LiberatED Podcast

Like many educators today, including some that have been on this podcast, Jon England was a longtime public school teacher who left the classroom to pursue other education-related opportunities. He worked in the public schools for 14 years teaching 5th and 6th grades, and also worked as an elementary school administrator. Jon received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Western Governors University. He also spent time as a sergeant in the US Marine Corps. Today, Jon is an education policy analyst at the Libertas Institute in Utah working to support education entrepreneurship and school choice, among other policy initiatives. He and his wife also recently launched a podcast called Dimond Education which helps other parents find the best educational fit for their children. "Education Entrepreneurs Face Regulatory Challenges Everywhere. Utah Is Trying To Help." Forbes.com Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Donna Akers had been a public school special education teacher for almost 30 years when she retired in 2020 and decided to launch Ivy Greene Academy, an affiliate of the highly-regarded and fast-growing Acton Academy microschool network. Not only is Ivy Greene the only Acton Academy in all of Mississippi, it is located in the rural town of Pontotoc in an area with almost no other private education options or schooling alternatives for families. In fact, one family drives 1 1/2 hours each way from Memphis, TN just to attend Ivy Greene. What began as a desire to find a better educational environment for her son has turned into a thriving, sought-after, learner-driven microschool that now serves more than 40 children. Far from retiring, Donna is only just getting started.  Mississippi Microschools Are Expanding Education Options for Families  (SPN.org) Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

When Stephanie Harper decided to open Harper Learning Academy in Byram, Mississippi in August, her goal was to create a small, personalized educational setting in which her daughter would thrive. Conventional classroom environments weren’t a good match for Harper’s child. They also weren’t working well for the daughter of Harper’s colleague, Tekeeta Funchess. Harper and Funchess had been longtime teachers in the Jackson Public Schools before they left their jobs to provide educational consulting services to public school districts through the firm Harper founded in 2016.  As they worked together, they realized their daughters were experiencing similar challenges in standard school settings. So, they decided to build what they couldn’t find and create a warm and welcoming microschool where children can thrive. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Happy Thanksgiving! There is so much to be grateful for.

Maria Casco is a former Montessori teacher who launched a microschool, CASCO Learning, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her journey toward education entrepreneurship began in 2020 when some local parents urged her to create a “pandemic pod." That pod has now evolved into an established learning center for homeschooling students of all ages, with a focus on Spanish language immersion, self-directed learning, and enrichment opportunities. Additionally, Maria also hosts international family travel expeditions for her microschooling community, and provides parenting workshops and coaching. Demand for her educational offerings continues to grow.  Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Kelly Smith launched the first Prenda learning pod in his Arizona home in early 2018 with 7 children, including his son. Today, Prenda has reached over 10,000 learners in hundreds of pods, with the help more than 1,000 educator-guides in 5 states. On today's episode, Kelly talks about the growth of Prenda, the rising popularity of microschools and learning pods, and why aspiring education entrepreneurs should just jump in.  Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

I’m sure many parents will relate to the story of my guest today, Elizabeth McMeans. Elizabeth’s pathway to education entrepreneurship stemmed directly from her efforts to find a more nurturing, personalized educational environment for her son as he approached kindergarten age. He would have been one of the youngest in his kindergarten class, and that concerned Elizabeth as she saw the ways in which today’s kindergarten classrooms are more rigid and less play-based than they were even a few decades ago. She discovered the idea of hybrid homeschooling and eventually launched her own Prenda-affiliated learning pod in Wichita, Kansas.  Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Acton Academy was one of the very first national microschool networks to get started back in 2010, before microschools, or small, mixed-age, personalized learning environments, became one of the fastest-growing and most popular educational trends of the 21st century. Founded in Austin, Texas by Laura and Jeff Sandefer, Acton Academy now has about 280 independently run but Acton-affiliated schools in more than 30 states and 25 countries.  Its growth and impact is continuing and accelerating, as Acton gains notoriety among parents, learners, and entrepreneurial educators. One of the latest Acton microschools to open is Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale, that was launched recently by our guest today, Tobin Slaven, along with his wife Martina. Rising Demand for Learner-Driven Education Spurs Acton Academy Growth (Forbes.com) Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

During my recent visit to the flourishing hub of microschools and education entrepreneurship in South Florida, my first stop was at Compass Outreach and Education Center, a microschool run by our guest today, Laurel Suarez. Suarez was one of the first microschool/hybrid school founders in the greater Fort Lauderdale area, launching her microschool in 2019, and she has become a mentor and source of support and encouragement for many of the other microschool founders who have created or expanded their programs over the past few years.  In South Florida, Microschools Are Reshaping K-12 Education (Forbes.com) Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Tucked inside her beautiful farmhouse on her sprawling farm property in Wichita, Kansas is Jessica Ramsay’s cozy classroom where she offers one-on-one tutoring to local children. A longtime teacher in the public schools, Ramsay decided to resign from the district in 2021 to become an education entreprenuer. She opened Farmhouse Phonics, which is now so successful that she is actually earning more money as a tutor than she was as a public school teacher. She is also able to see real, sustained success in helping children in her community to read and gain academic proficiency that they were previously lacking. Former Public School Teachers Are Earning More As Education Entrepreneurs (Forbes.com) Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.