LiberatED Podcast Kerry McDonald
-
- Utbildning
Conversations with the innovators creating education options for parents and learners outside the conventional classroom.
-
Why is this Christian microschool near Phoenix so popular? Former public school teacher Coby Aldana on founding Refresh Learning Center
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. -
From a Montessori pod to three Acton Academy campuses: Virginia founder Jackie Hill
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 on entrepreneurship and human flourishing
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. -
Why this new farm school is in such high demand
Located on beautiful 400-acre organic farm in Smyrna, Tennessee, about 20 miles outside of Nashville, Bloomsbury Farm School began in 2020 with one teacher, Kaiti Dewhirst Monroe, and five homeschooled children, including farmer Lauren Palmer’s own five-year-old. Today, it is a Reggio Emilia-inspired K-5 farm school, with additional parent-child programming for littler ones, that currently serves 86 children with a growing waitlist.
***
Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated. -
The enduring legacy of the Alternative Education Resource Organization
Founded in 1989 by alternative education advocate Jerry Mintz, the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) continues to provide resources, support, and community for parents, teachers, and learners interested in alternatives to traditional schooling.
AERO's Peter Berg joins me today to talk about the organization's enduring legacy and its upcoming, annual conference being held in June in Minneapolis.
My podcast listeners can click this link to register for the conference at a discounted rate.
"I Quit, I Think," by John Taylor Gatto on AERO's website
***
Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
-
Why one founder decided now is the time to launch a new school in Iowa
Robert Kimble is the founder of Dream Academy in Dubuque, Iowa. A project of the Dubuque Dream Center, an afterschool program that Kimble cofounded in 2013, Dream Academy is opening this August as a faith-based, K-7 private school with plans to grow through high school by 2029. More than 50 students have already enrolled, and all are attending tuition-free thanks to Iowa's new universal school choice program.
***
Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.