Best Eric Danner Podcasts (2025)

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Starting A Church To Start A School: The Magnolia Schoolhouse Story 47:41

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1h ago47:41

47:41

This week on the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald speaks with Tara Famularo-Del Bianco, a former attorney who spent nearly 15 years representing abused and neglected children in New York City before making a dramatic shift into education entrepreneurship. Today, she is the founder of The Magnolia Schoolhouse, a thriving Montessori-inspired microsc…

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Building A Vermont Microschool: Susan Yao's Journey From Teacher to Founder 26:34

1h ago26:34

26:34

This week on the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Susan Yao, founder of Vermont Village School in Brattleboro, Vermont, about her inspiring journey from progressive educator to microschool creator. After earning an undergraduate degree from Harvard College, Susan worked for several years as a teacher and school administrator in a variet…

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Inside A Wildflower School: Imani Jackson on Opening Poinciana Montessori 47:03

6d ago47:03

47:03

This week on the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with educator-turned-entrepreneur Imani Jackson, founder of Poinciana Montessori in Philadelphia and part of the Wildflower Montessori Network. Imani shares her remarkable journey from a classroom teacher in both public and private schools, to Montessori microschool founder—sparked by her own…

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Crossover Special: LiberatED & Teacher, Let Your Light Shine! 56:41

21d ago56:41

56:41

In this special LiberatED and Teacher, Let Your Light Shine! crossover episode, Kerry McDonald and Makenzie Oliver share how teachers are transforming from classroom educators to microschool founders. Hear Makenzie's inspiring story and Kerry's insights from Joyful Learning on freedom, entrepreneurship, and reimagining education. *** Sign up for Ke…

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Cupola Academy: A Modern Model for Self-Directed, Secular Learning 47:52

27d ago47:52

47:52

Kerry McDonald speaks with Julia Bergson-Shilcock and Mike Hilbert, founders of Cupola Academy, a secular learning community in Pennsylvania serving homeschooling families through part-time, in-person programs. Drawing from decades in alternative education—and Julia's own unschooling background—they share how Cupola fosters autonomy, collaboration,…

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Helping Teens Thrive with Schooling Alternatives 44:39

28d ago44:39

44:39

Joel Hammon—former public school teacher, founder of Princeton Learning Cooperative, co-founder of Liberated Learners, and author of The Teacher Liberation Handbook—joins Kerry to explore the global rise of self-directed learning centers. These community-based programs, including the Princeton Learning Cooperative and many more within the Liberated…

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From Speech Pathologist to School Founder: A New Jersey Mom's Hybrid Homeschool Journey 33:38

29d ago33:38

33:38

After years as a speech pathologist in public schools, Lauren Capelli founded Sacred Haven Homeschool Collective, a Christian hybrid homeschool program in Camden County, New Jersey. In this episode, Lauren shares how she turned burnout into purpose, building a personalized, community-based program for roughly two dozen students. She and Kerry discu…

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How a New Mexico Microschool Is Redefining High School 35:29

1M ago35:29

35:29

Kerry McDonald sits down with Kerry Baldwin, co-founder of Vita Nova Academy, a micro-high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico built on Socratic practice and passion-driven learning. Baldwin shares how Vita Nova pairs seminar-style inquiry with a skills-based framework and a partnership with the Mastery Transcript Consortium, helping teens show real …

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Flourish Schools Founder John Danner on Joyful, AI-Powered Learning 38:42

1M ago38:42

38:42

John Danner, co-founder and CEO of Flourish Schools, joins Kerry McDonald to discuss how his new Nashville-based microschool network is reimagining middle school education. Drawing on his experience founding Rocketship Public Schools, Danner explains how Flourish uses AI to automate foundational learning while empowering teachers to focus on studen…

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Hybrid Schools on the Rise: Insights from Professor Eric Wearne 34:37

2M ago34:37

34:37

In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald is joined by Professor Eric Wearne, director of the National Hybrid Schools Project at Kennesaw State University, to explore the rapid growth of hybrid schooling. They discuss the historical roots of hybrid schooling, the post-COVID surge in new school launches, and what makes hybrid schools …

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How a Former Public School Teacher Founded Wisdom Warehouse Microschools 27:26

2M ago27:26

27:26

In this episode of the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald welcomes Jamie Musacchio, founder of Wisdom Warehouse, a microschool that began in Dubai and now thrives in Miami. Jamie shares her journey from over a decade in public school classrooms in New York City and Washington, DC to launching an innovative microschool model that blends rigorous acad…

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Building Threefold Schoolhouse: An Acton Academy Journey in Pennsylvania 35:47

2M ago35:47

35:47

Kerry McDonald welcomes Charles and Charissa Mitchell, two of the four co-founders of the Threefold Schoolhouse, an Acton Academy located outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They share their inspiring story of building a learner-driven microschool that launched with just 10 students in 2019 and today serves 65 learners from pre-kindergarten throug…

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A dad discusses why he chose homeschooling and microschooling for his kids 38:23

2M ago38:23

38:23

In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald speaks with parent Gabriel Valles about his family's embrace of alternative education, including homeschooling and microschooling. Gabriel shares his experience launching a low-cost microschool inspired by Acton Academy, his exploration of homeschooling and classical education, and his curren…

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A national network of "love-based" microschools 35:31

2M ago35:31

35:31

In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with David Richards, founder and CEO of Changemaker Education, about his fascinating career path from banking to teaching, to launching charter schools, and now microschools. David shares how a simple LinkedIn post sparked the launch of six pilot microschools across the country—and how …

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From preschool teacher to microschool founder 25:46

3M ago25:46

25:46

What does it take to launch and grow a thriving microschool for neurodiverse learners? Kerry McDonald talks with Yorelle Haroush, founder of Trailblazers Microschool in Florida, about her entrepreneurial journey, her adventure-based approach to learning, and the overwhelming demand from families looking for alternatives to conventional schooling. Y…

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From one "Pandemic Pod" to 20+ Microschools in 5 states 32:39

3M ago32:39

32:39

Jess Alfreds never set out to build a network of microschools. What began in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as "pandemic pod" quickly grew into a thriving community of 100 students—and today, Carolina Kids Co-Op has expanded into 20+ independently-operated microschools across five states. In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Jess shares how she …

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A Yurt School in New Hampshire Takes Off 37:49

3M ago37:49

37:49

In this episode of the LiberatED podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Maggie Van Camp, founder of Happy Hens Farm & Forest School in New Hampshire. Maggie shares her journey from teaching in the Boston Public Schools to building a thriving microschool inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, blending outdoor learning, the arts, acdemics, and homestead…

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"I'm not here to fix broken systems. I'm here to build what our children truly deserve." 33:58

3M ago33:58

33:58

What does it take to step outside the system and build something new? Nadine Smith, founder of The Gathering Place, an all-girls microschool in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sits down with Kerry McDonald to share her story of leaving the public school system to create a microschool focused on personalized, mastery-based learning. They discuss the reali…

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Scaling Social Impact in Education: Courtney Klein's Entrepreneurial Playbook 31:37

3M ago31:37

31:37

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with education entrepreneur Courtney Klein—co-founder of All One Thing and SUNSCHOOL, and Senior Strategist with ASU Prep. Courtney shares her remarkable journey as a social impact entrepreneur from founding her first nonprofit at age 21, to starting SEED SPOT, a global startup incubator, to now le…

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From Soldier to School Founder: A US Army veteran promotes peace through Montessori education 40:02

3M ago40:02

40:02

Melanie Smith's path to education entrepreneurship was anything but typical. A U.S. Army veteran who once worked in a European command war room, Melanie found her true calling in peace education through the Montessori method. After years teaching in both public and private schools, she launched Freedom Montessori Academy, an eco-school in Florida t…

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Alternative education in Kansas, with founder Katie Saiz 28:31

3M ago28:31

28:31

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Katie Saiz, founder of Greengate Children's School in Wichita, Kansas. Katie shares her inspiring journey from running a home-based daycare while homeschooling her children to leading a thriving private school serving nearly 100 students across preschool through middle school, with future plan…

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Reimagining Special Education: One teacher's microschool journey 32:52

3M ago32:52

32:52

In this episode of the LiberatED Podcast, Kerry McDonald talks with Jennifer Palmer, former special education teacher and now founder of Mobile Classroom Solutions in Polk County, Florida. Jennifer shares her journey from the conventional public school classroom to building a thriving microschool and learning pod that serve diverse learners, includ…

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Joyful Learning is out today! Enjoy this special interview. 41:18

3M ago41:18

41:18

Today is the official launch date of host Kerry McDonald's new book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling! Check out this special interview—and get your copy of Joyful Learning wherever books are sold!By Kerry McDonald

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"Try something else. Be happy." Why a longtime public school teacher left to launch a microschool 35:17

4M ago35:17

35:17

Sulaya Williams has been a teacher and administrator in the Florida public schools for 15 years. She left the school system in June to pursue entrepreneurship full-time as the founder of Link Up & Build Global Academy. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.…

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"Alexa, how can I homeschool my kids?" 34:34

3M ago34:34

34:34

Think of Alexa Achille as an "Alexa" for innovative education in South Florida. A former special education teacher in the New York City public schools, Alexa finds great fulfillment in helping families discover the benefits of unconventional education. She is the founder of The Collabo in West Palm Beach, Florida, which empowers homeschooling famil…

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How Mosaic is supporting self-directed education 30:55

4M ago30:55

30:55

Today on LiberatED, Kerry McDonald sits down with Bonnie Benjamin-Phariss, the Executive Director of Mosaic at WeAreBornToLearn.org—a vibrant online hub where families can reimagine education in meaningful ways. Founded by philanthropist Jeff Westphal and supported by the Jeff & Jenifer Westphal Foundation, Mosaic blends community with curated reso…

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Two weeks until Joyful Learning! 3:37

4M ago3:37

3:37

Kerry's new book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, will be on bookstore shelves two weeks from today—Tuesday, August 19th. Preorder your copy today at this link and use code JOYFUL20 at checkout for 20% off. Or visit your favorite local bookstore or online retailer to get your copy. *** Sig…

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Opening a microschool after 20 years of teaching 41:26

4M ago41:26

41:26

Today's guest, Tiffany Blassingame, is reimagining Christian education. As the founder and lead teacher at The Ferguson School—a progressive, faith-based K-5 microschool in Decatur, Georgia—she blends over 20 years of experience in public and private education with a heart for helping students thrive. A fourth-generation educator, Tiffany primarily…

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Primer founder Ryan Delk on creating a vast microschool network 37:54

4M ago37:54

37:54

Today's guest is Ryan Delk, cofounder and CEO of Primer, a fast-growing platform helping top teachers to launch microschools in their communities. He's spent the last decade building tech companies (like Square, Gumroad, and Omni), and was homeschooled from kindergarten through 8th grade. Ryan lives in San Francisco with his wife and three kids. **…

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Why a public school teacher opened Lighthouse Christian Academy 38:07

4M ago38:07

38:07

My guest today is Emma Rodriguez, founder of Lighthouse Christian Academy, a microschool in Frisco, Texas that opened in January of this year. After graduating from Texas A&M University, Emma spent seven years teaching in one of the largest and fastest-growing school districts in the country. While she loved the classroom, she saw firsthand how tra…

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A physician launches a new Islamic microschool 35:50

5M ago35:50

35:50

Today's guest is Sana Khan, a Board-certified Family Medicine Physician and founder of Ihsan Academy of Texas Microschool, a full-time, in-person program serving Grades 1-8 in Katy, Texas. The word Ihsan is Arabic for "Excellence", highlighting the vision of the school to provide Excellence in both the knowledge and application of the Islamic faith…

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In suburban Ohio, a former public school teacher launches a nature-based microschool 36:02

5M ago36:02

36:02

Jackie Bonath was a public school teacher for 14 years before quitting her job earlier this year to launch Creekside Cottage School, a full-time, multi-age microschool located in Gahanna, Ohio, a close suburb of Columbus, that is focused on nature-based learning. With 20 students already enrolled for this fall, and daily inquiries from interested p…

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In rural Ohio, a former public school teacher launches a literacy-rich microschool 32:11

5M ago32:11

32:11

Today's guest is Pam Frankforther, founder of Pioneer Reading Center in Wayne, Ohio. Pam left her job as a longtime public school teacher this year to launch Pioneer as full-time microschool for students with dyslexia and other learning differences. She was motivated to create a science-backed, literacy-rich learning environment for children in her…

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Managing Entrepreneurial Growing Pains & Regulatory Ambiguity 38:19

5M ago38:19

38:19

Jennie Jones is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence at FEE's Education Entrepreneurship Lab. She is a former professional ballerina, turned homeschooling mom of four, turned education entrepreneur who launched her home-based microschool, Treehouse Agile Learning Community, in St. George, Utah last fall and is expanding into a second location this fall. Je…

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How OpenEd is expanding personalized education options to more families 38:26

5M ago38:26

38:26

More than a decade ago, Matt Bowman cofounded My Tech High as a platform that enabled personalized, customized learning through tuition-free partnerships with innovative public and charter schools and in collaboration with individual education providers. With a bold vision to expand personalized learning options to more families, Matt recently rebr…

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From former elementary school teacher to Phoenix faith-based learning pod founder 40:22

5M ago40:22

40:22

Deja Hillis is the founder of Faithscape Learning Pod, a faith-based K-5 microschool in Casa Grande, Arizona, near Phoenix, which she launched in August 2024. An early elementary school teacher for nearly a decade, Deja has a passion for literacy education and is the author of four children's books. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsle…

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"So many parents don't feel listened to." From middle school math teacher to microschool founder 38:42

5M ago38:42

38:42

Today's guest is Joanna Cervantez, founder of A Fuller Education Microschool just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which she launched in the fall 2024. Joanna has both a bachelor's and master's degree in education and began her career as a middle school math teacher in inner-city Los Angeles, later teaching in a school for an orphanage in El S…

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From math teacher to hybrid school founder in Louisiana 34:42

5M ago34:42

34:42

Today's guest is Kate Lundquist, founder and principal of Northshore Prep Academy. A former public high school math and physics teacher, Kate opened her secular K-8 hybrid school in Mandeville, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, in 2015. Today, Northshore Prep Academy has 75 students enrolled. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter …

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From physician to founder, with Barbara Jauregui Wurst of Acton Academy Falls Church 32:48

6M ago32:48

32:48

Today's guest is Barbara Jauregui Wurst, a medical doctor and adjunct professor at George Washington University who cofounded Acton Academy Falls Church in Northern Virginia in 2021. Read Courage To Grow by Acton Academy cofounder, Laura Sandefer. Check out this new article at our Education Entrepreneurship Lab by a recent graduate of an Acton Acad…

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Pre-launch plans: A former special education teacher prepares to open a new school 24:08

6M ago24:08

24:08

Today's guest is Cassandra Orozco, the founder of Beacon of Hope Academy, a faith-based microschool serving K–5th grade students with special needs in Lake Worth, Florida, set to open this fall. As a certified special education teacher with experience in both charter and private schools, Cassandra is passionate about reimagining education to better…

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Alexandra Batista Rodriguez on creating a microschool for students with special needs 44:02

6M ago44:02

44:02

Today's guest is Alexandra Batista Rodriguez, founder and director of Steps Learning Center in Orlando, Florida, a specialized K-8 microschool for neurodiverse learners with moderate to significant special needs. Steps Learning Center takes a nontraditional, student-centered approach to learning, and serves a variety of families through various fle…

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Why a former public school teacher launched an Ohio Acton Academy 36:44

6M ago36:44

36:44

Today's guest is Sara James, a former public school teacher who founded Spark Christian Academy, an Acton Academy affiliate in Harrison, Ohio, near Cincinnati, in 2022. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at edentrepreneur.org.By Kerry McDonald

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An Apogee Network Micro-High School Takes Root in Texas 37:55

6M ago37:55

37:55

Today's guest is Sarah Pevehouse, founder of Apogee Dripping Springs Micro High School in Dripping Springs, Texas, west of Austin, which she launched in 2024. With a background in Waldorf and alternative education, Sarah has served as a teacher, administrator, and enrollment director, shaping real-world learning experiences for students. She has ta…

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Why more families of color are choosing homeschooling, with Homeschool Our Way founder, Elan Page 43:12

6M ago43:12

43:12

Today's guest is Elan Page, the founder of Homeschool Our Way based in Dallas, Texas. She created Homeschool Our Way in 2023 to help other families of color avoid the overwhelm she had experienced in starting something new. Homeschool Our Way offers a weekly podcast, an online course called the Homeschool Launch Blueprint, homeschool coaching servi…

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A longtime Florida hybrid homeschool founder reflects on today's innovative education movement 41:25

6M ago41:25

41:25

Today's guest is Ali Kaufman, a longtime education entrepreneur who began offering tutoring services more than two decades ago and has since built a thriving hybrid homeschool program, Space of Mind, in Delray Beach, Florida that today serves dozens of K-12 students with both full-time and part-time enrollment options. *** Sign up for Kerry's free,…

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Public microschooling gains popularity and support 40:13

6M ago40:13

40:13

Today's guest is George Philhower, Superintendent of the Eastern Hancock Public Schools in rural Charlottesville, Indiana, who is launching and leading the new Indiana Microschool Collaborative, a non-profit network designed to bring the microschooling model into the public education system. Read more about public microschooling in Kerry's latest F…

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A former public school teacher launches a new Mississippi microschool 41:13

7M ago41:13

41:13

Nefertiti Harris is a former public school teacher, mom of five, and founder of Empowered Prep Academy, a microschool located in Jackson, Mississippi for students in grades 3-12 who desire a flexible and more individualized learning environment. As a certified special education teacher, Nefertiti focuses specifically on helping dyslexic students an…

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Encouraging new educational models in New Hampshire 38:03

7M ago38:03

38:03

Today's guest is Jody Underwood, the founder and president of EdOpt, a platform offering information, support, and connections to New Hampshire families who want to explore their education options. Jody has spent most of her professional life involved in education, including getting a Ph.D. in science and technology education to complement her Mast…

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Exploring alternatives to college 37:58

7M ago37:58

37:58

My guest today is Connor Boyack, founder of the Libertas Network, prolific author, creator of the wildly popular Tuttle Twins book series, and now the new president of Praxis, the decade-old apprenticeship preparation and placement program that the Libertas Network recently acquired. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly e-newsletter on education en…

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Who needs college and who doesn't, with author Kathleen deLaski 45:49

7M ago45:49

45:49

Today's guest is Kathleen deLaski, author of the thought-provoking new book: Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining A Future Where Degrees Won't Matter. Kathleen spent 20 years as a journalist, including time as an ABC News White House correspondent. In the second half of her career, she has focused on education reform, cofounding or founding several…