Best Kerry McDonald Podcasts (2024)

1
How A Christian Montessori School Network Started As A Summer Camp 43:58

17m ago43:58

43:58

Michelle Lee Thompson is the founder of Hand In Hand Christian Montessori in Minnesota. She launched Hand in Hand in 1999 as a small summer camp and today it has three campuses serving infants to teens with both full-time private school options and part-time homeschool programs. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education tre…

1
An inclusive, LGBTQIA-welcoming Texas microschool 34:53

1h ago34:53

34:53

Dr. Erin Flynn is a longtime educator and founder of the Hedge School Cooperative, an inclusive, secular, LGBTQIA-welcoming microschool for homeschoolers in Austin, Texas. The school offers two to four days of in-person instruction for 8th-12th graders. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.…

1
Youth entrepreneurship & empowerment with Nasiyah Isra-Ul 36:54

7d ago36:54

36:54

Nasiyah Isra-Ul is a young entrepreneur and innovator who has joined our team as the new LiberatED Education Associate, in partnership with Stand Together's Koch Associate Program. Nasiyah launched her own education business as a teen, for which she has won many awards and accolades. She is passionate about youth entrepreneurship, student agency, a…

1
The future of learning with Outschool.com founder Amir Nathoo 36:40

7d ago36:40

36:40

Founded by Amir Nathoo in 2015, Outschool.com offers live, video-enabled online classes for young people ages 3 to 18. Learners can select content ranging from typical academic subjects and tutoring services, to more adventurous classes such as pet-trick training, forensic science, engineering with Minecraft, and wilderness survival skills. Instruc…

1
Shante Lane Tamerat on creating a Reggio-inspired microschool in Maryland 29:36

11d ago29:36

29:36

Shante Lane Tamerat is the cofounder of Discovery Lane, a Reggio Emilia-inspired PK-5 private school located in Waldorf, Maryland. Shante has been in education for 15 years, and worked in schools in both Philadelphia and Washington, DC. She has a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Master’s in Elementary/Special Education, and a Ph.D. in Special Education/…

1
In Nebraska, demand is high for this former public school teacher’s new microschool 30:52

16d ago30:52

30:52

Today's guest is Hannah Holguin, founder of Masterpiece Academy located just outside of Omaha, Nebraska. Hannah was a public school teacher for nearly a decade, mostly teaching mathematics. She has also worked as an adjunct professor with a local community college, and founded Masterpiece Academy in August of 2022 as a K-12 microschool for homescho…

1
Why a college professor helped to launch a self-directed school in Philadelphia 31:13

21d ago31:13

31:13

Today's guest is David O'Connor, a college lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania for many years and a longtime theatre director and designer. David is a cofounder of Philly ALC, a self-directed school in Philadelphia that also has part-time programs for homeschoolers. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at…

1
A California Classical Christian Homeschool Collaborative Sees Enrollment Climb 30:09

21d ago30:09

30:09

Ally Adair-Chung is the founder of Beachcities Classical, a Classical Christian homeschooling collaborative based in Huntington Beach, CA. It launched in the fall of 2021 and today serves about 250 students. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.…

1
Why two longtime public school teachers launched a Missouri microschool 47:29

28d ago47:29

47:29

Jill Brown and Susan Deakins are both longtime public school teachers who quit their jobs and, in 2021, launched the Columbia Academy for Learning and Enrichment (CALE), a JK-12 microschool in Columbia, Missouri that has experienced remarkable growth. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.…

1
Professor Andreas Widmer on Principled Entrepreneurship 44:20

1M ago44:20

44:20

Andreas Widmer is an Associate Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business. His most recent book is The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship: Creating Enduring Value. In this episode, Professor Widmer shares his perspectives on entrepreneurship and offers advice for education entrepreneur…

1
A Montana microschool with booming enrollment: Former public school teacher Lindsey Vose on launching Wild Wonders 55:22

1M ago55:22

55:22

Lindsey Vose is a former public school teacher who launched Wild Wonders out of her garage in Belgrade, Montana in 2022. She opened with four students, including her two children. Today, Wild Wonders is located on a five-acre farmstead property near Vose’s home. It has 22 K-6 students who attend the mixed-age, drop-off program Monday through Thursd…

1
An eco-conscious Montessori microschool in South Florida: Why founder Priscilla Yuill opened Casa Ranch Montessori 39:59

1M ago39:59

39:59

Priscilla Yuill is the founder and educational director of Casa Ranch Montessori , an eco-conscious Montessori homeschool cooperative program that is educating for sustainability and cultivating environmentally-conscious global citizens. Priscilla has been a passionate Montessori educator for more than 10 years, with early childhood and elementary …

1
From 10 students to over 2,000: How Chesterton Schools grew from one microschool to a network of 70+ high schools 31:14

1M ago31:14

31:14

Dale Ahlquist is the cofounder of Chesterton Academy in Hopkins, Minnesota. What started in 2008 as a microschool with 10 students, including some of his own children, has grown into a flagship location with over 150 high schoolers, as well as a global network of over 70 Classical Catholic Chesterton Schools educating more than 2,000 students. *** …

1
A middle school teacher in NJ gets ready to launch her microschool 34:54

1M ago34:54

34:54

Amanda Lucas, founder of Lucas Literacy Lab, a middle school microschool in Middlesex County, New Jersey opening this fall. She taught in charter and private schools across New York City for nearly a decade before becoming an education entrepreneur and joining the KaiPod Catalyst microschool startup accelerator program. *** Sign up for Kerry's free…

1
Quantum Biofeedback w/ Ryan Williams

2M ago

—

Ryan Williams is the founder and developer of The Insight Health Apps, a group of mobile health applications, the flagship of which is the Genius Insight Biofeedback App. A powerful tool for assessing the bodies bioresonance using sophisticated voice analysis. It is an assessment and balancing technology that identifies energetic disturbances and c…

1
How to scale a successful homeschool program: Elmarie Hyman on serving hundreds of homeschoolers 48:46

2M ago48:46

48:46

Elmarie Hyman is the founder of Learn Beyond the Book, a California-based secular homeschool resource center for students in pre-K through high school. Young people can attend Learn Beyond the Book’s in-person classes in three locations in the greater Los Angeles area, or take advantage of additional live virtual classes. Students who attend are ei…

1
“I was too innovative. I didn’t follow the rules.” A longtime public school teacher decided to become a school founder 36:37

2M ago36:37

36:37

Benita Gordon was a longtime public school teacher who is now the founder of Miami MicroLearn Hub, a microschool focusing on rising 6th to rising 12th graders in South Florida opening this August. Benita also founded the educational consulting company, Global Education Concierge. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education tr…

1
Whole Foods Market co-founder John Mackey on entrepreneurship 49:40

2M ago49:40

49:40

John Mackey is an author, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Whole Foods Market. In 2022, he stepped down from his 44 years as CEO of the natural and organic grocer. He is now launching a new startup, Love.Life. Mackey is the author of several books including the just-released The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism. *** Sign up for …

1
“It’s a virtually untapped market.” Why this former teacher and founder thinks we’re only at the beginning of the innovative education movement 40:27

2M ago40:27

40:27

In Stillwater, Minnesota, Amy Marotz launched Awakening Spirit microschool to serve the distinct needs of gifted and neurodiverse learners. After earning an education degree and teaching at a Minneapolis charter school early in her career, Amy began homeschooling her own children and saw a need for a dedicated program to address neurodiversity with…

1
Unbundling education at the REALM in Santa Monica, CA 42:20

2M ago42:20

42:20

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, wi…

1
“I need to serve children.” Former public school teacher Denice Dixon on becoming a school founder 40:41

2M ago40:41

40:41

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.By Kerry McDonald

1
Utah’s first Wildflower Montessori microschool 27:53

2M ago27:53

27:53

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.…

1
Why is this Christian microschool near Phoenix so popular? Former public school teacher Coby Aldana on founding Refresh Learning Center 39:37

2M ago39:37

39:37

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.…

1
From a Montessori pod to three Acton Academy campuses: Virginia founder Jackie Hill 31:48

3M ago31:48

31:48

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 schoo…

1
Magatte Wade on entrepreneurship and human flourishing 38:30

3M ago38:30

38:30

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 Be…

1
Why this new farm school is in such high demand 36:42

3M ago36:42

36:42

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 pr…

1
The enduring legacy of the Alternative Education Resource Organization 40:08

3M ago40:08

40:08

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 it…

1
VibroAcoustic Therapy & More w/ John Hill

3M ago

—

John Hill is passionate about VibroAcoustic Therapy (VAT)… and for good reason. He has facilitated over 5,000 VAT sessions. VibroAcoustic Therapy utilizes frequencies via sound and vibration that permeate every cell of the body. Everyone I have had on my VAT mat has loved it…. even my pets. John and I have both graduated from Kate Kunkel’s certific…

1
Why one founder decided now is the time to launch a new school in Iowa 33:05

3M ago33:05

33:05

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 tuit…

1
Corey DeAngelis on The Parent Revolution 29:26

3M ago29:26

29:26

Corey DeAngelis is a senior fellow at the American Federation for Children and a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He is the author of the new book—out today—entitled: The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends …

1
Unschooling at The Dandelion Project, where learner agency is key 40:26

3M ago40:26

40:26

Hannah Mackey and Lauren Umlauf are former teachers who cofounded The Dandelion Project, an unschooling community in Philadelphia that offers daytime programming for homeschoolers as well as after school programs and summer camps that emphasize self-directed education. They also do homeschooling evaluations for homeschoolers throughout Pennsylvania…

1
Blending neurodiversity & learner-driven education at Acton Academy Red Rock 44:24

3M ago44:24

44:24

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 …

1
The NYC Care Model: Dr. Ted Long Discusses Providing Universal Access to Primary Care in New York City 24:22

4M ago24:22

24:22

In the season 2 finale of New York Public Health Now, Commissioner McDonald and Executive Deputy Commissioner Morne welcome Dr. Ted Long from NYC Health + Hospitals to discuss expanding access to primary care through the NYC Care program. Dr. Long views healthcare as a basic human right, and shares how the NYC Care program provides universal health…

1
Miami Sudbury School founder talks about self-directed education 47:13

4M ago47:13

47:13

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…

1
How one innovative school is helping to combat chronic absenteeism 29:27

4M ago29:27

29:27

Anna Graves is the founder of The Field Academy in Denver, Colorado, a traveling high school that this academic year is collaborating with the Aurora Public Schools, the Englewood Public Schools, Stead Charter School, and alternative schools within the Denver metro area to address chronic absenteeism and credit recovery in creative ways. High schoo…

1
Removing Regulatory Barriers for Education Entrepreneurs 33:19

4M ago33:19

33:19

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 pro…

1
Off Da Beaten Path Learning: Dominique Paloma Bible on coaching others to take charge of their education 30:52

4M ago30:52

30:52

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 Colle…

1
Measles in New York: NYSDOH Experts Discuss the Importance of Immunization and the Risks of Vaccine Hesitancy 24:40

4M ago24:40

24:40

New York's Health Commissioner Dr. Jim McDonald and Executive Deputy Commissioner Johanne Morne sit down with NYSDOH's epidemiology experts Dr. Debra Blog and Travis O'Donnell to discuss the risks of measles and the importance of immunization. Learn about measles transmission, complications, historical and recent outbreaks in New York, and much mor…

1
Why two tech entrepreneurs created a home-based microschool 37:00

4M ago37:00

37:00

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 o…

1
Our 200th episode! The podcast’s first guest, Jill Perez, returns with a founder update 39:53

4M ago39:53

39:53

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.…

1
How Iowa’s new school choice program is activating entrepreneurs: Jenson “Fig” Newton on launching Empigo Academy 25:59

4M ago25:59

25:59

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 newsle…

1
New York's New Contraceptive Standing Order: Improving Birth Control Access Without a Prescription 15:19

4M ago15:19

15:19

On this episode of New York Public Health Now, Dr. Shaunna Escobar joins hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Johanne Morne to discuss New York's new contraception standing order which allows people to get birth control from pharmacies without a prescription. Hear why this was implemented and who it aims to help. If you have an idea for topics we should disc…

1
An Arkansas Microschool Fueled by Choice: Former public school teacher Kanesha Adams shares her founder story 36:32

4M ago36:32

36:32

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 Arkansa…

1
Professor Angela Watson on the new Johns Hopkins University Homeschool Hub 38:28

4M ago38:28

38:28

Angela Watson is an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and the creator of the new Homeschool Hub at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, providing in-depth data on homeschooling, regulations, and research across the US. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee…

1
Trials & Tribulations of Being A School Founder: Entrepreneurship is hard! 41:51

4M ago41:51

41:51

On the podcast today, Heather DiNino, a former public school teacher and founder of Elements Academy just outside of Boston, talks about the challenges of running a microschool. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.By Kerry McDonald

1
A Waldorf Microschool: A former public school teacher on creating her in-home microschool 49:57

4M ago49:57

49:57

Jennifer Kempin taught for more than a decade in public schools in Pennsylvania before launching her home-based, Waldorf-inspired microschool, Fáilte Microschool, earlier this year. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.By Kerry McDonald

1
Why one founder created a school fully integrating neurotypical & neurodiverse learners 48:14

4M ago48:14

48:14

Jen Granberry is the founder of ARROWS Christian Academy in Phoenix, Arizona that she launched in August 2023. ARROWS is fully-integrated K-8 private school blending neurotypical and neurodiverse students with a focus on individualized learning, meeting each child where they are at academically and developmentally. She currently has 23 students enr…

1
Mixing Forest Schooling & Self-Directed Learning: A Conversation with Justine Wilson of Curious & Kind Education 32:52

4M ago32:52

32:52

Justine Wilson is the founder of Curious and Kind Education. She has been an educator for 18 years working in a variety of roles including outdoor science educator, public school teacher, and university instructor doing teacher-training. She launched the nature-based Curious & Kind in 2023 as part of the Agile Learning Centers (ALC) Network that pr…

1
Special Eclipse Episode with Jason Gough and Patrick Toye 23:15

4M ago23:15

23:15

On this special eclipse episode of New York Public Health Now, hosts Commissioner McDonald and Executive Deputy Commissioner Morne are joined by Jason Gough, a meteorologist and member of Governor Hochul’s eclipse communications team, and NYSDOH's Western Regional Office Director, amateur astronomer and eclipse chaser Patrick Toye. They discuss New…

1
Why are families choosing microschools? Christensen Institute Fellow Thomas Arnett discusses Jobs To Be Done Theory 31:45

5M ago31:45

31:45

Thomas Arnett is a senior research fellow in education at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. He is the author of a new paper on why parents choose microschools, entitled: Families on the New Frontier: Mapping and Meeting the Growing Demand for Unconventional Schooling. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter …

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Kerry McDonald Podcasts

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