Chris McNutt

he/him

Chris McNutt is the co-founder and executive director of Human Restoration Project, a nonprofit organization focused on student engagement, well-being, and motivation. His work centers on realizing systems-based change, examining how progressive pedagogical shifts (e.g. PBL, ungrading) reimagine school to best suit the needs of students and teachers alike. He was a public high school digital media & design educator who focused on experiential learning, portfolio-driven assessment, and community involvement.

Conference to Restore Humanity 2024: Vision Into Reality

April 1, 2024

“There comes a point when some of the field’s most basic models of learning no longer serve society well; we have reached that point.”

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"Success at Any Cost"

February 6, 2024

Our narrow definition of "success" is dehumanizing young people and educators alike.

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Building Bridges: HRP & The Kosciuszko Foundation's Invitation to TEIP 2024

January 30, 2024

Human Restoration Project is looking for teachers interested in traveling, teaching, and learning in Poland this Summer!

Human Restoration Project Awarded Education Innovation and Research Grant to Reimagine Education

December 7, 2023

Human Restoration Project announces Education and Innovation Research grant from US Dept of Education

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What We're Doing With Social Media

October 25, 2023

We're finding even more ways to keep in touch and restore humanity, together.

A social media UI image in space. A child accesses one of the devices.

Human Restoration Project Acquires Floop Edu

October 10, 2023

A partnership on feedback-driven learning.

Using AI Without Losing Ourselves: A Critical Media Literacy for the 21st Century

September 25, 2023

We must be proactive in teaching students how and when to use AI while taking a critical lens to how it works and its potential pitfalls.

Paulo Freire fighting a robot. Watercolor.

Heaven, Hell, or Houston ISD

September 19, 2023

The takeover of Houston ISD sits at the intersection of so many issues impacting American education today: democratic backsliding and the rise of authoritarianism; the so-called “parents’ rights movement”; testing and accountability measures; poverty, racism, and charter schools. We would be wise to understand what’s happening in Houston as a canary in the coal mine.

Human Restoration Project and Learning InspirED Collaborate on "Students Leading the Way" Initiative to Transform Education

August 30, 2023

A big announcement from HRP in Ohio!

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August 2023 Newsletter

August 1, 2023

Updates for August 2023 at HRP!

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July 2023 Newsletter

July 1, 2023

Updates from Human Restoration Project for July 2023!

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Why we need to change schools (right now).

June 27, 2023

We need to recognize that youth and educators are in crises – and that schools need to change. It’s no longer warning bells – we are in a state of emergency.

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June 2023 Newsletter

June 1, 2023

Updates from Human Restoration Project for June 2023!

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More Human Than a Ladder or Pyramid: Psychology, Behaviorism, and Better Schools

May 13, 2023

Teachers must understand that teaching is dominated by entrepreneurial mindsets that are in dated pedagogy and problematic strategies.

A person climbing up a pyramid with a ladder.

May 2023 Newsletter

May 1, 2023

Our May 2023 newsletter on all things Human Restoration Project.

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April 2023 Newsletter

April 1, 2023

The April 2023 newsletter for Human Restoration Project!

Spaceships flying through space.

Sustaining Education for Today & A Lasting Future: Building the Interdisciplinary Subject

March 28, 2023

Bringing students into the conversation and building holistic communities of care isn’t impossible. Let's start right now!

A group of students building a rocket.

March 2023 Newsletter

March 1, 2023

The latest from Human Restoration Project! Let's restore humanity, together. An overview of our upcoming conferences, recently released videos, and summary of content releases.

A colorful, futuristic-looking school.

A New Era of Learning: Reimagining Conferences for Inspired Teaching

February 21, 2023

It isn't that education conferences aren't needed, but “I’ve heard this already” workshops and marketing ploys are a waste of time. Instead, our resources could be better spent expanding our professional understanding of related concepts to what we’ve already mastered.

Attendees seated in front of a futuristic conference building.

This is why we should stop giving homework

January 27, 2023

The United States must examine the underlying inequities of peoples’ lives, rather than focus on increasing schools’ workloads and lessening children’s free time for mythical academic gains that lead to little change.

Two young people looking out at a mountain of papers.

Schools Can't Accept the Corporate Status Quo

December 21, 2022

Young people must become critical thinkers that are able to build a better world, which will involve challenging corporations that continually exploit humans, animals, and the environment for profit. If all young people believe that profit is the purpose, then our world will teeter toward collapse.

Smokestacks in an 1800s United States factory city.

Fighting Back Against the Future

December 1, 2022

The simple act of having hope for a better future breaks the doom-loop and builds a platform for action.

A futuristic, dystopian city in red and black.

The Only Lasting Truth is Change

November 22, 2022

Like-minded educators can build friendly, hopeful spaces for young people to channel their energy toward creative rebellion against unjust systems, rather than falling prey to grifters and hate manufacturers.

A child looking up at the sky with a massive rocket trail.

120: A Pedagogy of Love w/ Dr. Antonia Darder

October 20, 2022

Combating the inhospitable and increasingly individualized notions of the school system.

A seascape.

MINDFOOD I: Top 10 Books Every Progressive Educator Should Read

September 24, 2022

We break down our favorite books on progressive education.

A bunch of creepy eyeballs.

A Brief History of Grades and Gradeless Learning

August 8, 2022

Grading is a relatively new idea. Where did it come from and who's tried to change it?

A colorful graph divided into four quadrants.

Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022: Keynote Q&A - Harvest Collegiate Circle Keepers

August 1, 2022

A Q&A transcript of our third keynote at Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022.

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Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022: Continuing the Fight w/ Dr. Jennifer Berkshire

July 31, 2022

A transcript of our event with Dr. Jennifer Berkshire at Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022.

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Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022: Keynote Q&A - Dr. Denisha Jones

July 30, 2022

A transcript of our Q&A with Dr. Denisha Jones at Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022.

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Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022: Keynote Q&A - Dr. Henry Giroux

July 27, 2022

A transcript of our Q&A with Dr. Henry Giroux at Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022.

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Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022: Keynote, Harvest Collegiate Circle Keepers - Transformative Justice

July 26, 2022

A transcript of our third keynote at Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022 with the Harvest Collegiate Circle Keepers.

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Conference to Restore Humanity 2022!: Keynote, Dr. Denisha Jones: Education as the Practice of Freedom - Learning From the Movements

July 23, 2022

A transcript of our second keynote at Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022 with Dr. Denisha Jones.

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Conference to Restore Humanity 2022!: Keynote, Dr. Henry Giroux Critical Pedagogy in a Time of Fascist Tyranny

July 21, 2022

A transcript of our first keynote at Conference to Restore Humanity! 2022 with Dr. Henry Giroux.

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The Culture War in the Classroom Continues: Unpacking the Battle

July 12, 2022

The moment where the majority of teachers no longer care, public education will be destroyed in the United States.

An ominous silhouette with an alienlike body in a red suit on a TV.

Lessons Preview: Human-Centered Interdisciplinary Subject

June 29, 2022

This update showcases our progress on our Human-Centered Interdisciplinary Subject, a project in creating an actionable cross-disciplinary, holistic course.

A group of students huddled around a desk in a science fiction setting.

Bonus: Conference to Restore Humanity Overview

June 28, 2022

An overview of our conference.

A futuristic conference hall.

Human Restoration Project Values Statements Update (2022)

June 27, 2022

In creating an organization for lasting change, it's vitally important we revisit the values in which we promote a human-centered education.

An infographic showcasing HRP values statements, available at humanrestorationproject.org/about

ISEA: Excerpt: The Inner Level

June 14, 2022

The following is an excerpt from The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity, and Improve Everyone's Wellbeing by Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson, Chapter 9.

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ISEA: Excerpt: Teaching to Transgress

June 14, 2022

The following is an excerpt from Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks, Chapter 2.

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ISEA: Personality Test

June 14, 2022

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Conference to Restore Humanity: The Need

May 21, 2022

It's past time to demand a conference model that is accessible, sustainable, and representative of the communities we serve.

A science fiction style conference space, almost like an airport.

What we're working on: Human-Centered Interdisciplinary Subject

May 18, 2022

Our goal is to answer the question: how can we prepare learners for a world that needs them to enact change?

A group of students situated around a science fiction-esque cafe.

101: Imagining Education Outside Capitalism w/ Dr. Nick Stock

May 15, 2022

Connecting Mark Fisher's Capitalist Realism to pedagogy.

A city in four quadrants.

Enacting Change by Listening

May 3, 2022

Pressing forward and armed with this knowledge, we need to bring about a grassroots movement toward change.

A steampunk-style robot with red goggles and headphones.

A Day in the Life at Three Schools

February 4, 2022

When we work together, what classrooms will we create?

A university tower rising above the clouds. A planet is in the background.

Review: Teacher & Child

February 1, 2022

This work outlines the day-to-day interactions teachers have with children, offering suggestions to solve the minute interactions that encompass most of this profession.

Two young people holding hands.

Empty Pedagogy, Behaviorism, and the Rejection of Equity

December 3, 2021

In our mission to be the best possible educators for young people, it is imperative that we understand the art and science of teaching beyond simple prescriptive ideas.

A man walking toward an ominously large building.

Unpacking "Neoliberal" Schooling, Part 3: Progressive Education: Enter the Matrix

September 25, 2021

Instead of finding ways to fight fire with fire through more critique, we deviate from the norm in ways that confuse, conflate, and separate ourselves from the narrative. Baudrillard-inspired theorist Franco Berardi writes, "the best thing to do is to make friends with chaos."

Flying green text code going toward a person, like The Matrix.

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave: How the Testing Industry Manufactured the "Learning Loss" Narrative

July 2, 2021

In the wake of pandemic schooling, the testing industry sees an opportunity to sell schools on assessments and interventions that line their pocket-books, but do their claims live up the cost?

A supernova with roots growing inside of it.

Review: Equity-Centered, Trauma-Informed Education

June 25, 2021

Alex Shevrin Venet's Equity-Centered, Trauma-Informed Education is a masterful work which inspires a systemic look at the injustices in classrooms, schools, and communities.

A signpost in an alien world.

How Teachers Can Start a Grassroots Revolution for Better Schools

June 23, 2021

The Biden Administration offers a space for educators to demand transformation. But that does not mean that we can count on better outcomes coming from the federal government.

A group of illustrated science fiction students taking a test.

Binary Solutions to Systemic Problems

May 28, 2021

This year has highlighted that there is a continual issue with equity in education; and that there’s a serious problem with the way schooling in general is tackling the issues we face today.

Many snapped together post-it notes.

Review: We Do This 'Til We Free Us

May 23, 2021

Mariame Kaba's collection of writings, We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice is a perfect encapsulation of understanding the carceral network, the importance of organizing, and counteracting inhumane systems.

A building emiting light in a science fiction setting.

100 Days of Conversations: Amplifying Communities to Reimagine Education

May 14, 2021

In our pilot, we explored a reimagination of this project as a result of the pandemic, while simultaneously recognizing that the American education system was already in need of change.

A group of people sitting around talking in a cyberpunk setting.

Learning from Games: Making Decisions for Others

March 12, 2021

Even the most well-intentioned changes can have horrific outcomes.

An omninous red planet looms over a small city.

85: Combatting Adultism to Create a Flourishing Democracy w/ Dr. Tanu Biswas & Dr. John Wall

January 31, 2021

Aligning social justice work to childism in classrooms.

A child looking off in the distance.

Review: Manufacturing Happy Citizens

November 12, 2020

Manufacturing Happy Citizens: How the Science and Industry of Happiness Control Our Lives by Edgar Cabanas & Eva Illouz provides a convincing condemnation of "positive psychology", the relatively recent scientific study of happiness.

Three people standing in a line.

One Teacher Can't Save the World

October 28, 2020

What is it about the world that is worth preparing students for, and are we dedicated to the work of building that better world alongside them?

An ominous moon.

79: Reimagine the System with REENVISIONED (Dr. Erin Raab)

October 3, 2020

Creating conversations toward human flourishing.

A group of people having a conversation.

Review: Radical Teacher, Academic Journal

August 23, 2020

Published by the University of Pittsburgh, Radical Teacher is a self-described socialist, feminist, and anti-racist journal founded in 1975. Since 2013, the entire publication is accessible for free online, double peer-reviewed, and filled with in-depth articles.

A stack of colorful books.

Liberatory Learning: Dismantling the Hidden Curriculum

August 11, 2020

This is a recap of our asynchronous professional development session, where we worked as a cohort to develop actions and solutions for equitable practices in our classrooms.

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Endorsing Student Voice Through Virtual/Hybrid Activism

August 1, 2020

This is an overview of our August 1st Summit with Inspire Citizens (Donna Guerin, Steve Sostak, Kavita Tanna), Out of the Blocks (Aaron Henkin, Wendel Patrick), and Evan Whitehead!

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Creating a Virtual, Liberatory Feedback-Driven Classroom

July 31, 2020

This past week, Human Restoration Project has had the honor of presenting this workshop on ungrading and liberatory pedagogy at Digital Pedagogy Lab 2020. Here's an overview of the activities we covered, what we learned, and resources to share!

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Unpacking “Neoliberal” Schooling, Part 2: Teachers Pay Teachers

June 15, 2020

While Teach Like a Champion, the bestselling secondary education book, trains teachers to control students through behavioral compliance, Teachers Pay Teachers — generally — trains teachers to control students through “fun” activities, worksheets, and slideshows.

A pirate at the front of a classroom.

Death and Teaching: COVID-19 and the Return to School

June 10, 2020

It's a grim time in the United States.

A graveyard with smoke in the distance.

Review: “You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones!”

June 7, 2020

“You Can’t Fire the Bad Ones!” And 18 Other Myths About Teachers, Teachers’ Unions, and Public Education by William Ayers, Crystal Laura, and Rick Ayers provides a quick-to-understand, ready-to-read breakdown of the common assaults against public education and its workers.

A group of ominous strangers.

Review: The Art of Critical Pedagogy

May 18, 2020

The Art of Critical Pedagogy provides an overview of the concept of critical pedagogy, showcases why it is needed in urban contexts, and provides three case studies of what it actually looks like in practice.

Graffiti of a science fiction city.

Unpacking “Neoliberal” Schooling

May 6, 2020

Within the school system, neoliberalism rears its head in the standardized testing-, marketing-, and curriculum-complex, where each assessment, packaged idea, and educational buzzword is sold for high profits.

A cyberpunk sky line.

Review: The Right to Learn: A Blueprint for Creating Schools That Work

April 15, 2020

Darling-Hammond’s work, which is nearly 400 pages with 200 citations, is a formative review of inner-working and issues within the United States education system, and perfectly captures the need for progressive policies.

A futuristic building blueprint.

Drop the College Board

April 9, 2020

It’s clear that the College Board is not only grossly overfunded and a waste of money, bordering on corruption, but a completely unethical, inequitable, and useless indicator of college preparedness.

Acorns on a tree.

Building a Student-Centered Third Place

March 25, 2020

Even though I don’t usually interact in these spaces, the feeling of being surrounded by other people and being apart of a greater societal culture is enlivening.

A futuristic coffee shop.

Simplification: School Policies and Practices to End During COVID-19

March 15, 2020

It is our responsibility as educators to ensure that all students are supported through this event. It will take proactive, decisive planning and decision-making by teachers to make this happen.

A clearing above the trees.

Review: The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning

February 9, 2020

The End of Homework by Etta Kralovec and John Buell offers a succinct and researched account of why homework does little to actually improve academic performance, and instead hurts a family’s overall well-being.

A group of children doing homework.

Remaking Professional Development

December 28, 2019

Professional development in education is defective and I think almost everyone knows it...PD tends to promote fads, one-and-done workshops, and the latest district initiative that fails to make any long-lasting change.

A group of teachers working in a workshop.

Revisiting Disobedience Instruction as Classroom Structural Change

December 20, 2019

Accounted by Jonathan Kozol in On Being a Teacher, disobedience instruction is teaching students how to say “no” toward teacher authoritarianism or counter a teacher’s sweeping political statements.

An empty classroom.

Review: The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools

November 17, 2019

The Labor of Lunch by Jennifer E. Gaddis is a treatise on the United States school lunch system: its history, battle over nutritional quality, and those who are fighting to change it.

A futuristic lunch room.

Review: An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People

November 3, 2019

An Indigenous Peoples’ History consistently poses questions that counteract misinformation about Native communities, specifically stories that are usually taught in elementary school.

Open plains.

Game Design, Classroom Design, and the Faux Use of Gamification

September 21, 2019

“Gamification” is a popular buzzword — whether it be corporations wanting users to excitedly spend money or educators motivating students through extrinsic rewards. Consistently, well-meaning educators are seeking gamification to encourage students to meet their standards.

A person with a VR mask.

Review: Free School Teaching: A Journey into Radical Progressive Education

September 2, 2019

Free School Teaching: A Journey into Radical Progressive Education by Kristan Accles Morrison is an exemplar of what self-directed, progressive schooling looks like.

A group of children in a classroom.

Supplying a more responsible, equitable classroom.

August 18, 2019

As we’re kicking off another exciting year of education, I’m making my annual trip to the store to resupply our classroom. And each year, I reflect on what I could buy to make my space a little more equitable for all.

A futuristic supermarket.

Starting off Right: Writing a Pro-Student Syllabus

July 28, 2019

The words we use to structure our syllabus can have a lasting first impact on how students view our class. Intentionally or not, the verbiage and wording of our attitude toward students is reflected in our writing.

An empty blackboard.

Review: We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be

July 12, 2019

We Got This is part personal narrative, part Paulo Freire critical pedagogy, and part comic book allegory. It’s a fascinating look at how a current public school teacher disrupts the status quo so his students have every possibility to achieve.

An image showing two people facing an expanse.

Death to the Acronym

July 11, 2019

Educators love acronyms. It’s the key to successful empire in the professional industry; developing a simple phrase to communicate adjectives in a catchy way. But they mean absolutely nothing.

People gathered around listening to a band.

It’s time to stop using Kahoot as a whole class review tool.

June 17, 2019

For some students, this is a way to quickly recall information they may need to know, but this isn’t justifiable for whole class review where most Kahoot sessions take place.

A massive gameshow icon similar to Kahoot.

Review: The Book of Learning and Forgetting

May 24, 2019

The Book of Learning and Forgetting is a simple book in the best way possible. A 120-page, Q&A filled, assurance that students are learning all the time.

A woman with a cloud over her head.

Reflecting on Rigor

May 20, 2019

Every year I struggle with this fact: when we run students through the “rat race” of perceived rigor by our endless assignments and high-stakes exams, are we actually teaching a student anything?

A graduation diploma.

Review: Why They Can’t Write

April 27, 2019

John Warner’s message is clear in Why They Can’t Write: we need to restore purpose to writing (and all curriculum) by removing antiquated “structure.

A group of pens.

Dispelling Illusions

April 2, 2019

Chomsky relays how our society holds up its “truths” in an Orwellian fashion — each idea is how it has always been, and changing it would be neigh impossible.

Lines similar to op art.

Review: The Inner Level

March 23, 2019

The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity, and Improve Everyone’s Well-being by Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson demonstrates a fundamental element to education: we can’t fix the system solely by making schools “better.”

A series of lines.

I use evidence to inform my teaching.

March 12, 2019

There’s hundreds, perhaps thousands, of articles promoting progressive education. Research among child development psychologists overwhelming favors student choice and voice and experiential learning.

A library.

Review: A School of Our Own

March 1, 2019

Hearing a high schooler’s perspective, combined with the expertise of a post-graduate education specialist, is as interesting as it is informative.

A group of kids.

At a Crossroads of Anti-Authoritarianism: Dismissing Far-Right School Advocates

February 18, 2019

Progressive education typically wants a plethora of schools and non-traditional experiences for children to choose from. However, I want to outline the differences of thought between some libertarian homeschoolers versus ours.

A person pointing at a map.

Making Them All Look the Same

February 9, 2019

It’s not enough that students are required to attend whitewashed, water-downed classes that the masses can distribute, but now they must have the same on their bodies.

An abstract repeated image.

Data: A New Conversation

February 2, 2019

In an era where standardized measurement is a given, and it isn’t going away any time soon — why don’t we change the data measured?

TVs with code on them.

Review: On Critical Pedagogy

January 26, 2019

On Critical Pedagogy by Dr. Henry A. Giroux inspires me to rally teachers and students and overthrow the government. Of course, that’s not realistic so I’ll start by overthrowing my classroom and work from there.

A series of red and black lines.

Neo-Progressivism

January 24, 2019

Experiential learning isn’t a packaged curriculum. Social and emotional learning isn’t an expensive workshop on managing stress in a classroom. Ed-tech isn’t meant to do what we already do “better.” Student voice and choice aren’t concepts sold in the latest book.

People being rained on outside.

Assurance

January 2, 2019

I’ve rarely discussed progressive education without this question. Yet the assumption always is that students, parents, and educators reject these ideas. I don’t think this is the case. Instead, it is a lack of understanding.

Kids working on an assignment.

Wait, 20 is the perfect amount for a classroom?

December 28, 2018

Outside of the obvious logistic and financial reasoning for larger classrooms, I just couldn’t wrap my head around why we would ever want 20 students as a “great number.”

Black and white lockers.

The Naughty List: Stop the Madness

December 24, 2018

Critics outcry that “rote-based memorization”, “facts and dates”, and prison-like environments aren’t commonplace, and the average school is a vibrant place of learning.

A large planet in the clouds.

Review: This Is Not a Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education

December 17, 2018

This Is Not a Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education by José Luis Vilson heralds a personal, provocative story of doing what’s best for children.

Grid paper, colorful.

I think a lot of communities have a problem of too much competition, I guess. That they can't... when it gets to a point that they can't be happy for other people's accomplishments and that the only thing they can do is want to be better than the other person or the rest of them.

Where's this from?