The Hannah Frankman Podcast

Robert Pondiscio is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of How the Other Half Learns He has spent the past few decades researching and writing about education reform. In this episode, expect to learn why Robert left a successful journalism career to become a public school teacher in New York City's lowest performing school system, Robert's insights on education...

Claire Honeycutt is a former academic spending 20 years working inside of academia. She was a professor at Arizona St. University from 2015-2024 when she resigned to become a full time homeschooling mom. Expect to learn about Claire's insights on how we learn and why she became so interested in intrinsic motivation and self-directed learning. She'll discuss taking a mastery-based learning...

Eric Daniels is the Assistant Director of Clemson University’s Institute for the Study of Capitalism. Eric has worked in multiple levels of education; from middle school science teacher to head of a Montessori school to working at multiple universities. Expect to learn Eric's insights from his diverse educational experiences and how they've shaped his teaching philosophy. He discusses the...

Joe Connor is the founder and CEO of Odyssey , a platform that helps parents access and utilize their ESA money. Expect to learn about the history of ESA programs, what Odyssey does to help parents access funds, and the patterns and trends in ESA rollouts across the country. We explore why Joe is so optimistic about the future of school choice and how ESAs can empower parents to select the best ed...

Ryan Delk is the founder and CEO of Primer , a network of microschools expanding across the country. Primer is structured in a way that supports teachers that allows them to focus on what they love most. Expect to learn about the systems Primer has built across their network to allow teachers to focus on what they love and streamline the process for getting a school off the ground. You’ll learn ab...

Steve Patterson is an author and freelance philosopher working outside of traditional academia. He specializes in uncovering foundational errors in “mainstream consensus” and orthodox opinions. Expect to learn about the research Steve has done throughout his career, what it means to be a philosopher, and why he believes we are in a dark age of philosophy, ideas, and information. You’ll discover ho...

Jon England is the Education Policy Analyst at Libertas Institute. He works to support micro school founders and school choice legislation, and is currently building an association that will allow micro school founders to tap into the economies of scales that public schools are able to leverage. In this episode, expect to learn about John’s experience as a public school teacher and principal, the...

Dan Sanchez is a writer and Senior Fellow at FEE where he is the Director of Content and Editor. Dan and Hannah worked together at Praxis and ran the Cole Summers Fellowship together. In this episode, expect to learn Dan’s journey becoming an intellectual outside of academia through his own studying and learning, his approach to developing fellowships and coaching programs inside of FEE and why he...

Katelyn Donnelly is the founder and general partner of Avalanche VC , a venture capitalist firm that invests primarily in Ed Tech Companies. Expect to learn what Ed Tech is and how it’s changing the education landscape, how Austin, TX has become a hub for education innovation, and Katelyn’s predictions about the future of the education market. You’ll also learn about Katelyn’s work with the govern...

Graham Frey returns to the show! Graham is the CEO of Hallcraft School Studio and former CEO of Alpha, an innovative network of K-12 schools based in Austin, Texas. In this episode, expect to learn why the modern education system makes it easier for girls to succeed and is detrimental to boy’s self-esteem and development, the case for same sex schools, why having a strong culture in early educatio...

Nat Eliason is a blogger, programmer, entrepreneur, and author of the new book Crypto Confidential , where he tells the story of riding the crypto mania wave of 2021, how he learned how to invest in crypto, become a programmer, and signing onto a project that made and then lost him millions of dollars. In this episode, expect to learn Nat’s process of book writing, the importance of memoir style w...

John Papola is the founder of Emergent Order and host of the Dad Saves America Podcast. Expect to learn the genesis of Dad Saves America, how John came up with the idea, and why he believes that the family unit is the most important place to build the future of American culture. You’ll also learn how John got started as an independent media creator, the genesis of Emergent Order, and what John thi...

Aquinnah Bree is a full time freelance writer with a very unique and interesting education background. She just released her debut novel, A Tempest of Roses In this episode, expect to learn about Aquinnah’s unique education background bouncing between different schools, how she developed a love for writing, why she chose to skip college and build a free lance business, and the process of writing h...

Ray Girn is the co-founder and CEO of Higher Ground Montessori , the largest network of Montessori schools in the world. Expect to learn the business side of building and scaling schools, why talent is so important, and how Ray thinks about building a culture that scales. You’ll learn the philosophy of Montessori and how Higher Ground has implemented them into the modern education landscape. You’l...

This week we have Peter Gray, a developmental psychologist who studies the important of play in childhood. His book Free to Learn covers the importance of play as a form of education in Expect to learn why childhood play was an area of interest in his research, Peter’s experience raising a son who was rebellious to the traditional education system, and his thoughts on Sudbury Schools, Unschooling,...

This week we have Chrisman Frank, the Co-Founder and CEO of Synthesis , an online, game-based school that was originally built as part of Elon Musk’s SpaceX school. It’s now available to the public. In this episode, expect to learn the origin of Synthesis, how Synthesis is using game-based learning and AI to deliver personalized tutoring to it’s students, and Chrisman’s personal story going from s...

Keri Waters is an inventor, long time entrepreneur and currently the Chief Innovation Officer at the University of Austin, America’s newest private University. In this episode, expect to learn about Keri’s journey as an entrepreneur, how the University of Austin is combining liberal arts and entrepreneurship, what they are looking for in applicants, and how Keri is building the centers of innovati...

Erin Doppelt is a spiritual psychology + meditation teacher and author of the new book Nothing Can Stop You. In this episode, expect to learn what a mindfulness practice can do to improve your life and help regulate your nervous system, why children are innately good meditators, the importance of finding your own path in life, and Erin’s top pieces of advice for parents who are on the unconvention...

This week we have Laura Mazer on the podcast. Laura, a former surgeon, is now on the leadership team at Guidepost Montessori, the largest network of Montessori schools in the world In this episode, you’ll learn about Maria Montessori, the Montessori method, and how Montessori approaches education and development differently from traditional schools. You’ll learn about the importance Montessori pla...

We’re doing something a little different in this episode. After nearly 50 interviews, we bring you the first ever solocast. Expect to learn Hannah’s personal alternative education experience, why she chose not to go to college, advice for parents, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and how to think about choosing a school for your child. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:24 - The Active Mind C...

Paul Millerd is the author of the Pathless Path, which tells his story of leaving the high status consulting world to become a nomad, a freelancer, and a writer. In this episode, expect to learn how Paul started to unwind and ultimately reject some of these stories and how we can find the courage to think critically about what we actually want in life and what really brings us fulfillment and mean...

Jenny Clark is a homeschooling mom of 5 and the founder of Love Your School , an organization that helps families find, access, and figure out their eligibility for ESAs in Arizona and West Virginia. In this episode, you’ll hear about Jenny’s journey from high achieving career to homeschooling mom, the ESA movement’s effect on the education landscape at large, and the inception of Love Your School...

Cade Prior is a filmmaker with a passion for creating content that captures the emotion and beauty of life. He is also a real life example of successful homeschooling. In this episode, expect to hear Cade’s experience growing up homeschooled, whether or not being a homeschooler was an asset in his career, and how homeschooling allowed him to become self-directed, ultimately enabling him to become...

Amar Kumar is the Founder and CEO of KaiPod Learning, a network of in-person microschools where students learn at their own pace, explore their passions, and develop their skills to take on the world. Amar has been working to improve education for students around the world for over 15 years. In this episode, you’ll hear about Amar’s experience immigrating from India to America specifically for edu...

Kate, known online as Austin Scholar, is a teenage author writing about education in the 21st Century. Kate is a senior at Alpha High School in Austin, TX, where she started her newsletter, writing about her experience in alternative education and her advice to parents from a teenagers perspective. In this episode, you’ll learn about the innovative and modern approach to education taking place at...