LiberatED Podcast
Kerry McDonald
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 Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), and the author of the forthcoming book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (Hachette, 2025). She has a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter at edentrepreneur.org.
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 Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), and the author of the forthcoming book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (Hachette, 2025). She has a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter at edentrepreneur.org.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 14, 2024 • 42min
Unbundling education at the REALM in Santa Monica, CA
Jessica Slayback and Victoria Forsman launched the REALM, Redesigning Education And Living Meaningfully, in 2010 as a microschool with one student and since then they have served 3,000 students with both full-time and part-time learning options. Located in Santa Monica, California, REALM currently enrolls 134 students ages 4 to 14 each semester, with a new high school program opening soon. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Jun 11, 2024 • 41min
“I need to serve children.” Former public school teacher Denice Dixon on becoming a school founder
Denice Dixon is a former public school special education teacher and founder of TREAD Academy, a K-12 microschool serving neurodivergent and neurotypical in Atlanta. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Jun 7, 2024 • 28min
Utah’s first Wildflower Montessori microschool
Chip Reichanadter is an experienced Montessori educator and cofounder of Pinyon Montessori, a PreK-6 microschool in Salt Lake City that opened in November 2023 and is the first Wildflower Montessori school in Utah. Founded in 2014, Wildflower is a national network of dozens of teacher-owned Montessori microschools fostering child-centered learning. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Jun 4, 2024 • 40min
Why is this Christian microschool near Phoenix so popular? Former public school teacher Coby Aldana on founding Refresh Learning Center
Former public school teacher Coby Aldana is the founder of Refresh Learning Center, a Christian microschool for kindergarteners through high schoolers near Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in August 2023 and focuses on small classes and personalized learning. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
May 31, 2024 • 32min
From a Montessori pod to three Acton Academy campuses: Virginia founder Jackie Hill
Jackie Hill is the founder of Acton Academy Hampton Roads in the southeast part of Virginia. A mom of 5 and a Montessori teacher, Jackie wanted a different educational experience for her own children. In 2008, she created a little Montessori learning pod in her living room that kept growing and growing and eventually evolved into a democratic school and later into three Acton Academy campuses. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
May 28, 2024 • 39min
Magatte Wade on entrepreneurship and human flourishing
Magatte Wade is an entrepreneur and author renowned for her dynamic approach to business and her dedication to fostering economic development in Africa. Born in Senegal, Magatte is the founder and CEO of SkinIsSkin.com, a skincare company providing high-quality, ethically sourced products. Magatte’s entrepreneurial journey began with Adina World Beat Beverages, a company she founded in 2004 that produced drinks inspired by traditional African recipes and emphasized fair trade principles. She is the author of the new book, The Heart of a Cheetah: How We Have Been Lied to About African Poverty, and What That Means for Human Flourishing. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
May 24, 2024 • 37min
Why this new farm school is in such high demand
Located on beautiful 400-acre organic farm in Smyrna, Tennessee, about 20 miles outside of Nashville, Bloomsbury Farm School began in 2020 with one teacher, Kaiti Dewhirst Monroe, and five homeschooled children, including farmer Lauren Palmer’s own five-year-old. Today, it is a Reggio Emilia-inspired K-5 farm school, with additional parent-child programming for littler ones, that currently serves 86 children with a growing waitlist. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
May 21, 2024 • 40min
The enduring legacy of the Alternative Education Resource Organization
Founded in 1989 by alternative education advocate Jerry Mintz, the Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) continues to provide resources, support, and community for parents, teachers, and learners interested in alternatives to traditional schooling. AERO's Peter Berg joins me today to talk about the organization's enduring legacy and its upcoming, annual conference being held in June in Minneapolis. My podcast listeners can click this link to register for the conference at a discounted rate. "I Quit, I Think," by John Taylor Gatto on AERO's website *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
May 17, 2024 • 33min
Why one founder decided now is the time to launch a new school in Iowa
Robert Kimble is the founder of Dream Academy in Dubuque, Iowa. A project of the Dubuque Dream Center, an afterschool program that Kimble cofounded in 2013, Dream Academy is opening this August as a faith-based, K-7 private school with plans to grow through high school by 2029. More than 50 students have already enrolled, and all are attending tuition-free thanks to Iowa's new universal school choice program. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
May 14, 2024 • 29min
Corey DeAngelis on The Parent Revolution
Corey DeAngelis discusses the rise of school choice and the impact of teacher unions on education. He explores the influence of COVID-19 on parent empowerment, navigating hyper-partisanship for school choice advocacy, empowering parents through education entrepreneurship, and promoting parental choice in education.
