LiberatED Podcast

In this week's episode of the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald interviews Ali Ghaffari, founder of Divine Mercy Academy, a K–8 classical Catholic school in Pasadena, Maryland, and now Executive Director of the St. John Henry Newman Institute, an organization dedicated to accelerating the renewal of Catholic education worldwide. Ali's path to school founding is anything but ordinary. After graduating from Colby College, he spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy as an F/A-18 fighter pilot before teaching leadership and ethics at the U.S. Naval Academy. Raised without religious belief, Ali experienced a dramatic conversion sparked by reading the Great Books—an encounter that convinced him of the importance of deep intellectual and moral formation. When he couldn't find a classical Catholic school nearby for his children, he joined with other families to start one. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

This week on the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald speaks with Tara Famularo-Del Bianco, a former attorney who spent nearly 15 years representing abused and neglected children in New York City before making a dramatic shift into education entrepreneurship. Today, she is the founder of The Magnolia Schoolhouse, a thriving Montessori-inspired microschool in Vero Beach, Florida, that serves 75+ students through 8th grade and blends homeschooling with flexible, part-time, in-person learning. Her founder path was not easy, as she encountered numerous regulatory roadblocks, and ultimately decided to start a church to run her school. Kerry's latest Forbes.com article detailing Tara's full story is here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerrymcdonald/2025/12/01/meet-the-founder-who-started-a-church-to-run-her-microschool/ *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

This week on the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Susan Yao, founder of Vermont Village School in Brattleboro, Vermont, about her inspiring journey from progressive educator to microschool creator. After earning an undergraduate degree from Harvard College, Susan worked for several years as a teacher and school administrator in a variety of educational settings. The pandemic led her family to move from Massachusetts to Vermont to begin homesteading and homeschooling. It also led the way for Susan to launch Vermont Village School. This is a powerful conversation for anyone considering launching a microschool—or anyone curious about how thoughtful, community-centered education takes shape. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

This week on the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with educator-turned-entrepreneur Imani Jackson, founder of Poinciana Montessori in Philadelphia and part of the Wildflower Montessori Network. Imani shares her remarkable journey from a classroom teacher in both public and private schools, to Montessori microschool founder—sparked by her own daughter's experience with Montessori-inspired home learning during the pandemic. Imani reflects on discovering Montessori education, pursuing her Montessori teacher certification, and learning to balance both teaching and entrepreneurship as she planned and launched Poinciana in 2024. It currently serves students in 1st through 5th grade. Imani explains the Wildflower Network's support in funding, visioning, real-estate navigation, and early-stage enrollment—along with the realities of starting small and growing intentionally. Kerry and Imani dive into the Montessori math progression, the power of mixed-age learning, and why individualized, child-led education has been so successful for Poinciana's elementary school students. Imani also shares her plans for expanding enrichment offerings and building second-year enrollment. Whether you're a prospective school founder, a Montessori parent, or simply curious about the rise of teacher-led microschools, this conversation offers honest insights, practical advice, and the inspiring story of a founder staying grounded in her "why." *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

In this special LiberatED and Teacher, Let Your Light Shine! crossover episode, Kerry McDonald and Makenzie Oliver share how teachers are transforming from classroom educators to microschool founders. Hear Makenzie's inspiring story and Kerry's insights from Joyful Learning on freedom, entrepreneurship, and reimagining education. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

Julia Bergson-Shilcock and Mike Hilbert, co-founders of Cupola Academy, dive into the world of self-directed education. Julia shares her unschooling roots and the empowerment it provides, while Mike discusses transitioning from traditional teaching to innovative learning models. They reveal how Cupola fosters autonomy and collaboration among students, preparing them for college and beyond. The duo also addresses the increasing relevance of alternative education in today’s tech-driven landscape, urging families to embrace new learning pathways and seek mentorship.

Joel Hammon—former public school teacher, founder of Princeton Learning Cooperative, co-founder of Liberated Learners, and author of The Teacher Liberation Handbook—joins Kerry to explore the global rise of self-directed learning centers. These community-based programs, including the Princeton Learning Cooperative and many more within the Liberated Learners network, offer homeschooled tweens and teens a flexible alternative to conventional school: no forced curriculum and an individualized path guided by curiosity and purpose. Joel shares his transformation from classroom teacher to education entrepreneur, and how the North Star model inspired a movement of "learning cooperatives" that work like a YMCA for education—students choose when to attend, what to learn, and how to grow. We talk about college admissions for self-directed learners, how narrative transcripts help teens transition smoothly to their next step, and why demand for these centers continues to rise. If you're curious about self-directed education—or considering starting a center yourself—this conversation offers inspiration, practical guidance, and a look at the future of learner-driven freedom. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

After years as a speech pathologist in public schools, Lauren Capelli founded Sacred Haven Homeschool Collective, a Christian hybrid homeschool program in Camden County, New Jersey. In this episode, Lauren shares how she turned burnout into purpose, building a personalized, community-based program for roughly two dozen students. She and Kerry discuss curriculum design, individualized learning, outcomes and accountability, and advice for entrepreneurial parents and educators ready to create something new. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

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 colleges and employers actually value, why Vita Nova includes an alumni board seat for continuous feedback, and how the school plans to grow while retaining its small, community feel. Baldwin also previews a Creative Commons Socratic curriculum other founders can adopt, plus ideas for shared microschool proms and sports. If you're curious about innovating at the high-school level, this episode is your playbook. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!

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 of microschools in ESA states, and what it takes to build joyful learning environments that truly help children flourish. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org. Kerry's latest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, is available now wherever books are sold!