The Hannah Frankman Podcast

Jon England: Seven Years as a Public School Principal

Aug 8, 2024

Jon England, the Education Policy Analyst at Libertas Institute, discusses his journey through public education and the challenges of driving innovation within it. He shares his controversial experience with gender and COVID policies that led to an investigation. Jon highlights the bureaucratic hurdles faced by educators and the need for school choice legislation. He passionately advocates for micro schools, explaining how his new association empowers school founders to navigate regulations and create flexible, innovative educational spaces.

01:09:01

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Episode guests

Jon England

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Quick takeaways

Innovation in public schools is often hindered by resistance from colleagues and administration, prioritizing conformity over creativity.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated challenges for educators, complicating their roles with questions about health policies and student privacy.

Micro schools offer new opportunities for personalized education, but founders face bureaucratic hurdles that can delay or complicate their establishment.

Deep dives

The Struggles of Innovation in Public Education

Teachers often face significant barriers when trying to introduce innovative ideas within the public education system. Those who attempt to break away from established practices are frequently met with resistance from colleagues and administration. This pushback can stifle creativity and prevent the exploration of alternative teaching methods, fostering an environment where conformity is prioritized over creativity. Successful innovators, like Jaime Escalante, are celebrated in media, yet the reality for many educators is much different, as they repeatedly encounter obstacles that discourage meaningful change.

Intro

2min

Navigating Challenges in Public Education

24min

Navigating Bureaucracy: The Challenges of Leadership in Public Schools

5min

Navigating Change in Education

11min

Empowering Micro Schools: Navigating Challenges and Innovations

17min

Expanding Educational Resources and Innovations

7min

Exploring Adoption Rates of Educational Programs

3min

Jon England is the Education Policy Analyst at Libertas Institute. He works to support micro school founders and school choice legislation, and is currently building an association that will allow micro school founders to tap into the economies of scales that public schools are able to leverage.

In this episode, expect to learn about John’s experience as a public school teacher and principal, the difficulties of innovation within the public education landscape, and why he was investigated and asked to step down for speaking about his values around gender and Covid policy. You’ll also learn about the work Jon is doing now at Libertas and why he’s so excited about the future of education.

This episode is sponsored by Primer Micro Schools

https://primer.com

Chapters:

0:00 - Intro

1:19 - How John Got into Education

7:23 - The Covid School Policy

10:25 - A Gender Policy Comment that Started an Investigation

15:41 - Life as a Public School Principal

19:16 - The Roadblock to Change in the Public Education System

26:02 - Sponsor: Primer

27:03 - Micromanaging in the Public Education System (Medium)

32:02 - Rate of Change in Public Education