LiberatED Podcast

Special Summer Episode! Kym Kent, an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the Education Entrepreneurship Lab, is the guest host for today's LiberatED Podcast ! Listen in as she interviews Catina Sweedy, a staff member at the Embark Center for Self-Directed Education in Leesburg, Virginia. Catina tells us about this unique, youth-led microschool for tweens and teens. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly em...

When Niki Harris and her husband launched Farm School on their working farm in Northern California in 2018, they were simply looking for a better educational option for their own four children. What began as a part-time co-op quickly grew into a thriving place-based microschool serving dozens of students through multiple programs. But after nearly a decade of growth, unexpected circumstances force...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Peter Holmstrom, Head of School at Summit School in Waco, Texas. Peter shares his journey from social work to public school teaching to leading one of the fastest-growing learner-centered schools in the state. Since becoming head of school in 2023, Peter has helped grow Summit from fewer than 50 students to nearly 140 learners, while expandin...

On this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald speaks with Colleen Hroncich , policy analyst at the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom, about her new report, Let 1,000 Flowers Bloom: Best Practices for Advancing Educational Freedom . With more than 70 school choice programs now operating across more than 30 states—and over a dozen states offering universal eligibility—educational freed...

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Katelynn Stone, founder of EverRoot Academy , a new K-8 hybrid learning community set to launch in August 2026 in Crestview, Florida. After nearly two decades working across public and private education settings—including classrooms, leadership roles, and specialized learning environments—Katelynn is now building her own learner-centered educ...

On this episode of LiberatED, LaRae Hulsey tells host Kerry McDonald about her remarkable journey from enrolling her children in a Prenda microschool in rural Apache County, Arizona to launching her own program, LaRae's Learning Lab . Along the way, her family faced extraordinary challenges, including her husband's leukemia diagnosis, which required relocating for medical treatment. LaRae explains...

This week on the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Serena Wilkie Gifford and Kate Walker of the Birches School , a nature-based K–8 independent school in the Boston area that began in 2012 with just five students and now serves about 75 learners. Serena and Kate share the school's founding story, its progressive educational philosophy, and how nature is woven throughout the curriculum—f...

Kerry McDonald talks with Mary Wells, co-founder and senior partner at Bellwether , a national nonprofit focused on expanding educational opportunity and innovation. Mary shares the story behind Bellwether's founding and discusses the rapid growth of private school choice programs, microschools, and other emerging learning models. They explore the opportunities and challenges facing education entr...

What happens when homeschooling families want more connection, collaboration, and hands-on learning? In this episode, Kerry McDonald talks with Danika Dunn and Kelly Clearkin of Bramblewood Learning Community , a project-based hybrid homeschool program in Pennsylvania serving around 60 students. Danika shares how she launched Bramblewood in 2020 after searching for project-based learning resources...

In this episode, Kerry McDonald talks with Caroline Allen , Chief Program Officer at the Center for Education Reform and Founding Director of the Yass Prize , about how this prize recognizes and celebrates K-12 education innovation and impact across the US. Caroline shared her journey from public school teacher to philanthropy, and explained the Yass Prize's four core criteria: sustainability, tra...

Kerry McDonald talks with Kelsy Achtenberg, founding teacher and Executive Director of  The Innovation School , a private K-8 school in Bismarck, North Dakota. They discuss the school's Reggio Emilia-inspired model, its focus on passion, play, and projects, and the recent launch of a hybrid homeschool program to meet growing demand. Kelsy shares the challenges of running a small private school, th...

Kerry McDonald speaks with Marc Porter Magee, CEO and founder of 50CAN , about the organization's nationwide efforts to expand education choice and empower families. Drawing on a new survey of 23,000 parents, Marc shares insights on growing demand for tutoring and flexible learning options and key differences between homeschooling and microschooling families. They explore how policy and advocacy c...

In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald talks with Lexi Hanson and Kayla Phipps, two "superguides" at Prenda , a national microschooling network founded in 2018 by Kelly Smith that has since served roughly 10,000 students in hundreds of tiny schools across the US. Lexi and Kayla share their journeys from traditional education settings to launching and guiding their own Prenda microschools. T...

In this episode of  LiberatED , Kerry McDonald speaks with Frish Waller, founder of Brainforest Academy , a Montessori microschool in Florida designed to serve both neurodiverse and neurotypical learners. Frish shares her unconventional journey toward entrepreneurship—from teaching internationally to serving in the military—and how her personal experiences as a parent of a child with special needs...

In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald speaks with Ken Trautwein, founder of Current Education Center , a secular, self-directed learning community outside Philadelphia. After 25 years in conventional education, Ken set out to create a more flexible, human-centered environment where young people can follow their interests while being supported by intentional mentorship. Opened in early 2025...

In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald talks with Marta MacBan, founder of Sonoran Learning Collective , a hybrid microschool in Cave Creek, Arizona, that's reimagining how and when students learn. Launched in 2024 with just six students—including her own children—the program now serves a growing community of families seeking flexibility, personalization, and strong academic foundations. Ma...

On this week's episode of the LiberatED p odcast , Kerry McDonald talks with Cory  Henwood , innovation coordinator for Utah's Iron County School District and founder of Launch High School , a new public high school focused on personalized learning. Cory  shares his journey from public school math teacher to district innovation leader, and explains how Launch High School blends competency- based l...

In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald talks with May Jewell, founder of Jewell School in Queen Creek, Arizona. Since launching in 2021 with just 18 students, the Waldorf- and Montessori-inspired Christian school has grown to more than 100 students. May shares how she built the program, the challenges and rewards of being a new school founder, the regulatory burdens constraining her growth,...

In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald talks with Rebecca Thomas, founder of Victory Alliance , a K–12 hybrid homeschool program in Traverse City, Michigan. Rebecca shares how she transitioned from an educator in traditional public, charter, and Christian schools to homeschooling her own child—and eventually launching a microschool during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. What began...

What does it take to build the first private online school in the United States—before most families even had internet access? In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald talks with Alyssa Tormala, Head of School at Laurel Springs School , to explore the school's remarkable evolution from a small distance-learning program in 1991 to a global, accredited K–12 institution that has served more than...

In this episode of  LiberatED , Kerry McDonald talks with virtual learning pioneer Julie Young, author of Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America , published by the Pioneer Institute . Julie shares the inside story of launching Florida Virtual School in the 1990s, building one of the first and most successful statewide online programs in the country, to then spearheading the...

Ohio has long been at the forefront of the school choice movement—and today tens of thousands of students participate in one of the state's five scholarship programs. In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald talks with Rabbi Eric "Yitz" Frank, President of School Choice Ohio , and Ann Riddle, Director of Provider School Outreach at School Choice Ohio, to explore how Ohio became a national lea...

What does it look like to build a school around student voice, joyful learning, and real affordability? In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald speaks with Elizabeth Dean , Head of Learning at The Village School , a learner-centered school in Arlington, Virginia serving about 70 students. Elizabeth shares her journey from public school teacher and instructional coach to school leader—and how...

In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald speaks with Kalecia Simmons, founder of The Black Homeschools , about how one parent's search for support grew into a thriving homeschooling community serving more than 1,100 Black families across the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area—and beyond. Kalecia shares her personal journey homeschooling her eight children, the early challenges that motivated h...

In this episode of LiberatED , Kerry McDonald is joined by Heike Larson, Vice President of Programs at the Roots of Progress Institute , and Dr. Laura Mazer, a surgeon and curriculum lead for the Institute's new summer program,  Progress in Medicine 2026 . Together, they explore a bold new model for summer teen learning that blends medical history, future innovation, mentorship, and personal devel...