The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe 451: Meredith Olson—Better Education Now
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Sep 23, 2025 Meredith Olson, President of Vela, a nonprofit championing alternative education, dives into the revolution of grassroots learning. She shares her vision of customized education that empowers parents and students, contrasting it with outdated schooling models. Vela supports over 4,200 innovative educational ventures, from microschools to homeschool co-ops. Meredith elaborates on why tailored, localized education is crucial and how Vela is transforming the educational landscape by funding passionate founders and promoting diverse learning environments.
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Families Want Ownership Of Education
- Vela supports a massive, growing network of small, local schools that blend homeschooling and private models.
- These micro-schools appeal because families increasingly want to own and customize their children's education.
Public Schools Deliver Their Original Purpose
- Traditional public education delivers what it was designed to deliver: standardized, reliable schooling from an industrial era model.
- That model works for many but doesn't fit all students in today's creative, high-tech economy.
Don't Compare Different School Types Directly
- Alternative schools are like Airbnbs: highly customized experiences versus standardized 'Marriott' public schools.
- You shouldn't compare them as better-or-worse universally; fit depends on family goals.
