Amy Novak is a former teacher who in 2021 launched Acton Academy Red Rock in southern Nevada. Acton Academy Red Rock is part of the fast-growing Acton Academy network of learner-driven microschools that was founded in 2009 and now includes more than 300 schools serving thousands of learners.  Amy's program is intentionally inclusive of neurodiverse learners and those with special learning needs including children with autism, dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and related diagnoses. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Christen Parker-Yarnal is the cofounder of the Miami Sudbury School in Miami, Florida, a fully self-directed, democratic K-12 private school modeled after the flagship Sudbury Valley School that was founded in Massachusetts in 1968. Christen was a conventional school teacher for several years in St. Louis, then moved back to Miami where she grew up, unschooled her 3 children, and launched Miami Sudbury School in 2018.  *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Anna Graves, founder of The Field Academy, discusses combating chronic absenteeism by picking up students in a van for immersive learning experiences. The school focuses on personalized education, hands-on learning, and community partnerships to engage students and boost attendance rates.

Libertas Institute education policy analyst, and former public school teacher turned homeschooling dad, Jon England joins me on the podcast today to talk about removing regulatory barriers for education entrepreneurs. Jon describes new zoning legislation in Utah passed earlier this year to make it easier for microschool founders to launch their programs. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Dominique Paloma Bible was born in Brazil and raised in Brooklyn, eventually dropping out of high school. That experience led Dominique to discover the importance of personal agency and self-determination, as well as the possibility of alternative learning models outside of traditional schooling. Dominique earned a GED and enrolled at Goddard College. After collecting undergraduate and graduate degrees, Dominique launched Off Da Beaten Path Learning in 2020. It provides personalized guidance, encouragement, and mentorship for young people who are looking to take control of their education in creative, authentic ways, often outside of the traditional K-12 system.  *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Bountiful Microschool is a home-based microschool in Bountiful, Utah created by edtech entrepreneur, David Blake, cofounder and CEO of Degreed, and his wife Mikel, cofounder of Tech-Moms. The couple wanted to bring the innovation and personalization they were seeing in the larger tech sector to the K-12 classroom to benefit their own children and others in their community. "Utah's Emerging Education Ecosystem Is Diverse and Accessible" (Forbes.com) *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

The podcast's very first guest, Jill Perez, joins us today to celeberate our 200th episode! She gives us an update on her journey as the founder of Tranquil Teachings Learning Center, a pandemic pod turned microschool, in New Jersey. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Jenson “Fig” Newton is the founder of Empigo Academy, a faith-based high school focused on career technical education (CTE) that is opening this fall in Des Moines, Iowa. He expects to launch with 50 students, all of whom will attend 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.  

Kanesha Adams is a former public school teacher and founder of The Learning Lounge, a tutoring center and new microschool in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, a low-income community outside of Little Rock. In this episode, Kanesha shares her founder story and explains why Arkansas's new universal school choice program propelled her startup decision. In Arkansas, School Choice Is Encouraging Education Entrepreneurship (Forbes.com) *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Angela Watson, assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, discusses the evolving landscape of homeschooling data collection and trends, highlighting discrepancies and the growth of homeschooling rates pre- and post-pandemic. They explore the rise of micro schooling, challenges in accreditation, and the evolving motivations for families choosing homeschooling, emphasizing the need for innovation and adaptation in the future.