Choice Words by Freedom to Choose Schools

Jay Artis-Wright hits the road. Season 3 kicks off live and in person in New Orleans with Ahmed White, founder of The Rock Academy in Nashville. Ahmed didn't set out to be an educator — he set out to be a lawyer. Instead, he built a high school designed with opportunity youth instead of for them, based on what students themselves said they needed: belonging, flexibility, and relevance. He'...

Five million young people across the country — disproportionately Black and Latino — have disconnected from school and the workforce. They're called "opportunity youth," and the story isn't that they gave up on their education. It's that the system gave up on them. In this episode, host Jay Artis-Wright sits down with Nestor Esparza Magana, executive director of Student Alter...

AI is reshaping every career, every classroom, and every community — but not equally. This week, host J. Artist sits down with Taylor Shead, founder of Stemuli Inc., to talk AI equity, the summer divide, and why learning to direct AI might be the most important skill a young person can develop today. Plus: how Stemuli's game Founder Tycoon is giving students in small-town Arkansas the same sho...

What does it look like when obedience becomes a school? In this episode of Choice Words, host J. Artist sits down with Dr. Monica Hall — founder, principal, pastor, Army chaplain, and veteran — the powerhouse behind T.H.R.I.V.E. Christian Academy, a fully accredited K–12 private school she started in 2013 with two students and a banner she could barely afford. Thirteen years later, Thrive has grow...

The education landscape is shifting fast — and the acronyms are flying. ESAs. EFTCs. SGOs. Vouchers. But what do they actually mean for Black and Brown families who have spent years feeling stuck in systems that weren't built for them? In this episode, host J. Artist sits down with Shaka Mitchell — Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children, law professor at Belmont University, and...

How do Black parents navigate private school admissions, find the right fit, and make sure their child thrives in a predominantly white institution? In this episode of Choice Words, the Freedom to Choose Schools podcast, host welcomes Mona Smart — entrepreneur, community advocate, and private school mom — to talk about making intentional school choice decisions for Black children. Mona shares her...

In this powerful episode of Choice Words, host Jay Artis-Wright sits down with Dr. Jon Carroll, founder of Jabali Academy, a new school opening in Inglewood, California, built with community, culture, and identity at its core. Dr. Carroll shares his journey from lifelong educator to school founder—and why he felt called to create a school rooted in opportunity for students who have historically be...

In this episode of Choice Words, host Jay Artis-Wright talks with Elan Page, founder of Homeschool Our Way, about why more families of color are exploring homeschooling. What began during the COVID pandemic became a powerful shift in how her family approached learning. Elan shares how homeschooling allowed her children to learn at their own pace, dive deeper into subjects, and explore culturally r...

"Connection over curriculum." That is the heartbeat of this week’s conversation with Lizette Valles, a visionary Latina leader, co-founder of the California Micro School Collective, and founder of Ellemercito Micro School. As a first-generation college graduate and a homeschooling, foster, and adoptive mom, Lizette brings a unique, trauma-responsive lens to how we educate Black and Brown...

In this powerful episode of Choice Words, Jay sits down with Tee Wilson, founder and CEO of B.E. Academy for Girls in Nashville, Tennessee, a culturally responsive, STEAM-based school created to ensure girls are not just surviving school, but thriving in it. What began as a deeply personal experience with discrimination became a bold vision: a school where identity isn’t managed or minimized, it’s...

What happens when a 5th grader’s love of learning is stifled—and her parents say enough? Meet Haley Taylor Schlitz, who left traditional school, graduated high school at 13, earned her law degree by 19, and now practices law—all after being denied access to gifted programs because of systemic bias. In this episode, host Jay Artis-Wright talks with Haley about: Why her family chose homeschooling af...

What does it mean to lead with clarity, care, and courage while raising sons, stewarding land, and unschooling Black children in a world that often misunderstands all three? In this powerful kickoff to Season 2, host Jay Artis-Wright sits down with Dr. Tracey Samone Dumas Clark—educator, consultant, and proud unschooling mom to explore what it looks like to unlearn harmful systems, reconnect with...

In this powerful episode of Choice Words, host Jay Artist Wright sits down with Nicole Stewart, founder of the National Association of Black Micro School Leaders (NABML). Together, they pull back the curtain on the "National Crisis" facing Black education and discuss why thousands of families are divesting from traditional systems in favor of something more personal, cultural, and safe....

This week, we sit down with Dr. Patricia Brantley, CEO of Friendship Public Charter Schools in D.C., to discuss what it truly means to lead with freedom and power. Dr. Brantley, who learned the definition of purpose-driven work from civil rights legend Dr. Dorothy Height, shares how she built a Black-led charter network that's redefining excellence for 5,000 scholars. In this episode, you will hea...

Lakisha Young of The Oakland REACH joins Jay Artis-Wright to discuss the evolution of The Oakland REACH. Lakisha shares her journey of moving an organization from simply demanding quality education to actively building it. Together, they explore how The Oakland REACH pivoted during the pandemic to create the "Liberator Model," proving that when parents are upskilled as paid tutors and Th...

What does it mean to truly have agency in your life—especially as a parent navigating a broken school system? In this powerful episode of Choice Words, Jay Artis-Wright sits down with author, educator, and charter school founder Ian Rowe to unpack the intersection of family, freedom, and the power to choose. If you've ever felt boxed in by limited school choices or tired of being told to wait...

In this episode of The Choice Words Podcast, Jay Artis-Wright sits down with Dr. Myiesha Taylor, an emergency medicine physician, mom, activist, and co-author of The Homeschool Alternative, to explore why more Black families are turning to homeschooling or embracing a “homeschool mindset.” Grounded in fresh polling from Freedom to Choose Schools, we unpack what’s driving this movement: 75% of Blac...

What do you do when the school system isn’t built to serve the kids you care about most? For some educators, the answer is: build something better. In this episode of Choice Words, Jay Artis Wright sits down with educator and leader Dominique Lee to explore what it really takes to support students, especially in communities too often underserved and overlooked. They talk honestly about broken syst...

In this episode of Choice Words , host Jay Artist-Wright sits down with Crystal Felix Clark, a bold charter school leader from Atlanta, Georgia, who has built a school community that centers immigrant, refugee, and Latino families. Crystal shares how her school, PATH Academy, serves a vibrant and diverse population of students and why culturally responsive education, family engagement, and food as...

In this powerful conversation, we sit down with educator, author, entrepreneur, and microschool founder Isis Spann to unpack what true freedom can look like when communities take education into their own hands. Isis shares her journey from public school teacher to small school founder, and how her experience—as a mother, an advocate, and a woman deeply rooted in her community—shapes her approach t...

What does a quorum break in Texas have to do with your child’s school? Host Jay Artis-Wright is joined by Texas State Board of Education member Staci Childs and Paula White of JerseyCAN to unpack how redistricting, state politics, and legislative gridlock impact school choice and access—especially in Black and Latino communities.

In this compelling conversation, we sit down with a powerhouse leader and founder of RISE Indy, Jasmin Shaheed-Young, to explore the intersections of motherhood, equity, and bold education reform.  We unpack what real school choice means for families of color, why “excellence” shouldn’t be exclusive, and how women of color are uniquely positioned to build student-centered coalitions that disrupt t...

In this episode of Choice Words, host Jay Artist Wright talks with Janie Segui Rodriguez of Stop the Wait RI and Subira Gordon of the Nashville Charter Collaborative about the power of parent-led and school-led movements in shaping school choice and education. From mobilizing 400 parents during a Rhode Island charter moratorium to uniting school leaders in Nashville, they share bold strategies for...

Education is political—and the stakes have never been higher for Black and Latino communities. In this episode of Choice Words , host J. Artists Wright , CEO of Freedom to Choose Schools (formerly FCCS), is joined by Alisha Thomas Searcy , former Georgia State Representative and founder of the Center for Strong Public Schools, and Dr. Atasha James , co-founder of Legends Charter School in Maryland...

In this episode of Choice Words, we trace the powerful civil rights legacy behind the school choice movement. From landmark decisions like Brown v. Board of Education to the present-day fight for equitable education access, we’re asking how school choice became a modern civil rights issue. Whether you're a parent, policymaker, or advocate, this conversation challenges assumptions and uplifts t...