LiberatED Podcast

What began as a microschool in 1967 for Clonlara School founder Pat Montgomery’s two children and six others has grown into an internationally-renowned, K-12 private school serving 2,000 off-campus students around the world through its online program, as well as a small group of on-campus students at its Ann Arbor, Michigan headquarters. It quickly became clear that parents outside of Ann Arbor were attracted to this learning model, particularly as the modern homeschooling movement gained traction beginning in the 1970s. Some Michigan families were investigated or charged with truancy for homeschooling their children, so Montgomery mounted a lawsuit against the Michigan State Board of Education. Thirty years ago this month, on May 25, 1993, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in Clonlara's favor. That case, and two related ones that were decided on the same day, secured homeschooling rights in the state. Today, I am so honored to be joined by Pat Montgomery and her daughter, Chandra Montgomery Nicol, who was Clonlara’s first student, served as its longtime Executive Director, and is now Clonlara’s board chair. Read more about Montgomery and the May 1993 legal decisions in my latest Forbes article. Sign up for my free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Dr. Cory Steiner is the superintendent of the Northern Cass School District in rural Hunter, North Dakota. Northern Cass was a 2022 finalist for the prestigious Yass Prize for education innovation, particularly for its unique strategy of reaching rural students in a more personalized, learner-centered way.  Northern Cass Personalized Learning Institute June conference information and registration link.  Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Today marks the 100th episode of the LiberatED podcast, which I launched back in February 2022 as a once-a-week podcast, and boosted to a twice-weekly show last fall because there are just so many stories to tell of the entrepreneurial parents and educators who are transforming US K-12 education from the bottom up. In recognition of this milestone, I thought I would share a few reflections. Thank you so much for listening, sharing, and supporting this podcast! I am so grateful. Sign up for my free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Karen Weary was a licensed teacher in Colorado who taught for many years in both public and private Montessori schools before moving to the rural Rogue Valley area of southern Oregon. There, she taught in an established, private Montessori school. The education disruption of 2020 prompted her to explore other education options, and in the fall of 2021 she opened Mountain Montessori, a child-centered K-3 microschool in a small, renovated classroom above her garage.  Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Nasiyah Isra-Ul, the founder of Canary Academy, an online learning platform for homeschoolers that provides curriculum curation and instruction, learning tools, coaching, and community engagement for homeschooling families across the US. Nasiyah launched Canary Academy as a 15-year-old homeschooler trying to make her own family’s homeschooling experience easier and more efficient. She officially launched her organization as a non-profit in 2021, with a specific focus on expanding access to homeschooling resources to low-income families.  Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

A former teacher in the Chicago Public Schools, Vijay Shah founded The Humanist Academy in 2016 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. An Acton Academy affiliate, this learner-driven microschool now has over 85 students.  Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Dr. Gina Riley is an educational psychologist, clinical professor, and program leader of the Adolescent Special Education Program at City University of New York (CUNY)–Hunter College. She has over 15 years experience working with teens diagnosed with learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders. She is also widely published in the fields of special education, psychology, school psychology, and mental health counseling.  My listeners may know Gina most for her internationally-renowned work in the fields of homeschooling, unschooling, and self-directed learning. She has authored numerous academic journal articles on unschooling and self-directed education, as well as co-authored many others with Boston College professor Peter Gray (episode #12). Gina is the author of the 2021 book,  The Homeschooling Starter Guide: How to Create and Adapt the Best Education Action Plan for Your Needs. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Felicia Wright is a US Army veteran and former teacher in the Nevada public schools who decided to pull her daughter out of kindergarten for homeschooling and eventually launched a microschool called The Learning Outpost in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Learning Outpost now serves 22 kids, including two of Felicia’s children, and employs two teachers, in addition to Felicia.  Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

In the South Bronx, the teachers at the Wildflower New York Charter School are creating a nurturing space for children’s intellectual and emotional development. Located in the Morrisania neighborhood, the charter school is a collection of three separate Montessori microschools that priorize child-led learning, including for the more than 30% of their students with identified special needs.  The Wildflower New York Charter School is part of the national Wildflower Montessori’s network of microschools that is focused on activating and supporting teacher-entrepreneurs to serve their local neighborhoods within an intentionally small, mixed-age, personalized setting.  Our guests today are Aura Cely and Mario Benabe two of the teacher-entrepreneurs who helped to open the Wildflower New York Charter School in the fall of 2020.  New York Post article on innovative NYC charter schools Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.  

Mercedes Grant had a tough childhood and became a public school teacher to help students like her. After teaching in four states, she finally decided that she had to leave the system to create new, learner-focused education options. She is now the founder of Path of Life Learning, a new microschool in Virginia that just opened for fall registration and is already near capacity at over 20 learners. In the future, Mercedes hopes more at-risk youth gain access to schooling alternatives that recognize and appreciate their individual gifts. Learn more about KaiPod Catalyst. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.