The OpenEd Podcast

No degree? No problem. In this episode, Isaac sits down with 18-year-old Kade Hinkle, who landed a full-time job in B2B SaaS sales before he even graduated high school. Kade breaks down the exact, replicable process he used to go from running a local landscaping business to getting hired in a competitive industry that most college grads are fighting to get into. This isn't a story about genius or...

What happens when you trade a traditional life for a 300-square-foot RV, three kids, and a dream of freedom? Zach Koon shares his family's journey of homeschooling on the road, creating meaningful learning experiences, and leveraging Bottega University to help homeschool families get ahead. What you’ll learn: - Why Zach and his wife chose to homeschool - The reality (and beauty) of living, working...

The man who created Stanford's first online high school in 2005 explains why most online education fails—and it's not about the technology. Ray Ravaglia built two successful online schools by breaking every rule Silicon Valley taught him. Ray pioneered online education before anyone knew what to call it—developing the first online AP Calculus course in 1989 when CD-ROMs cost $4,000 to produce and...

What if schools are measuring the wrong things? Mike Goldstein built a charter school with 42 tutors living in a dorm above the classrooms, proving that one-on-one attention changes everything—but that's just the beginning of what's broken in education. Mike founded Match Charter School in Boston in 2000, revolutionizing education with high-dosage tutoring and unconventional approaches that actual...

Ela Richmond and Isaac Morehouse talk with Michelle Rhee and Michael Horn about the future of work, apprenticeships, and helping young people thrive in a changing job market. From K–12 reform to workforce innovation, this conversation covers why the college-for-all model is cracking, how apprenticeships can solve skills gaps, and the power of exposure, doing, and networks. Key Takeaways: - Why col...

When your child struggles with reading, it's easy to grasp at any solution that promises to help. But what if the very interventions you're being told will work are actually making things worse? In this episode, we dive deep into the dangerous myths surrounding dyslexia that are preventing kids from getting the help they actually need. From vision therapy to colored overlays, reading specialists K...

What happens when you challenge everything you've been told about education? Darryll Stinson discovered the educational freedom most parents don't know they have—and his family will never be the same. From surviving suicide attempts in college to becoming a transformation speaker with over 2 million TED Talk views, Darryll has always been a disruptor. But when it came to his children's education,...

Katie Kimball—founder of Kids Cook Real Food and a pioneer in practical life skills education—reveals why America has fallen off the list of the world's 20 happiest countries (hint: it's our anxious teenagers). We dive deep into the unintended consequences of helicopter parenting, why participation trophies backfired, and how teaching kids to cook, clean, and take care of themselves builds the con...

Every educator knows the moment when you've lost control of your classroom. Michelle Rhee—the woman who transformed Washington DC's failing school system from worst in the nation to leading the country in academic gains—once had students who "ate her for lunch." Her first-year teaching experience was so catastrophic that parents pulled their kids from her classroom. Yet by her third year, those sa...

Benton Crane (CEO of Harmon Brothers and Angel Studios executive) shares how alternative education models and audience-driven content are disrupting established systems. From the untold story of young George Washington's transformation from failure to legend, to how Angel Studios is changing Hollywood's gatekeeper model, this conversation explores what happens when we trust people to make their ow...

"How can I tell if my student is on level?" It's the question every parent asks—and as Andrea Fife reveals in this episode, it might be the wrong question entirely. 66% of 4th graders read below grade level. 70% never catch up. But Tony Mickelsen (CMO of Savvy Learning) shares a counterintuitive approach that's helping thousands of kids not just reach grade level, but actually en...

Most parents push teens toward college without considering alternatives, but education experts Rose Ybaben and Danielle Randall reveal why this approach is outdated—and what works better. Key Insights: - Why discovering what you DON'T want is just as valuable as finding your passion - How to balance parent support with student autonomy when setting goals - Why adulthood is filled with "do-overs" (...

Feeling exhausted by homeschooling? It might not be your curriculum — it might be your foundation. In this episode, certified life coach and homeschool veteran Meg Thomas (mom of 7, five homeschool grads) shares the 3-part reset that transformed her family’s homeschool: Heart, Habits, and Home . You’ll learn how to build connection without yelling, develop smooth routines without stress, and creat...

Ramsey Solutions host Ken Coleman explains why focusing on your child's weaknesses is hurting their future career prospects. Get his book "Find the Work You're Wired to Do" with free career assessment: https://ter.li/krbn8l Ken Coleman, bestselling author and career expert at Ramsey Solutions, shares practical strategies for helping kids discover their natural talents instead of forcing them to be...

When your refrigerator breaks, you don't panic because you never read the manual—you find what you need to know right when you need it. So why do we force children to memorize information "just in case" they might need it someday? Connor Boyack, creator of the 6-million-selling Tuttle Twins series, explains why our entire educational model is fundamentally backward and how switching to "just in ti...

Enrollment opening August 2025: https://www.openedacademy.com Most virtual schools simply move traditional education online - same rigid structure, same standardized curriculum, same one-size-fits-all approach. OpenEd Academy is different. After 15 years helping over 100,000 students personalize their education, the OpenEd Foundation is launching a nationwide virtual private school built on a radi...

Did you know our school system is based on a 200-year-old Prussian model designed to create obedient soldiers? Or that we grade students in ways that would make even elite athletes like LeBron James look like failures? Isaac Morehouse and Matt Bowman expose the fundamental flaws in our education system in their category-defining new book "Open Education: How to Reimagine Learning, Ignite Curiosity...

Jack Casdorph shares the moment his third-grade teacher turned a 25-second compass experiment into a half-hour of dictated notes, destroying his interest in science. Now a mechanical engineer, Jack reveals his STEM Spectrum framework explaining why traditional education's theory-first approach fails, and how project-based learning can reignite curiosity in children. JOIN THE BRIDGE BUILDING COMPET...

Traditional education was designed for a factory era—not for how humans actually learn. In this conversation between Isaac Morehouse (CEO of OpenEd) and Amir Nathoo (CEO of Outschool), we explore how education is being unbundled into something more natural and effective. "We don't live in a world where our entire existence is contained in one box," Morehouse points out. So why do we expect childre...

In this episode of the OpenEd podcast, we speak with Cassie Tinsmon, founder of Lily Lake Homeschool Collective in Kansas. Cassie shares how she created a flexible learning community that supports working parents while giving children the freedom to learn naturally and at their own pace. What You'll Learn: Why Cassie chose an unschooling approach and built a microschool community How Lily Lake int...

"But what about socialization?" It's the #1 question that stops parents from exploring educational alternatives. But what if traditional schooling creates the least natural social environment your child will ever experience? TK Coleman and Isaac Morehouse flip the script on the socialization myth, revealing how age-segregated classrooms might actually be hindering your child's social development r...

Think homeschooling means sitting around the kitchen table all day with textbooks? Think again. In this eye-opening conversation, veteran homeschool mom of five Maecy shares how her family spends just 3 hours a day on traditional academics – and what fills the rest of their rich educational experience. From skiing several times a week to creating vibrant co-ops, discover how homeschooling has evol...

Drowning in homeschool curriculum options? You're not alone. In this revealing conversation, the founders of SmartPath share how they're using AI to solve the #1 problem facing homeschool families: finding the perfect curriculum match without weeks of research. Discover how this free tool is democratizing what wealthy Silicon Valley families have known for years – that customized education creates...

Homeschooling multiple children without losing your mind isn't about perfect schedules or the right curriculum. It's about building a family culture that practically runs itself. In this episode, veteran homeschool mom Meg Thomas shares how she created a self-managing family while homeschooling seven children—and still maintained her own identity (she ran 16 miles the morning of this interview!)....

"I've bred some rebels! My kids question everything, including authority - and yes, that includes questioning me, which is great." – Eleyah Knight A single mom's purchase of a 14-passenger van launched a revolutionary approach to education that's proving you don't need a building to create powerful learning experiences. When Eleyah Knight saw traditional schools failing to meet her children's need...