KindlED | The Prenda Podcast

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The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments through microschooling. Powered by Prenda, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle curiosity, motivation, and well-being in young learners. Do you have a question, topic, or story you'd like to share with us? Get in touch at podcast@prenda.com.

  1. Episode 96: Reconnecting to Joyful Learning. A Conversation with Meredith Reyes.

    6D AGO

    Episode 96: Reconnecting to Joyful Learning. A Conversation with Meredith Reyes.

    We sit down with former public school teacher Meredith Reyes to unpack the moment burnout stopped being manageable and started being dangerous. She shares how moving states changed her working conditions overnight and how homeschooling helped her rebuild learning around safety, curiosity and mastery.  • Meredith’s path from lifelong “teacher kid” to ten-year public school veteran  • COVID-era boundary shifts that made teachers feel less valued  • IEP realities when supports do not match student needs  • Paperwork, assessments and required programs crowding out teaching time  • Class size pressure and why union protections mattered in California  • Texas culture shock: pay cut, longer days, extra events and unprotected prep  • The mental health spiral that led to a mid-year resignation  • An active shooter drill that felt real and reshaped school safety concerns  • Early homeschooling mistakes: recreating school at home  • De-schooling and building a flexible family rhythm for learning  • Inquiry-based learning and following rabbit holes on purpose  • Mixed-age co-op learning and why age grouping is a school construct  • Rethinking grades through mastery-based learning and repeated practice  • The value of conversation as assessment, not just worksheets  • Books and voices that helped, including Julie Bogart and The Brave Learner  • The teachers who kindled Meredith’s love of learning early on  About our guest Meredith Reyes is an experienced classroom teacher in both California and Texas. After years of teaching in public schools she decided to make the move to homeschool her own children. Meredith shares her journey on instagram as @thestringymama. Connect with Meredith The Stringy Mama Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message! About the podcast The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments. Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being. Got a burning question? We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together! Important links: • Connect with us on social • Get our free literacy curriculum Interested in starting a microschool? Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

    46 min
  2. Episode 95: A Mathematician's Lament. A Conversation with Paul Lockhart.

    APR 22

    Episode 95: A Mathematician's Lament. A Conversation with Paul Lockhart.

    We talk with mathematician and author Paul Lockhart about how school can drain the life out of math and why real mathematics feels more like art than a subject. We argue for desire, honesty, and beautiful explanations as the center of learning, then share concrete puzzles that show what math looks like when it is alive. • why “school teaches school” and how schoolification ruins natural curiosity • learning as a personal gift and teaching as inspiration rather than control • mathematics as pattern, proof, and the art of explanation • building a mathematical worldview through questions and play • practical ways adults avoid killing desire in kids • what a workshop-style math class looks like without tests or homework • domino tiling and checkerboard reasoning as a model for elegant proof • why formulas stick only after you can see the idea • protecting your mind and reclaiming happiness as a learning goal • a surprising shout-out to a student who changed Paul’s thinking About our guest Paul Lockhart is the author of Arithmetic, Measurement,  A Mathematician’s Lament, and Mending Broken Bones. He has taught mathematics at Brown University, University of California, Santa Cruz, and to K-12 level students at St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn, New York. Connect with Paul A Mathematician’s Lament Arithmetic Measurement Mending of Broken Bones Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message! About the podcast The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments. Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being. Got a burning question? We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together! Important links: • Connect with us on social • Get our free literacy curriculum Interested in starting a microschool? Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

    56 min
  3. Episode 94: Recentering the Family. A Conversation with Matt Beaudreau.

    APR 2

    Episode 94: Recentering the Family. A Conversation with Matt Beaudreau.

    We talk with Matt Beaudreau about why kids are born motivated and how schools and homes can accidentally train that drive into distraction and compliance. We dig into microschools, family sovereignty, and practical ways to build capable young people through autonomy, clear boundaries, and real responsibility. • Matt’s origin story and learning to “play school” without actually learning • Why microschools focus on kids over politics and bureaucracy • Apogee’s mission of building sovereign families through responsibility and self-leadership • A simple daily structure: academics, fitness, and passion projects • How lowered expectations for “teenagers” drains agency and maturity • Creating rites of passage that make kids feel alive and capable • Using mastery-based ed tech with intentional boundaries and strong culture • Coaching conversations that replace tech whack-a-mole and surveillance • Advice for parents who feel stuck in traditional school: move yourself forward and bring your child along About our guest Matt Beaudreau is a globally recognized consultant and coach who partners with organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies like Wells Fargo, Honeywell, and Lockheed Martin to leading brands such as American Eagle, Cedars-Sinai, and the United States Air Force. A two-time featured TEDx speaker and recipient of Stanford University’s Corporate Trainer of the Year award, Matt is known for helping teams unlock performance, leadership, and lasting cultural transformation. In 2017, Matt founded his first private school centered on self-directed learning, with a mission to develop confident, independent young people grounded in strong character and personal responsibility. Since then, he has helped launch multiple campuses around the world, expanding his impact and championing a new vision for education rooted in autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Connect with Matt Apogee Strong Apogee Strong Podcast Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message! About the podcast The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments. Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being. Got a burning question? We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together! Important links: • Connect with us on social • Get our free literacy curriculum Interested in starting a microschool? Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

    54 min
  4. Episode 93: School Choice Matters. A Conversation with Morgan Camu.

    MAR 25

    Episode 93: School Choice Matters. A Conversation with Morgan Camu.

    We explore why more parents are rethinking the default school path and how real support makes school choice easier. From being mislabeled in school to helping scale education choice, our guest shares how families can find better-fit options. • A school choice journey from Taiwan to Florida to a microschool  • Why parent-led “kitchen table” decisions lead to better outcomes  • How Outschool.org supported families during COVID  • What parents want: safety, wellbeing, rigor, flexibility, and time  • Why choosing school year by year improves fit  • The concept of “firing your school” and choosing intentionally  • How unbundled learning expands access to classes and opportunities  • Texas ESA insights: timelines, funding, and waitlists About our guest Morgan Camu is Head of Programs at Outschool.org, where she leads program design, strategy, and implementation to maximize the impact of educational choice programs. Her team partners with state education agencies to provide technology-enabled, human-centered solutions to over 125,000 students each year. Her team has also supported 45 grantees advancing enrichment opportunities for marginalized learners and served more than 30,000 students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Morgan served as Chief Academic Officer at a global education company serving nearly 70 school districts across the country, where she led efforts to recruit, select, and support 2,000 international teachers from more than 35 countries. She began her career as a high school science teacher in rural North Carolina. She holds a doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard University and a B.A. from Duke University. Connect with Morgan Outschool.org Texas Education Freedom Account Program The Texas Finder Tool School Choice Arkansas Outbridge South Carolina Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message! About the podcast The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments. Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being. Got a burning question? We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together! Important links: • Connect with us on social • Get our free literacy curriculum Interested in starting a microschool? Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

    51 min
  5. Episode 92: The Imagination Crisis. A Conversation with Nicole Jarbo.

    MAR 17

    Episode 92: The Imagination Crisis. A Conversation with Nicole Jarbo.

    We name the “imagination crisis” holding education back and argue that better schools start with better dreaming, not just better funding or tools. We share how 4.0 Schools helps change-curious builders and turn rough ideas into real tests while staying impact-first, resilient, and grounded in what families and learners actually need.  • why education makes people feel personally invested and why that can still produce stale ideas  • what 4.0 Schools does as an early-stage launch pad for education founders  • how to build resilience by loving the work rather than protecting the original idea  • design dreaming basics: cataloguing assets and choosing a motivating question  • why “barely better” innovation feels safe and how it limits progress  • what anti-scale really means and how to stay impact-first as you grow  • learner-centric design as a practical way to build better solutions  • AI in education as jet fuel for implementation and a risk to originality  Go sign up for 4.0 schools, support the project.  About our guest Nicole Jarbo is the CEO of 4.0 Schools, where she leads one of the country’s most active platforms for early-stage education founders. A former Teach For America corps member and KIPP teacher, she is also a fintech founder who has raised millions in venture capital. Nicole has worked across philanthropy and systems-level education change, and is the host of Pitch Playground, an award-winning podcast spotlighting the future of education. Connect with Nicole 4.0 Schools Pitch Playground Podcast Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message! About the podcast The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments. Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being. Got a burning question? We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together! Important links: • Connect with us on social • Get our free literacy curriculum Interested in starting a microschool? Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

    49 min
  6. Episode 90: Microschools for Texas Families. A Conversation with Colleen Dippel.

    MAR 5

    Episode 90: Microschools for Texas Families. A Conversation with Colleen Dippel.

    We dig into what parents actually want from schools: strong reading and math, safety and belonging, and communication that treats families like partners. Texas’s EFA, new accreditation pathways for microschools, and the rise of homeschooling point toward a more plural system grounded in trust and transparency. • basics as survival skills in modern life • safety, belonging, and being seen • the black box problem and real-time updates • drop-off and pickup as engagement signals • growth of homeschooling, hybrid, and microschools • Texas EFA scale, caps, and prioritization • accreditation as a quality floor, not a barrier • building a TEA-aligned microschool accreditor • vision for plural, calm, human-scale schools • gratitude for mentors who spark learning About our guest Colleen Dippel began her career as a public-school teacher. Colleen is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Families Empowered, a Texas based not for profit parent service organization. Families Empowered has provided K-12 school navigation services to over 105K low-income families in Texas. Colleen was a 2013 LEE Emerging Political Leadership Fellow and a 2017 Pahara-Aspen Fellowship recipient. She served on the Advisory Board of the Rice Educational Entrepreneurship Program at the Jones School of Business. She is a member of the John Cooper School Booster Club Board and the Dyslexia School of Houston Board. Additionally, she serves on the Advisory Board of the Thrive with Autism Charter School. She and her daughter are active participants in The Woodlands TX chapter of the National Charity League. She considers being a mother to her two children her greatest accomplishment.  Connect with Colleen Families Empowered Texas Education Freedom Accounts Program TX Microschool Accreditation Service Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message! About the podcast The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments. Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being. Got a burning question? We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together! Important links: • Connect with us on social • Get our free literacy curriculum Interested in starting a microschool? Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

    44 min
  7. Episode 91: Education Disruption: Where are we now? A Conversation with Michael Horn.

    MAR 4

    Episode 91: Education Disruption: Where are we now? A Conversation with Michael Horn.

    We examine how disruption theory applies to K–12 and how microschools and ESAs shift power from systems to families. We discuss rigor, the science of reading, special education, and how districts could operate in a more plural, community-centered future. • origins and naming of the microschool movement • disruption theory in classrooms and systems • blended vs. virtual learning • how time-based models hinder student-centered learning • ESAs vs. vouchers and the value of flexibility • overserved families and K–12 market dynamics • rigor through student-centered mastery • adoption and social proof along the S-curve • special education in microschools • rethinking high school identity and rituals • district partnerships with microschools • accreditation and tuition-first policy risks About our guest Michael Horn is an award-winning author and national bestselling writer of Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career. He teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-founded the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. Through his writing, speaking, and work with education organizations, he champions helping individuals build meaningful careers and lives. He has authored multiple books on education and innovation, including Disrupting Class, Blended, and From Reopen to Reinvent, cohosts the top education podcasts Future U and Class Disrupted, and writes The Future of Education newsletter. An executive editor at Education Next and contributor to Forbes, his work has appeared in major outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. His 2024 Harvard Business Review article, “Why Employees Quit,” won the 2025 Warren Bennis Award for best HBR article on leadership. He serves on several education boards and is a 2014 Eisenhower Fellow. Horn holds a BA from Yale and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Connect with Michael Michael Horn Disrupting Class Book Class Disrupted Podcast with Diane Tavenner Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message! About the podcast The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments. Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being. Got a burning question? We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together! Important links: • Connect with us on social • Get our free literacy curriculum Interested in starting a microschool? Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

    47 min
  8. Episode 89: Microschools are Everywhere. A Conversation with Meredith Olson.

    JAN 29

    Episode 89: Microschools are Everywhere. A Conversation with Meredith Olson.

    We name the real barrier in education as the status quo mindset and share how Vela backs nearly 5,000 founders building learner-centered options. Meredith traces her journey from engineering and finance to education, explains the data behind microschool growth, and offers practical steps for parents and educators to lead change. • Defining the enemy as mindset, not institutions • Meredith’s path from engineering and economics to education • Three decades of steady growth in low-cost alternatives • Pre‑COVID skepticism and the COVID demand shock • Vela’s microgrants, reinvestments and peer network • The four founder types and their motivations • Parent and learner agency as a new paradigm • Pioneers helping refugees become builders • Wild and wise as a founder operating principle About our guest Meredith is president and CEO of VELA, a network of self-determined people doing education their own way. VELA supports 4,800+ founders who enable low-cost private and home education for millions of families. Meredith brings more than two decades of philanthropy and community leadership to this work. She previously served as vice president of public affairs for Koch, Inc., where she led corporate philanthropy and community programs. Meredith is the board chair of yes. every kid., an organization advancing transformative education policy, and is a trustee of Wichita Collegiate School.  Connect with Meredith VELA Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message! About the podcast The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments. Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being. Got a burning question? We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together! Important links: • Connect with us on social • Get our free literacy curriculum Interested in starting a microschool? Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ Prenda.com or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

    40 min
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5
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments through microschooling. Powered by Prenda, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle curiosity, motivation, and well-being in young learners. Do you have a question, topic, or story you'd like to share with us? Get in touch at podcast@prenda.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Prenda
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    106
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 KindlED | The Prenda Podcast
  • Show Website
    KindlED | The Prenda Podcast

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