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
Sep 19, 2023 • 35min
Teens in the Trades: Why can’t a skilled 16-year-old get a job?
Today’s episode covers three interesting and intersecting topics: unschooling, careers in the trades, and barriers to youth apprenticeships and employment. My guests are Wendy Zanders and her 16-year-old son, Keyshon, a certified welder with dreams of someday running his own business. Related article: Loosening Youth Employment Regulations Empowers Teens *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Sep 15, 2023 • 34min
How Hybrid Homeschooling Can Prevent Homeschool Mom Burnout
Jenna Wertheimer leads Grace Preparatory Academy, a University Model® hybrid homeschool just outside of Boston. Students in kindergarten through 8th grade attend drop-off classes with hired teachers two days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and then continue to work on their curriculum at home with their parents or in self-organized cooperatives. Grace Prep was launched in 2012 by two homeschooling moms who wanted more consistent structure and social interactions for their homeschooled children within a faith-based learning environment. Their initial class had seven students. Today, Grace Prep serves more than 70 K-8 students with 11 staff members. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Sep 12, 2023 • 47min
"They Become Themselves": Former public school teacher Heather DiNino explains the transformative power of schooling alternatives
Elements Academy is a private preK-12 microschool and family wellness community located in Braintree, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. Its founder is Heather DiNino, a former teacher and special education department chair in the Massachusetts public schools for more than a decade who realized that learning could and should be different. At Elements Academy, she has built a stunning alternative to conventional schooling where young people thrive. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Sep 8, 2023 • 36min
Helping special needs students to SOAR: Kenisha Skaggs on building SOAR Academy
Kenisha Skaggs founded SOAR Academy in Georgia in 2011 as a non-traditional private school that focuses on an individualized approach to learning. Approximately 85% of SOAR Academy's students are neurodiverse or have special learning needs. Since its founding, SOAR Academy has reached more than 500 students and continues to have a long waitlist. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Sep 5, 2023 • 31min
Ready, Set, Launch! A new microschool opens this week, inspired by other founders’ stories
Stacey Hammerlind and Jessica Rothbart are the cofounders of Micah Studios, a low-cost, secular microschool for children ages 6-18 in Newport, New Hampshire with a specific focus on low-income students who are now eligible for various school choice programs. Jessica is a homeschooling mother of six children and Stacey is a mother of four adult children and grandmother to two with a shared passion for education and expanding learning options for local families. Register here for the Encouraging Education Entrepreneurship & Innovation in N.H. Conference (September 30, 2023) *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Sep 1, 2023 • 34min
A STEM microschool in small-town West Virginia: Why a former public school teacher left the system to be an education entrepreneur
Eric Eisenbrey is the founder of the Eyes and Brains STEM Center, a microschool in the small town of Elkins, West Virginia that opened last year with a focus on science, technology, engineering, and math. Eric was a public school teacher for 10 years before creating his exciting year-round, K-12 microschool, which he launched with the help of Microschool Builders. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Aug 29, 2023 • 43min
Got ADHD? BreakOut School Is For You: Why a Utah pharmacist created a microschool for ADHD kids
Dal “Doc” Richardson launched BreakOut School in Utah County, Utah in 2019 as an outdoor-based microschool focusing on kids with ADHD and neurodiversity. After a 20-year career as a pharmacist, he saw the need to create new and different learning options for young people in his community. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Aug 25, 2023 • 49min
A Hybrid Homeschooling Pioneer: Laura George founded Compass Prep Academy in 2005 and continues to inspire others
Laura George, a homeschooling pioneer, talks about the challenges and benefits of homeschooling, the history of hybrid homeschool programs, the affordability and accessibility of Compass Prep Academy, pursuing ideas and the importance of a capable team, as well as the momentum and demand for alternative education.
Aug 22, 2023 • 46min
A Microschool for LGBTQ+ Youth: Our Resilient Community ALC provides a nurturing, queer-centered space for self-directed education
Our Resilient Community ALC is a Georgia-based microschool for LGBTQ+ youth. It is part of the Agile Learning Centers (ALC) network of self-directed education schools and homeschool learning centers across the US and around the world. Thea Canby and Nicole Gustafson cofounded Our Resilient Community in January 2022, but both of them had been working at an ALC prior to launch, and each have more than 10 years of experience as educators. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Aug 18, 2023 • 38min
Home(school) on the (G)range: A rural microschool in Oregon is infused with Montessori, Waldorf, & Democratic Education practices
Olivia Hasey and Emily Sieger, co-founders of Raindrop Academy, discuss their Waldorf and Montessori-inspired microschool in rural Oregon. They talk about their motivations for homeschooling during the pandemic, creating a learning space that meets children's needs, and the growth and future of Raindrop Academy.
