KindlED | The Prenda Podcast

We explore how Education Savings Accounts move accountability to families, why universal eligibility builds durable coalitions, and what it takes to grow small pilots into statewide “oaks” that actually meet demand. Matt Ladner shares lessons from Arizona, Texas, Florida, and West Virginia on funding design, flexibility, and political strategy. • ESA as flexible, multi‑use accounts beyond vouchers...

Dr. Jo Boaler shares her groundbreaking work in mathematics education, exploring how beliefs shape learning and how we can transform math instruction to help every student succeed. • Starting her career in London schools where she discovered anyone can learn math with the right opportunities • Joining Stanford and later collaborating with Carol Dweck to spread growth mindset ideas through YouCubed...

Elle Rowley shares her transformative journey from struggling high school student to successful entrepreneur and educational innovator creating alternative learning environments for children in her community. Through personal experience and experimentation, she's developed a thriving microschool model that prioritizes curiosity, community, and child-led learning. • Finding educational approac...

Chad Carlson shares how One Stone Lab School uses human-centered design to transform education by treating students as end users rather than products. He describes their unique approach that removes traditional grades, subjects, and bells in favor of personalized growth frameworks that prepare students for the real world. • One Stone's origin story as an innovative school designed alongside s...

Dr. Yong Zhao challenges us to keep children at the center of education by acknowledging their uniqueness and building learning systems around that core idea. His approach aims to give kids the skills they need for meaningful future work instead of the synthetic tasks often imposed throughout traditional K-12 education. •  Education should build on student strengths, not force mastery of every wea...

The rapidly accelerating capabilities of artificial intelligence are creating an urgent need to rethink how we prepare young people for a world where machines will soon outperform humans in many cognitive tasks. • Schools train students in what ChatGPT already does best • AI power doubles yearly, reshaping the workforce • The “school-to-career” escalator model is collapsing • Content delivery domi...

Matt Eicheldinger, NYT bestselling author and educator, shares his journey of persistence and the power of meaningful connections with young people. He centers on building trust and creating space for kids to develop confidence, curiosity, and resilience. • Becoming a teacher because he enjoyed kids and had parents who modeled empathy  • Writing his first book for struggling readers, facing 600+ r...

Education is undergoing a seismic shift as families and educators seek alternatives to traditional schooling, with microschools emerging as a powerful option for personalized learning in supportive communities. • 48% of parents feel education is heading in the wrong direction • 17.5% of kids are now outside traditional schools (up from 11.8% in 2018) • The one-size-fits-all classroom approach leav...

Adriane Thompson, founder of Raising Kids With Purpose, shares her transformative journey from controlling parenting to creating an environment that meets children's developmental needs through intentional family culture. • Shifting from viewing parenting as controlling children to understanding and meeting their developmental needs • Creating strong family culture through shared values, fami...

Karen Glass discusses the power of narration in education, sharing her journey from homeschooling mom to Charlotte Mason education expert and author of "Know and Tell: The Art of Narration." • Narration is simply telling back what you've learned, a natural human activity we use to build relationships • Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy centers on two key principles: &quo...

Alex Shevrin Venet shares how educators can build unconditional positive regard that helps children feel valued regardless of behavior, improving their ability to regulate emotions and engage in learning. • Trauma affects behavior by triggering stress responses that appear as choices but aren't really choices • Co-regulation (calm adults helping dysregulated children) precedes self-regulation...

Brock Murphy, co-founder of Parent ProTech, shares critical insights about helping families navigate the challenging digital landscape that's targeting our children. He draws on his unique background spanning government work and SpaceX to offer practical strategies for protecting kids while building healthy relationships with technology. In this episode, we cover... • Building on relationship...

Engaging students in meaningful thinking and learning is essential for effective education. We explore the principles of creating a thinking classroom with Dr. Peter Liljeddahl, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, purposeful tasks, and a supportive learning environment. What we'll cover... - Discussion of non-thinking behaviors observed in traditional classrooms   - Introduction to t...

Ever feel lost when a child erupts in frustration? You’re not alone! In this episode, we dive deep into understanding childhood anger, why it happens, and—most importantly—how to guide kids toward healthy emotional regulation. Our guest, Samantha Snowden, an expert in emotional intelligence and child development, shares powerful tools for parents, educators, and caregivers to help children manage...

Discover how homeschooling can revolutionize your child’s education and fit seamlessly into your family’s lifestyle. This episode features Elan Page, the founder of Homeschool Our Way, who shares her inspiring journey from a lifelong learner to a trailblazer empowering families, especially families of color, to embrace homeschooling with confidence. Whether you’re new to homeschooling or looking t...

Join us as we sit down with Peter Fitzpatrick, co-founder of FawnFriends.com , to explore the creation of Willow, a robotic plushie designed to support neurodivergent children in their emotional growth. Peter shares his personal journey, from his experiences with ADHD and familial challenges to the innovative hackathon project that gave birth to Willow. Discover how this cuddly AI companion is tra...

How do we create learning environments that foster curiosity while helping kids develop real-world knowledge and skills? Since 2018, Prenda has helped open over 1,000 microschools across the US making small, effective learning environment accessible to thousands of families. Microschooling is a rapidly growing educational model, but how does it work? In this episode we'll peel back the layers...

How can technology reshape education to cater to every student’s unique learning journey? Join us as we explore this question with Dr. Kristen DiCerbo, the Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy, who shares her transformative insights into personalized and mastery-based learning. Discover how Khan Academy's new AI tool, "Khanmigo" is revolutionizing learning as it helps educators ad...

Discover how games can revolutionize the way we support children with social cognitive differences in our engaging conversation with Dr. Anna Vagin. Anna takes us on her journey into the world of social cognition, sharing her expertise in working with children on the autism spectrum, children with ADHD, and other communication challenges. Learn how attachment theory plays a crucial role in underst...

Unlock the secrets of bedtime storytelling with our special guest, Andrew Newman, an acclaimed author and founder of Conscious Stories. He sheds light on the remarkable influence of bedtime stories in nurturing the priceless bond between parents and children. Together, we explore how those precious last 20 minutes of the day can be transformed into a powerful tool for emotional and cognitive growt...

Ready to unlock the magic of math? 🎉 This episode features Richard Rusczyk, founder of Art of Problem Solving and Beast Academy . His journey—from an “aggressively average” high school in Alabama to Princeton—shows the magic of student empowerment through autonomy and intrinsic motivation . 🚀 We explore learning spaces where project-based learning and creative problem-solving shine. Richard expl...

Ready to dive into another amazing microschool this week? Tara Larsen from Flagstaff, Arizona, shares her journey from public school parent to Prenda guide. Tara's microschool is a shining light of joyful learning.   Listeners will gain insights into how microschools maintain a learner-centered approach, allowing students to enter a flow state where engagement and curiosity lead to deeper lea...

Are you ready to reimagine education? Join us on this transformative episode of the Kindled podcast as we sit down with Candi Lehenbauer, Prenda guide and the driving force behind Tapestry Academy in Florida. Discover how Candi’s passion for microschooling led her to create a thriving educational environment that has evolved over the past five years. From handling fluctuating student numbers to sh...

Our guest, Julia, made a bold leap from the public school system to create a transformative Prenda microschool right in her home. In this first installment of our three-part series, where we interview real microschool guides, Julia reveals the magic behind this unique educational approach. She shares her personal journey from burnout to reigniting her passion for teaching by fostering deep relatio...

It's the moment you've been waiting for all summer break... Introducing our #1 Top Season 1 episode: Embracing Individuality. A Conversation with Todd Rose. On this episode of The KindlED Podcast, Kaity and Adriane chat with Todd Rose, co-founder and CEO of Populace. They delve into the myth of the "average person" and the power of personalized learning. This episode also explo...