Maria Montessori created a system of schooling that centered the child and pushed back against oppressive, reward-based systems that focused on testing and grading. It was meant to be accessed by the general public and yet somehow it seems to have landed in the laps of society's more privileged set. Ashley Jefferson joins Annie and Candis as they reflect on self-directed, play-based learning as well as the effects of the drill-and-kill approach of many elementary schools today. This episode starts with Montessori, takes a few loops around youth liberation, and then ends back at the topic of how we support families in our community today. One recurring theme: How can we extend the high quality early learning that is steeped in enriching play and exploration up into the later years of schooling too?