LiberatED Podcast

Jennifer Wolverton is the founder and Executive Director of the Microcollective for AI, Robotics, and the Sciences (known as MARS), a nonprofit dedicated to reshaping education through cutting-edge STEM and creative arts. Based in Huntsville, Alabama, MARS is a hybrid homeschooling program that empowers students with hands-on, project-based learning experiences in technology, engineering, and science. Jennifer also runs Log Cabin Schoolhouse, where her flagship curriculum, the AI Writers Guild, teaches students to harness artificial intelligence in novel writing, blending language arts with advanced tech skills. A passionate advocate for education reform, Jennifer actively engages in policy work to expand access to innovative, tech-forward education for all students in Alabama. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Andreas Marinopoulos is the cofounder of Brilliant Microschools, a national network of online, accredited K-12 microschools that launched in 2020 and today serves over 1,200 learners in the US, with a special focus on neurodiversity. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Tiffany Thenor is the cofounder and CEO of WonderHere, a play-based microschool network and research hub touting the benefits of play, personalization, and project-based learning. A public school teacher for 15 years, Tiffany left her job in 2016 to launch the first WonderHere with a handful of children in Lakeland, Florida. Today, that location serves over 100 full-time and part-time learners each day. Through a creative licensing model, new founders are now launching their own WonderHere schools across the US. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Thomas Dowell was a public school teacher in Arizona for several years before deciding to become an education entrepreneur. He launched Moreana Boys Academy earlier this fall as a home-based microschool located just outside of Phoenix that his students attend tuition-free. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Scott Gallagher taught in public schools for 17 years before joining the founding team of Raritan Learning Collaborative, a full-time self-directed learning center for homeschooled teens located in Flemington, New Jersey. Raritan is part of a consortium of self-directed learning centers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and is a member of the Liberated Learners network. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Rebecca Newby taught high school English in the Pine Bluff, Arkansas public schools before becoming principal of Friendship Aspire Academy, a K-5 public charter school in Pine Bluff that is seeing skyrocketing demand from local families looking for new education options. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

A high school math teacher and principal in Montana public schools for over 10 years, Rusty Bowers launched Bozeman Innovation Academy, a K-8 Acton Academy affiliate, in fall 2023. Acton Academy is a fast-growing network of schools focused on learner-driven education. Founded in 2009, the Acton network now includes over 300 independently-operated schools, serving thousands of learners. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Nathan Fellman was a public middle school teacher and administrator in New Hampshire for about 20 years before leaving his job to launch The Harkness House, a middle school microschool in Nashua, New Hampshire, which opened in fall 2022. Harkness House is a state-recognized private school that also has part-time enrollment options for homeschoolers, and some students attend at a reduced tuition thanks to the state's school choice programs. More families were asking for high school options, so Nate and his team decided to explore dual enrollment options, partnering with a local community college to expand offerings for high schoolers. Why Teachers Are Finding Meaningful Careers In Microschools (Forbes.com) *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Founded in Framingham, Massachusetts in 1968, the Sudbury Valley School has been championing non-coercive, self-directed, democratic education for decades, and has inspired the growth of dozens of Sudbury-model schools around the world. If you're a frequent listener to the podcast, you know that three of my children attend SVS, which is a low-cost, secular, private school located about 45 minutes outside of Boston. My guest today is Mikel Matisoo, who joined the staff at Sudbury Valley School in 1988 after a brief stint as a public school teacher in New York City. His children graduated from SVS and his grandchildren now attend the school, which continues to challenge students, teachers, parents, and policymakers to think differently about education. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Rachelle Noble is the founder of Microschool Solutions, a microschool accelerator program that helps new microschool founders to launch their programs in communities across the U.S. She also runs Noble Microschools, a home-based microschool in Arizona in which all students attend tuition-free through the state's universal school choice programs. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Blair Lee is the founder of Secular, Eclectic, Academic (SEA) Homeschoolers, an online homeschooling community reaching over 100,000 families with curriculum resources, connection, and encouragement. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Kymberly Kent is the cofounder and director of eXtend Homeschool Tutorial in Maryland, a faith-based homeschool program offering a la carte classes in core academic subjects for roughly 100 elementary, middle school, and high school homeschooled students. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

A former public school teacher and founder of Colossal Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Shiren Rattigan is expanding her microschool model by creating a franchise network of "colossalized" microschools throughout the Sunshine State, as well as lacunhing Colossal Online to enable learners everywhere to access high-quality, highly individualized education. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Forest schools and similar nature-based programs are often concentrated in the preschool and early-elementary grades, but Jaime Peterson and Rebecca Westbrook Toker recognized the demand for these programs for middle schoolers and beyond. Listen to their founder journey to create REconnect Nature School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Despite frustrating regulatory barriers, Danielle McLean and her cofounders launched Keystone Education Center in Vero Beach, Florida this fall. The microschool currently serves 17 neurodiverse students ages 9 to 13—including Danielle's autistic twin boys. The team plans to add a high school in the coming years. Two of Danielle's cofounders left their jobs as local public school special education teachers to build and work at this school. All of Keystone's students attend with tuition support from Florida's school choice programs. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

At Skola Microschool near Minneapolis, students and teachers spend much of their day outside, leading to happier, healthier experiences for all. Founded in 2022 by Kristin Fink, Skola has reached capacity with 25 K-8 students. Rather than expand, Kristin and her lead teacher, Ginger Montezon, are supporting other entrepreneurial teachers throughout Minnesota who want to launch similar programs in their communities. The Rise of Education Entrepreneurs in Minnesota (Forbes.com) *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Jill Haskins is a homeschooling mom in Fort Wayne, Indiana and former microschool teacher who now works closely with the National Microschooling Center as an ecosystem builder within Indiana and across the U.S. Jill currently works with 80 microschools across Indiana—30 of which launched this fall. She expects to see more than 150 microschools in the state in 2025. Jill estimates that 85% of the students currently in a microschool in Indiana are attending tuition-free or nearly so using one of Indiana's school choice programs. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Marisa Palmer is the cofounder, along with her husband Brandon, of Acton Academy Madison West in Madison, Wisconsin. A former investment banker and hedge fund analyst in New York City, Marisa launched her microschool in January 2023 with four students as part of the global Acton Academy network of learner-driven schools. Today, she has 15 students enrolled in her school, including her 8-year-old son, and expects to grow significantly over the next three years. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Ashley Franz is a homeschooling mother of 5 who founded Cross Creek Academy as a PreK-12th Charlotte Mason-inspired hybrid homeschool program in rural central Arkansas. It currently serves about 100 learners with daily programming. Taylor Guy is a parent of three students at Cross Creek and a staff member. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Today's guest is Tanisha DaCosta, founder of Kingdom Kids Empowerment Academy, a K-12 microschool with a project-based, Montessori-inspired approach that operates on the campus of Barber-Scotia College, an HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) in North Carolina. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Mary Jo Fairhead is a former public school teacher and principal who in 2021 founded Onward Learning, an affordable, child-centered PK-8 school in rural Martin, South Dakota. As her enrollment climbs, she plans to open additional schools throughout South Dakota. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Vince and Tiffany Torres are the cofounders, along with two other couples, of Santa Fe Christian, a low-cost private school in New Mexico that they launched in 2022. It began with 20 students and has tripled in size over the past two years. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Sabrina Reynolds is the founder of Mastery Learning Academy, a first through twelfth grade microschool in Taylorsville, Utah outside of Salt Lake City that focuses on core academic content within a classical-inspired, project-based learning environment. Sabrina has a Master's degree in secondary education and taught in both public and private schools for almost 20 years before launching Mastery Learning Academy in 2019. Her school was almost shut down last spring for a zoning issue, but a new microschool bill passed by the Utah legislature saved it. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Candice Hilton left her job as a public school teacher last year and just opened her K-8 microschool, Hilton Horizons Academy, in Kingsport, Tennessee. Tuition for the three-day program is $4,900 a year. All 12 of Hilton's students are legally homeschooled, with the vast majority of them new to homeschooling this academic year after being in public school. Check out Kerry's new article at The 74 on "New Microschools for a New School Year," featuring Hilton Horizons Academy. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

LiberatED Education Associate Nasiyah Isra-Ul interviews Sumay and Aila Lu, the cofounders of the WEquil App educational platform and its virtual school, WEquil School. For Sumay and Aila, ages 15 and 12 respectively, creating a virtual school, and later a wider community platform, was inspired by their journey from public school into unconventional education during the pandemic. Their edtech platform currently has over 2,400 registered users. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Tobin Slaven is an educator, entrepreneur, and author who has joined our team as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence. He is the co-founder of Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale in Florida, which is part of the fast-growing Acton Academy network of hundreds of learner-driven schools across the US and globally. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Michelle Lee Thompson is the founder of Hand In Hand Christian Montessori in Minnesota. She launched Hand in Hand in 1999 as a small summer camp and today it has three campuses serving infants to teens with both full-time private school options and part-time homeschool programs. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Dr. Erin Flynn is a longtime educator and founder of the Hedge School Cooperative, an inclusive, secular, LGBTQIA-welcoming microschool for homeschoolers in Austin, Texas. The school offers two to four days of in-person instruction for 8th-12th graders. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Nasiyah Isra-Ul is a young entrepreneur and innovator who has joined our team as the new LiberatED Education Associate, in partnership with Stand Together's Koch Associate Program. Nasiyah launched her own education business as a teen, for which she has won many awards and accolades. She is passionate about youth entrepreneurship, student agency, and education innovation and choice. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Founded by Amir Nathoo in 2015, Outschool.com offers live, video-enabled online classes for young people ages 3 to 18. Learners can select content ranging from typical academic subjects and tutoring services, to more adventurous classes such as pet-trick training, forensic science, engineering with Minecraft, and wilderness survival skills. Instructors create their own courses based on their own interests and expertise, and set their own prices. Many choose to teach on Outschool.com to share their knowledge and passions within a creative and flexible learning environment. I first interviewed Amir back in 2019 for an article at Forbes and I am so honored to speak with him again today as he shares his founder story and tell us more about Outschool.com's past, present, and future. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Shante Lane Tamerat is the cofounder of Discovery Lane, a Reggio Emilia-inspired PK-5 private school located in Waldorf, Maryland. Shante has been in education for 15 years, and worked in schools in both Philadelphia and Washington, DC. She has a Bachelor's in Psychology, a Master's in Elementary/Special Education, and a Ph.D. in Special Education/Education Leadership. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Today's guest is Hannah Holguin, founder of Masterpiece Academy located just outside of Omaha, Nebraska. Hannah was a public school teacher for nearly a decade, mostly teaching mathematics. She has also worked as an adjunct professor with a local community college, and founded Masterpiece Academy in August of 2022 as a K-12 microschool for homeschoolers with both full-time and part-time enrollment options. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Today's guest is David O'Connor, a college lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania for many years and a longtime theatre director and designer. David is a cofounder of Philly ALC, a self-directed school in Philadelphia that also has part-time programs for homeschoolers. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Ally Adair-Chung is the founder of Beachcities Classical, a Classical Christian homeschooling collaborative based in Huntington Beach, CA. It launched in the fall of 2021 and today serves about 250 students. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Jill Brown and Susan Deakins are both longtime public school teachers who quit their jobs and, in 2021, launched the Columbia Academy for Learning and Enrichment (CALE), a JK-12 microschool in Columbia, Missouri that has experienced remarkable growth. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Andreas Widmer is an Associate Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America's Busch School of Business. His most recent book is The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship: Creating Enduring Value. In this episode, Professor Widmer shares his perspectives on entrepreneurship and offers advice for education entrepreneurs. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Lindsey Vose is a former public school teacher who launched Wild Wonders out of her garage in Belgrade, Montana in 2022. She opened with four students, including her two children. Today, Wild Wonders is located on a five-acre farmstead property near Vose's home. It has 22 K-6 students who attend the mixed-age, drop-off program Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. She has 35 students registered for fall and says she can't keep up with demand. She also plans to open a middle school program soon. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Priscilla Yuill is the founder and educational director of Casa Ranch Montessori , an eco-conscious Montessori homeschool cooperative program that is educating for sustainability and cultivating environmentally-conscious global citizens. Priscilla has been a passionate Montessori educator for more than 10 years, with early childhood and elementary Montessori credentials and a Master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction. During Covid, Priscilla began homeschooling her two young boys and that started her on her path toward education entrepreneurship. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Dale Ahlquist is the cofounder of Chesterton Academy in Hopkins, Minnesota. What started in 2008 as a microschool with 10 students, including some of his own children, has grown into a flagship location with over 150 high schoolers, as well as a global network of over 70 Classical Catholic Chesterton Schools educating more than 2,000 students. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Amanda Lucas, founder of Lucas Literacy Lab, a middle school microschool in Middlesex County, New Jersey opening this fall. She taught in charter and private schools across New York City for nearly a decade before becoming an education entrepreneur and joining the KaiPod Catalyst microschool startup accelerator program. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Elmarie Hyman is the founder of Learn Beyond the Book, a California-based secular homeschool resource center for students in pre-K through high school. Young people can attend Learn Beyond the Book's in-person classes in three locations in the greater Los Angeles area, or take advantage of additional live virtual classes. Students who attend are either homeschoolers who pay out-of-pocket or public charter school students who attend tuition-free, or nearly so, through one of California's homeschool charter schools. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Benita Gordon was a longtime public school teacher who is now the founder of Miami MicroLearn Hub, a microschool focusing on rising 6th to rising 12th graders in South Florida opening this August. Benita also founded the educational consulting company, Global Education Concierge. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

John Mackey is an author, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Whole Foods Market. In 2022, he stepped down from his 44 years as CEO of the natural and organic grocer. He is now launching a new startup, Love.Life. Mackey is the author of several books including the just-released The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

In Stillwater, Minnesota, Amy Marotz launched Awakening Spirit microschool to serve the distinct needs of gifted and neurodiverse learners. After earning an education degree and teaching at a Minneapolis charter school early in her career, Amy began homeschooling her own children and saw a need for a dedicated program to address neurodiversity within a holistic, nurturing environment. She now runs the program from her home and is helping other aspiring founders to create their own innovative schools and spaces. The Rise of Education Entrepreneurs in Minnesota (Forbes.com) *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Jessica Slayback and Victoria Forsman launched the REALM, Redesigning Education And Living Meaningfully, in 2010 as a microschool with one student and since then they have served 3,000 students with both full-time and part-time learning options. Located in Santa Monica, California, REALM currently enrolls 134 students ages 4 to 14 each semester, with a new high school program opening soon. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Denice Dixon is a former public school special education teacher and founder of TREAD Academy, a K-12 microschool serving neurodivergent and neurotypical in Atlanta. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Chip Reichanadter is an experienced Montessori educator and cofounder of Pinyon Montessori, a PreK-6 microschool in Salt Lake City that opened in November 2023 and is the first Wildflower Montessori school in Utah. Founded in 2014, Wildflower is a national network of dozens of teacher-owned Montessori microschools fostering child-centered learning. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Former public school teacher Coby Aldana is the founder of Refresh Learning Center, a Christian microschool for kindergarteners through high schoolers near Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in August 2023 and focuses on small classes and personalized learning. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Jackie Hill is the founder of Acton Academy Hampton Roads in the southeast part of Virginia. A mom of 5 and a Montessori teacher, Jackie wanted a different educational experience for her own children. In 2008, she created a little Montessori learning pod in her living room that kept growing and growing and eventually evolved into a democratic school and later into three Acton Academy campuses. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Magatte Wade is an entrepreneur and author renowned for her dynamic approach to business and her dedication to fostering economic development in Africa. Born in Senegal, Magatte is the founder and CEO of SkinIsSkin.com, a skincare company providing high-quality, ethically sourced products. Magatte's entrepreneurial journey began with Adina World Beat Beverages, a company she founded in 2004 that produced drinks inspired by traditional African recipes and emphasized fair trade principles. She is the author of the new book, The Heart of a Cheetah: How We Have Been Lied to About African Poverty, and What That Means for Human Flourishing. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.