses on school reform, offering personalized professional development services and various materials geared toward changing mindsets in education. Chris is also the host of a progressive education-focused podcast called Things Fall Apart.So...what happens next? Do we fight?No. But I do ask for clarity on the term "progressive education." Chris explains it as transition from traditional compulsory schooling to a student-centered focus and to the embrace of three core values.1. passion is central to education 2. the embrace of creativity 3. the promotion of non-standardized learning We agree that the public schools are reducing humans into vessels of content rather than embracing their humanity, but I express skepticism about the possibility of true reform. I have no conception of how the current system could ever deliver the results Chris and I both find desirable.We also discuss helping young people think about and find purpose. But this is deep work; is it too invasive a job for the public schools?Chris and I have similar stories from our teaching careers. He became very disillusioned early on, and he embarked down a new path away from the traditional expectations of a public school teacher. We also both experienced a kind of savior complex that set us up for failure and disappointment early in our careers. We'll discuss this and much more.Please Support School SucksWe do cool things! Thanks to your support.School Sucks is one of the longest running liberty-minded podcasts on the web, and the only one completely devoted to the issue of education (versus public school and college). Your support keeps the show going and growing, which keeps us at the top of the options for education podcasts and leads to new people discovering our work. Please help us continue to spread this important message further!Thanks for visiting this page. Before you do anything, please bookmark and use this link for your Amazon shopping: Shop With UsOne-Time Donation Options:Paypal/Venmo;Donate DASHDonate ETHEREUMDonate LITECOINDonate BITCOINDonate BITCOIN CASHDonate ZCASHRecurring Options:Support Us On PATREONHelp incentivize our production! Pledge $1 per content item and access dozens of Patron only audios and videos.Join the A/V ClubIf you're looking for more School Sucks content, the A/V Club option grants you access to a bonus content section with 400+ hours of exclusive audio and video. If you are a regular consumer of our media, please consider making a monthly commitment by selecting the best option for you...A/V Club - Basic Access - $8.00/MonthA/V Club - "Advanced" Access - $12.00/MonthSigma Sigma Pi - "Privileged" Access - $16.00/Month Crypto Addresses:DASH; XcZfPP6GZGVo9VKViNBVJZja5JVxZDB229ETHEREUM; 0x3c5504CE3401C028832173506fa30BD4db4b7D35LITECOIN; LKNp24f5wwvZ2QzeDbvxXgBxyVwi1yXnu2BITCOIN; 1KhwY836cfSGCK5aaGFv8Q7PHMgghFJn1UBITCOIN CASH 1AmqLVxjw3Lp9KT5ckfvsqfN2Hn3B1hCWSZCASH; t1by1ZGJ63LoLSjXy27ooJtipf4wMr7qbu4