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PODCAST

LiberatED Podcast

The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. This twice-weekly podcast is hosted by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and leader of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab. A regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74, Kerry is the bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the

education education for kids

All Episodes

35:29

How a New Mexico Microschool Is Redefining High School

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/10/14

Kerry McDonald sits down with Kerry Baldwin, co-founder of Vita Nova Academy, a micro-high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico built on Socratic practice and passion-driven learning. Baldwin shares how Vita Nova pairs seminar-style inquiry with a skills-based framework and a partnership with the Mastery Transcript Consortium, helping teens show real evidence of mastery—communication, research, critical thinking—tied to their interests. The conversation digs into aligning parent expectations with what

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38:42

Flourish Schools Founder John Danner on Joyful,...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/10/07

John Danner, co-founder and CEO of Flourish Schools, joins Kerry McDonald to discuss how his new Nashville-based microschool network is reimagining middle school education. Drawing on his experience founding Rocketship Public Schools, Danner explains how Flourish uses AI to automate foundational learning while empowering teachers to focus on students’ “superpowers” — curiosity, communication, and leadership. He and Kerry explore the balance between technology and humanity in education, the promise

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34:37

Hybrid Schools on the Rise: Insights from Professor...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/10/03

In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald is joined by Professor Eric Wearne, director of the National Hybrid Schools Project at Kennesaw State University, to explore the rapid growth of hybrid schooling. They discuss the historical roots of hybrid schooling, the post-COVID surge in new school launches, and what makes hybrid schools distinct from both traditional schools and homeschooling. Professor Wearne shares new research on teacher hiring preferences, school size and structure,

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27:26

How a Former Public School Teacher Founded Wisdom...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/09/30

In this episode of the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald welcomes Jamie Musacchio, founder of Wisdom Warehouse, a microschool that began in Dubai and now thrives in Miami. Jamie shares her journey from over a decade in public school classrooms in New York City and Washington, DC to launching an innovative microschool model that blends rigorous academics with daily creative workshops. She discusses the philosophy behind Wisdom Warehouse—child-centered, project-based learning in small class sizes—and

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35:47

Building Threefold Schoolhouse: An Acton Academy...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/09/26

Kerry McDonald welcomes Charles and Charissa Mitchell, two of the four co-founders of the Threefold Schoolhouse, an Acton Academy located outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They share their inspiring story of building a learner-driven microschool that launched with just 10 students in 2019 and today serves 65 learners from pre-kindergarten through high school. The Mitchells talks about the entrepreneurial challenges they’ve faced—from zoning restrictions and temporary spaces to navigating

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38:23

A dad discusses why he chose homeschooling and...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/09/23

In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald speaks with parent Gabriel Valles about his family's embrace of alternative education, including homeschooling and microschooling. Gabriel shares his experience launching a low-cost microschool inspired by Acton Academy, his exploration of homeschooling and classical education, and his current journey with his son at Alpha School in Austin. He reflects on what worked—and what didn’t—when trying to create more affordable models, and why

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35:31

A national network of “love-based” microschools

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/09/19

In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with David Richards, founder and CEO of Changemaker Education, about his fascinating career path from banking to teaching, to launching charter schools, and now microschools. David shares how a simple LinkedIn post sparked the launch of six pilot microschools across the country—and how he plans to grow that network to 100 schools over the next decade. The conversation explores the promise and pitfalls of scaling microschools, including

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25:46

From preschool teacher to microschool founder

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/09/16

What does it take to launch and grow a thriving microschool for neurodiverse learners? Kerry McDonald talks with Yorelle Haroush, founder of Trailblazers Microschool in Florida, about her entrepreneurial journey, her adventure-based approach to learning, and the overwhelming demand from families looking for alternatives to conventional schooling. Yorelle discusses both the challenges and the opportunities of starting small, scaling sustainably, and envisioning a global future for microschooling. ***

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32:39

From one “Pandemic Pod” to 20+ Microschools in 5 states

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/09/12

Jess Alfreds never set out to build a network of microschools. What began in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as "pandemic pod" quickly grew into a thriving community of 100 students—and today, Carolina Kids Co-Op has expanded into 20+ independently-operated microschools across five states. In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Jess shares how she combined secular academics, social-emotional learning, and outdoor education into an accessible, affordable model serving families with children from age

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37:49

A Yurt School in New Hampshire Takes Off

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/09/09

In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Maggie Van Camp, founder of Happy Hens Farm & Forest School in New Hampshire. Maggie shares her journey from teaching in the Boston Public Schools to building a thriving microschool inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, blending outdoor learning, the arts, acdemics, and homesteading on her 11-acre property. She explains how her licensed home daycare and K-8 microschool program serve both young children and homeschoolers—most

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33:58

“I’m not here to fix broken systems. I’m here to...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/09/05

What does it take to step outside the system and build something new? Nadine Smith, founder of The Gathering Place, an all-girls microschool in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sits down with Kerry McDonald to share her story of leaving the public school system to create a microschool focused on personalized, mastery-based learning. They discuss the realities of running a small school, Nadine’s plans for expansion—including a potential farm-based campus—and why Nadine believes the future of education lies

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31:37

Scaling Social Impact in Education: Courtney Klein’s...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/09/02

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with education entrepreneur Courtney Klein—co-founder of All One Thing and SUNSCHOOL, and Senior Strategist with ASU Prep. Courtney shares her remarkable journey as a social impact entrepreneur from founding her first nonprofit at age 21, to starting SEED SPOT, a global startup incubator, to now leading cutting-edge ventures in alternative education. Courtney’s story highlights how entrepreneurship can unlock new opportunities for families,

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40:02

From Soldier to School Founder: A US Army veteran...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/29

Melanie Smith’s path to education entrepreneurship was anything but typical. A U.S. Army veteran who once worked in a European command war room, Melanie found her true calling in peace education through the Montessori method. After years teaching in both public and private schools, she launched Freedom Montessori Academy, an eco-school in Florida that blends individualized Montessori learning with nature-based education. In this episode, Melanie shares how her military background shaped her vision

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28:31

Alternative education in Kansas, with founder Katie Saiz

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/26

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Katie Saiz, founder of Greengate Children’s School in Wichita, Kansas. Katie shares her inspiring journey from running a home-based daycare while homeschooling her children to leading a thriving private school serving nearly 100 students across preschool through middle school, with future plans for high school expansion. Katie explains how Greengate blends Montessori materials with project-based learning, attracts families seeking alternatives

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32:52

Reimagining Special Education: One teacher’s...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/22

In this episode of the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Jennifer Palmer, former special education teacher and now founder of Mobile Classroom Solutions in Polk County, Florida. Jennifer shares her journey from the conventional public school classroom to building a thriving microschool and learning pod that serve diverse learners, including many with special needs. We discuss how COVID sparked her entrepreneurial leap, why families are embracing flexible and personalized education, and

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41:18

Joyful Learning is out today! Enjoy this special...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/19

Today is the official launch date of host Kerry McDonald's new book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling! Check out this special interview—and get your copy of Joyful Learning wherever books are sold!

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35:17

“Try something else. Be happy.” Why a longtime public...

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/15

Sulaya Williams has been a teacher and administrator in the Florida public schools for 15 years. She left the school system in June to pursue entrepreneurship full-time as the founder of Link Up & Build Global Academy. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

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34:34

“Alexa, how can I homeschool my kids?”

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/12

Think of Alexa Achille as an "Alexa" for innovative education in South Florida. A former special education teacher in the New York City public schools, Alexa finds great fulfillment in helping families discover the benefits of unconventional education. She is the founder of The Collabo in West Palm Beach, Florida, which empowers homeschooling families by providing enriching learning experiences for students, strategic resources for parents, and expert guidance on educational and post-secondary

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30:55

How Mosaic is supporting self-directed education

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/08

Today on LiberatED, Kerry McDonald sits down with Bonnie Benjamin-Phariss, the Executive Director of Mosaic at WeAreBornToLearn.org—a vibrant online hub where families can reimagine education in meaningful ways. Founded by philanthropist Jeff Westphal and supported by the Jeff & Jenifer Westphal Foundation, Mosaic blends community with curated resources and practical tools to help young people flourish as curious, confident, self-directed learners outside the bounds of conventional schooling. One of

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03:37

Two weeks until Joyful Learning!

LiberatED Podcast ·

2025/08/05

Kerry's new book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, will be on bookstore shelves two weeks from today—Tuesday, August 19th. Preorder your copy today at this link and use code JOYFUL20 at checkout for 20% off. Or visit your favorite local bookstore or online retailer to get your copy. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.

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