KindlED | The Prenda Podcast

We talk with Norman Atkins about what it takes to build schools that endure, from the early charter movement to today’s microschools and AI-powered learning. We dig into how to train great teachers, choose clear outcomes for kids, and use edtech without losing the human center of school.

• Norman’s path from the Robin Hood Foundation to founding North Star Academy
• Practical advice for starting a school by saying the vision out loud and recruiting partners
• Early charter school lessons around innovation, sharing, and building lighthouses others can visit
• Why Uncommon Schools scales quality through systems, not hero teachers
• How Relay Graduate School of Education grows teacher and leader capacity
• The tension between teacher autonomy and coherent student experience
• A clearer definition of school purpose through explicit aims and measurable outcomes
• What Zearn shows about effective math edtech with strong teacher moves
• How AI in education may reshape roles for students and teachers without replacing relationships
• Why books and shared reading still matter for literacy and belonging

About our guest
Norman Atkins is the Managing Partner at Array Education, an innovation studio that catalyzes and builds enduring, mission-driven teaching and learning organizations. He is the Co-Founder of Relay GSE and served as President in its first decade. He is the Founder and former CEO of Uncommon Schools; the co-founder and former Board Chair of Zearn, and the current Board Chair of Merit America, a national nonprofit that creates fast, flexible pathways to good careers for fellow citizens stuck in low-wage jobs.
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In 1997, Atkins co-founded and co-led North Star Academy of Newark, one of New Jersey’s first and most celebrated charter schools. From 1989 to 1994, he was the Co-Executive Director of the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City. Atkins has supported a number of global education projects and served on the board of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. He received the Heinz Award on the Human Condition and has been inducted into the Charter School Hall of Fame.
Atkins began his career as a journalist, writing about education, poverty, politics, culture, and social issues. He received an A.B. in History and an Honorary Doctorate from Brown University and an M.A. in Educational Administration from Columbia University Teachers College.

Connect with Norman
Uncommon Schools
Teach for America
Relay Graduate School of Education
Zearn

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We talk with Mickey Revenaugh, co-founder of Connections Academy and author of Schools Out, about why families are walking away from one-size-fits-all schooling. We dig into microschools, homeschooling, unschooling, and what a future “portfolio” of education options could mean for kids’ learning and mental health.

• the origin story of Connections Academy and what early online learning got right and wrong
• what “unconventional education” includes and why the label “alternative” misses the point
• how families mix models over time rather than choosing one path for 13 years
• why many kids learn resilience and self-direction faster in multi-age environments
• shifting demographics in homeschooling and why old stereotypes no longer fit
• how the pandemic and culture-war pressures accelerate demand for flexible options
• why some districts are piloting microschools to respond to declining enrollment
• roadschooling and worldschooling as a lifestyle built on remote work and online tools
• unschooling basics, de-schooling, and the role of community support for parents
• a bold prediction that unconventional education reaches close to half of kids at some point

About our guest
Mickey Revenaugh is an education innovator, thought-leader and journalist. She is the co-founder of Connections Academy, a ground-breaking K-12 online school provider that launched in 2001 and now serves more than 110,000 virtual school students around the world as part of Pearson. Prior to her retirement at the end of 2022, Mickey’s work focused on bringing emerging education opportunities such as Harrow School Online and Pearson Online Academy to families around the globe. Previously, Mickey helped launch the E-rate to wire every American school to the Internet, covered edtech and online learning for leading education publications, and was the editorial director of professional magazines at Scholastic. Mickey currently serves as Board Chair of Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, winner of the $10M prize for innovative school design from XQ Institute, and also chairs the non-profit boards of Yellow Arrow Publishing and the Barbara J. Dreyer Cares Foundation.

Mickey earned a dual-genre MFA from Bennington College in 2017, and her creative nonfiction and fiction work has since appeared in publications as diverse as Chautauqua, LA Review of Books, and VICE. Mickey also holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA from New York University.

Connect with Mickey
Mickey RevenaughSchool's Out: Why Families Are Choosing Unconventional Education
Connections Academy

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We talk with Latham Turner about leaving a high-performing career to homeschool after watching his son’s love of reading collapse into daily tears and declining test scores. We trace the messy first months, the breakthroughs that follow, and why connection and agency can raise a child’s learning ceiling far beyond what school labels predict.

• Latham’s path from naval aviation and test pilot work to full-time homeschooling
• The warning signs at school, including morning crying and sliding standardized scores
• The moment teachers admit they cannot teach his child’s profile
• The first homeschool days, fear, missteps, and repairing trust after a meltdown
• Project-based learning through building a real airplane together
• Switching approaches when a rigid plan backfires
• Learning Greek for real, finding the right tutor, and reading The Odyssey in original Greek
• Connection, attachment, and the parent’s inner work as the unlock for learning
• Balancing direct instruction with discovery learning and student agency
• Using expertise research to think beyond grades and tests
• Practical guidance for parents starting out, including trusting instincts and iterating

About our guest
Latham Turner is a homeschooling dad working to create an education that allows his kids to advance the frontier of their potential. In the past, he was a Naval Aviator, developmental test pilot, quantum computing engineer, startup operator, and entrepreneur, but he left all of them to start homeschooling his two kids. He brings a focus on expertise studies and his experience mastering the domains he has into writing about education as a human potential problem.

Connect with Latham
Substack
Roots of Progress Institute Fellowship

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We talk with Hannah Maruyama, founder of Degree Free, about why colleges don’t own education and why the “just go to college” default is failing many young adults. We break down how to plan a career path using real-life constraints, build skills through certifications and work, and decide when a degree is truly worth it.

• Hannah’s personal break with college culture and conformity
• The “escalator” model of schooling and why it shuts down curiosity
• Separating education from career training and the cost of confusing them
• Why many job “degree requirements” function as suggestions
• How targeted certifications can unlock remote tech roles
• The shift toward downcredentialing across industries
• Why common college ROI statistics can hide debt and distort outcomes
• The Degree Free Four filter: income, schedule, location, work environment
• “Try before you buy” through real work before paying for credentials
• Where to find Hannah’s workbooks and Degree Free support

About our guest
Hannah Maruyama is the founder of Degree Free and the author of The Degree Free Way. She built her own Degree Free career in AI and machine learning, and now helps parents and young adults think clearly about education, work, and career paths, especially when the old default of "just go to college" no longer fits.

Connect with Hannah
Degree Free
Hannah’s Books

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We celebrate Episode 100 by digging into Kaity’s first year guiding a home microschool and what it teaches us about building belonging, agency, and high expectations. The big takeaway is that connection comes first, then kids can take on ambitious goals and grow into capable, self-governing learners.

• celebrating Episode 100 and thanking guests, listeners, and the people who kindle learning
• Kaity’s KindlED shout-out to her mom and what lifelong learning looks like in real life
• why Kaity chose to start a microschool despite already training guides at Prenda
• designing the Wonder League culture so middle school feels safe and welcoming
• using simple rituals and messages to reinforce belonging and community norms
• guiding vs teaching and the “Mario Kart cloud guy” model for getting kids back on track
• balancing agency with boundaries so self-directed learning stays productive
• “start with heart” as the foundation for academics, behavior, and motivation
• setting ambitious but doable goals and recalculating plans together as a class
• coaching social skills, optimism, and civil debate through modeling and reflection
• piloting Prenda high school ideas to keep learning relevant and engaging

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We draw a hard line between tweaking the school system and transforming it, starting with one idea: parents should hold the decision rights for their child’s education. We also test the biggest critiques of school choice against polling, program data, and real parent experiences with flexibility and accountability.

• why “reform” misses the real problem and why transformation fits the moment
• what education freedom means in practice and how decision rights have flipped since COVID
• why families say they want different schools rather than “better” versions of the same model
• how microschools and homeschooling are growing and what customization makes possible
• what parents tell pollsters they want most and the size of the flexibility gap
• where ESAs and school choice policy are expanding across states and what demand looks like
• how to respond to claims about bankrupting public schools, fraud, waste, and accountability
• why switching schools can be stronger accountability than test-based systems

About our guest
Matt Frendewey is the vice president of strategy at yes. every kid. Matt has over two decades of experience in strategic communications, which includes working as a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and Gov. Jeb Bush at Foundation for Excellence in Education. A Michigan native, Matt spent eight years working for the Michigan Department of Attorney General, and has held various roles in both gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. Matt resides in Washington, D.C. with Jenn and their two dogs, and remains a loyal Detroit Tigers fan.

Connect with Matt
yes. every kid.
Matt’s substack

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We ask what it would take to stop treating public education as a zero-sum culture war and start funding many legitimate school models with shared expectations for quality. We trace how America became an outlier, then get specific about what knowledge-rich curriculum and real intellectual work can look like in classrooms and microschools.

• educational pluralism as a tax-funded mosaic of school options held to a quality bar
• why the United States diverges from global norms in public education funding
• the 19th-century nativist backlash against Catholic schools and the myth of “neutral” common schools
• five philosophical arguments for pluralism, including justice, civic obligation, and the role of civil society
• how pluralism differs from today’s school choice politics and zero-sum thinking
• why skills-based instruction fails without background knowledge in history, geography, science, and literature
• what “joyful rigor” looks like, plus examples from charter schools, IB programs, and curriculum-aligned assessments
• why great materials often fail in practice, including low expectations and habit-driven lesson-making
• how to balance core shared content with curiosity, discussion, and student-driven deep dives

About our guest
Ashley Berner is Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and Associate Professor of Education. Palgrave MacMillan released Pluralism and American Public Education: No One Way to School (2017), and Harvard Education Press released her new book, Educational Pluralism and American Democracy: How to Handle Indoctrination, Promote Exposure, and Rebuild America’s Schools, in April 2024.

Ashley Berner has published dozens of journal articles, book chapters, op-eds, and a widely watched TedX talk on citizenship formation, academic outcomes, pluralism, and the political theories of education in different national contexts. She led the design of the Institute’s School Culture 360™ and ELA and Social Studies Knowledge Maps™. She represents the Institute’s work across the country and consults regularly with international, federal, and state-level agencies, non-governmental organizations, and school systems.

Connect with Ashley
Educational Pluralism and Democracy
Pluralism and American Public Education
The Myth of the Common School
Separation of Church and State

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We talk with Tyler Thigpen about building student agency through self-directed learning, and why kids thrive when they have purpose, strong relationships, and real choices. We dig into practical frameworks for families and educators who want to move beyond compliance without losing rigor or essential skills.

• Tyler’s origin story and the mission to help kids flourish
• Why boredom and drudgery persist in conventional classrooms
• A clear definition of agency as skill, will, and goals
• The DRIP pathway: desire, resourcefulness, initiative, persistence
• Adult formation and unlearning control to become guides
• How to think about a national “floor” plus deep personalization
• Mastery transcripts as a portfolio and competency-based alternative to grades
• Moving from external validation to intrinsic motivation in learners and adults
• Freedom levels, consequences, and gradual release of autonomy
• Helping kids “make deals with themselves” to build integrity and ownership

About our guest
Tyler grew up in Georgia and has worked in innovative district, private, and charter schools, as well as statewide and national nonprofits. Tyler is co-founder and CEO of The Forest School: An Acton Academy in Trilith, The Forest School Online, and the Institute for Self-Directed Learning. He is Academic Director at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and a Guest Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Connect with Tyler
Institute for Self Directed LearningThe Forest School@weareforestschool on Instagram@tylerthigpen on InstagramThe Playbook for Self-directed Learning

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We sit down with former public school teacher Meredith Reyes to unpack the moment burnout stopped being manageable and started being dangerous. She shares how moving states changed her working conditions overnight and how homeschooling helped her rebuild learning around safety, curiosity and mastery.

• Meredith’s path from lifelong “teacher kid” to ten-year public school veteran
• COVID-era boundary shifts that made teachers feel less valued
• IEP realities when supports do not match student needs
• Paperwork, assessments and required programs crowding out teaching time
• Class size pressure and why union protections mattered in California
• Texas culture shock: pay cut, longer days, extra events and unprotected prep
• The mental health spiral that led to a mid-year resignation
• An active shooter drill that felt real and reshaped school safety concerns
• Early homeschooling mistakes: recreating school at home
• De-schooling and building a flexible family rhythm for learning
• Inquiry-based learning and following rabbit holes on purpose
• Mixed-age co-op learning and why age grouping is a school construct
• Rethinking grades through mastery-based learning and repeated practice
• The value of conversation as assessment, not just worksheets
• Books and voices that helped, including Julie Bogart and The Brave Learner
• The teachers who kindled Meredith’s love of learning early on

About our guest
Meredith Reyes is an experienced classroom teacher in both California and Texas. After years of teaching in public schools she decided to make the move to homeschool her own children. Meredith shares her journey on instagram as @thestringymama.

Connect with Meredith
The Stringy Mama

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We talk with mathematician and author Paul Lockhart about how school can drain the life out of math and why real mathematics feels more like art than a subject. We argue for desire, honesty, and beautiful explanations as the center of learning, then share concrete puzzles that show what math looks like when it is alive.

• why “school teaches school” and how schoolification ruins natural curiosity
• learning as a personal gift and teaching as inspiration rather than control
• mathematics as pattern, proof, and the art of explanation
• building a mathematical worldview through questions and play
• practical ways adults avoid killing desire in kids
• what a workshop-style math class looks like without tests or homework
• domino tiling and checkerboard reasoning as a model for elegant proof
• why formulas stick only after you can see the idea
• protecting your mind and reclaiming happiness as a learning goal
• a surprising shout-out to a student who changed Paul’s thinking

About our guest
Paul Lockhart is the author of Arithmetic, Measurement, A Mathematician’s Lament, and Mending Broken Bones. He has taught mathematics at Brown University, University of California, Santa Cruz, and to K-12 level students at St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn, New York.

Connect with Paul
A Mathematician’s LamentArithmeticMeasurementMending of Broken Bones

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We talk with Matt Beaudreau about why kids are born motivated and how schools and homes can accidentally train that drive into distraction and compliance. We dig into microschools, family sovereignty, and practical ways to build capable young people through autonomy, clear boundaries, and real responsibility.

• Matt’s origin story and learning to “play school” without actually learning
• Why microschools focus on kids over politics and bureaucracy
• Apogee’s mission of building sovereign families through responsibility and self-leadership
• A simple daily structure: academics, fitness, and passion projects
• How lowered expectations for “teenagers” drains agency and maturity
• Creating rites of passage that make kids feel alive and capable
• Using mastery-based ed tech with intentional boundaries and strong culture
• Coaching conversations that replace tech whack-a-mole and surveillance
• Advice for parents who feel stuck in traditional school: move yourself forward and bring your child along

About our guest
Matt Beaudreau is a globally recognized consultant and coach who partners with organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies like Wells Fargo, Honeywell, and Lockheed Martin to leading brands such as American Eagle, Cedars-Sinai, and the United States Air Force. A two-time featured TEDx speaker and recipient of Stanford University’s Corporate Trainer of the Year award, Matt is known for helping teams unlock performance, leadership, and lasting cultural transformation.

In 2017, Matt founded his first private school centered on self-directed learning, with a mission to develop confident, independent young people grounded in strong character and personal responsibility. Since then, he has helped launch multiple campuses around the world, expanding his impact and championing a new vision for education rooted in autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

Connect with Matt
Apogee StrongApogee Strong Podcast

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We explore why more parents are rethinking the default school path and how real support makes school choice easier. From being mislabeled in school to helping scale education choice, our guest shares how families can find better-fit options.

• A school choice journey from Taiwan to Florida to a microschool
• Why parent-led “kitchen table” decisions lead to better outcomes
• How Outschool.org supported families during COVID
• What parents want: safety, wellbeing, rigor, flexibility, and time
• Why choosing school year by year improves fit
• The concept of “firing your school” and choosing intentionally
• How unbundled learning expands access to classes and opportunities
• Texas ESA insights: timelines, funding, and waitlists

About our guest
Morgan Camu is Head of Programs at Outschool.org, where she leads program design, strategy, and implementation to maximize the impact of educational choice programs. Her team partners with state education agencies to provide technology-enabled, human-centered solutions to over 125,000 students each year. Her team has also supported 45 grantees advancing enrichment opportunities for marginalized learners and served more than 30,000 students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, Morgan served as Chief Academic Officer at a global education company serving nearly 70 school districts across the country, where she led efforts to recruit, select, and support 2,000 international teachers from more than 35 countries. She began her career as a high school science teacher in rural North Carolina.

She holds a doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard University and a B.A. from Duke University.

Connect with Morgan
https://outschool.org/
Texas Education Freedom Account Program
The Texas Finder Tool
School Choice Arkansas
Outbridge South Carolina

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We name the “imagination crisis” holding education back and argue that better schools start with better dreaming, not just better funding or tools. We share how 4.0 Schools helps change-curious builders and turn rough ideas into real tests while staying impact-first, resilient, and grounded in what families and learners actually need.

• why education makes people feel personally invested and why that can still produce stale ideas
• what 4.0 Schools does as an early-stage launch pad for education founders
• how to build resilience by loving the work rather than protecting the original idea
• design dreaming basics: cataloguing assets and choosing a motivating question
• why “barely better” innovation feels safe and how it limits progress
• what anti-scale really means and how to stay impact-first as you grow
• learner-centric design as a practical way to build better solutions
• AI in education as jet fuel for implementation and a risk to originality
Go sign up for 4.0 schools, support the project.

About our guest
Nicole Jarbo is the CEO of 4.0 Schools, where she leads one of the country’s most active platforms for early-stage education founders. A former Teach For America corps member and KIPP teacher, she is also a fintech founder who has raised millions in venture capital. Nicole has worked across philanthropy and systems-level education change, and is the host of Pitch Playground, an award-winning podcast spotlighting the future of education.

Connect with Nicole
4.0 SchoolsPitch Playground Podcast

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We dig into what parents actually want from schools: strong reading and math, safety and belonging, and communication that treats families like partners. Texas’s EFA, new accreditation pathways for microschools, and the rise of homeschooling point toward a more plural system grounded in trust and transparency.

• basics as survival skills in modern life
• safety, belonging, and being seen
• the black box problem and real-time updates
• drop-off and pickup as engagement signals
• growth of homeschooling, hybrid, and microschools
• Texas EFA scale, caps, and prioritization
• accreditation as a quality floor, not a barrier
• building a TEA-aligned microschool accreditor
• vision for plural, calm, human-scale schools
• gratitude for mentors who spark learning

About our guest
Colleen Dippel began her career as a public-school teacher. Colleen is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Families Empowered, a Texas based not for profit parent service organization. Families Empowered has provided K-12 school navigation services to over 105K low-income families in Texas. Colleen was a 2013 LEE Emerging Political Leadership Fellow and a 2017 Pahara-Aspen Fellowship recipient. She served on the Advisory Board of the Rice Educational Entrepreneurship Program at the Jones School of Business. She is a member of the John Cooper School Booster Club Board and the Dyslexia School of Houston Board. Additionally, she serves on the Advisory Board of the Thrive with Autism Charter School. She and her daughter are active participants in The Woodlands TX chapter of the National Charity League. She considers being a mother to her two children her greatest accomplishment.

Connect with Colleen
Families Empowered
Texas Education Freedom Accounts Program
TX Microschool Accreditation Service

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We examine how disruption theory applies to K–12 and how microschools and ESAs shift power from systems to families. We discuss rigor, the science of reading, special education, and how districts could operate in a more plural, community-centered future.

• origins and naming of the microschool movement
• disruption theory in classrooms and systems
• blended vs. virtual learning
• how time-based models hinder student-centered learning
• ESAs vs. vouchers and the value of flexibility
• overserved families and K–12 market dynamics
• rigor through student-centered mastery
• adoption and social proof along the S-curve
• special education in microschools
• rethinking high school identity and rituals
• district partnerships with microschools
• accreditation and tuition-first policy risks

About our guest
Michael Horn is an award-winning author and national bestselling writer of Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career. He teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and co-founded the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. Through his writing, speaking, and work with education organizations, he champions helping individuals build meaningful careers and lives.

He has authored multiple books on education and innovation, including Disrupting Class, Blended, and From Reopen to Reinvent, cohosts the top education podcasts Future U and Class Disrupted, and writes The Future of Education newsletter. An executive editor at Education Next and contributor to Forbes, his work has appeared in major outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. His 2024 Harvard Business Review article, “Why Employees Quit,” won the 2025 Warren Bennis Award for best HBR article on leadership. He serves on several education boards and is a 2014 Eisenhower Fellow. Horn holds a BA from Yale and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Connect with Michael
Michael Horn
Disrupting Class Book
Class Disrupted Podcast with Diane Tavenner

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We name the real barrier in education as the status quo mindset and share how Vela backs nearly 5,000 founders building learner-centered options. Meredith traces her journey from engineering and finance to education, explains the data behind microschool growth, and offers practical steps for parents and educators to lead change.

• Defining the enemy as mindset, not institutions
• Meredith’s path from engineering and economics to education
• Three decades of steady growth in low-cost alternatives
• Pre‑COVID skepticism and the COVID demand shock
• Vela’s microgrants, reinvestments and peer network
• The four founder types and their motivations
• Parent and learner agency as a new paradigm
• Pioneers helping refugees become builders
• Wild and wise as a founder operating principle

About our guest
Meredith is president and CEO of VELA, a network of self-determined people doing education their own way. VELA supports 4,800+ founders who enable low-cost private and home education for millions of families. Meredith brings more than two decades of philanthropy and community leadership to this work. She previously served as vice president of public affairs for Koch, Inc., where she led corporate philanthropy and community programs. Meredith is the board chair of yes. every kid., an organization advancing transformative education policy, and is a trustee of Wichita Collegiate School.

Connect with Meredith
VELA

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We trace Allison Serafin’s path from restless learner to teacher, elected education leader, and capital guide who helps schools access facilities and finance. The heart of the talk is practical: how founders can become “underwritable” without losing their mission.

• early sparks in entrepreneurship and a misfit K–12 experience
• classroom wins and structural limits seen in Houston and Philadelphia
• leading in Las Vegas across TFA, district change, and state board service
• learning finance to build IDEA campuses and earn credibility
• what Building Hope does and why facilities cost so much
• pilot microloans for microschools with humane, unsecured terms
• clean bookkeeping, days cash on hand, and debt coverage explained
• how to use AI to learn finance fast and prepare for lenders
• start scrappy, then professionalize when you choose to grow

About our guest
Allison Serafin brings experience, accomplishment and energy to her responsibilities at Building Hope. Allison has more than 20 years in the education field, including time as an elected member of the Nevada State Board of Education. She helped raise more than $40 million for IDEA Public Charter School in her hometown of Houston and was Domestic Portfolio Director at Dovetail Impact Foundation. Allison is a dedicated Peloton bicyclist. She earned a BS in Political Science at Texas Christian University and an MS in Social Work at the University of Texas-Arlington.

Connect with Allison
Building Hope

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We explore how joy, autonomy, and real-world experiences transform learning from third grade to high school, and how microschools inside and alongside public systems meet students where they are. Victoria Andrews shares the question that changed her career and the playbook that’s guiding leaders forward.

• third grade classrooms built on autonomy, stations, and projects
• high schoolers engaged through internships, externships, and community partners
• logistics and impact of running a hundred field trips in a year
• exposure as a driver of curiosity, confidence, and purpose
• the catalytic pause after being asked do you love it
• building and supporting microschools as responsive community tools
• public district partnerships, declining enrollment, and agile design
• student dignity, choice, and culturally relevant practices
• historical roots of microschools in indigenous and freedom schools
• practical ways educators can propose microschools within districts

About our guest
Victoria recently served as the Assistant Director for an International Baccalaureate School and guided students and staff through virtual and in person learning. Previously, she served as a Dean at Energy Institute High School, a magnet school with a project-based learning focus on energy. Here, Victoria paired students with summer programs based on their unique interests, developed an internship program for multiple grade levels, created experiential learning opportunities, coordinated field trips, and worked closely with the community and industry partners. Victoria is passionate about serving as a connector and collaborator for underrepresented communities while supporting unique learning environments.

Connect with Victoria
Victoria Andrews
Getting Smart Microschools Initiative

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We explore the front lines of the microschool movement with Brittany Munk-Miller, a Prenda microschool specialist, and unpack what it really takes to start small, teach with heart, and track meaningful growth beyond letter grades. We share stories, tools, and steps that make launching doable with zero upfront cost.

• who typically starts microschools and why
• definitions, sizes, and common locations for microschools
• traits of effective guides and the student‑centered role
• curriculum structure, mastery, and flexible customization
• balancing technology, AI tutors, and hands‑on projects
• how costs work, including no startup fees with Prenda
• starting small to test demand and lower risk
• accreditation concerns and the Empowered Learner Report
• shifting from grades to portfolios and empowerment metrics
• founder and student stories that show fires rekindled

About our guest
Brittany is a Microschool Specialist at Prenda. Every day, she talks to people thinking about starting microschools, hears their unique stories and passion for the work, and helps them overcome barriers. She is passionate about helping educators and parents create their dream learning environments. Prior to Prenda, Brittany was a successful sales leader and entrepreneur. She is also the mom of three wonderful kids.

Connect with Brittany
LinkedIn
Start a Prenda Microschool

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool

We explore how a mother and daughter helped turn Arkansas into a leading state for school choice, sharing hard-won lessons from family needs, policy battles, and the explosive growth of microschools. Stories, strategy, and straight talk show how parents and educators can build options that fit real kids.

• personal journey from limited options to statewide advocacy
• the mission and work of Reform Alliance supporting families
• education freedom accounts and scholarship access
• real family stories showing assistive tools and homeschool support
• why one size never fit all and why options matter
• launching 10 microschools in 30 days across Arkansas
• practical advice on starting a microschool around local needs
• overcoming fear, trusting parents, and iterating fast
• legacy, mentorship, and passing the torch to new leaders

About our guests
Laurie Lee serves as Chairman and Executive Director of The Reform Alliance, a nonprofit committed to ensuring every K-12 student in Arkansas has access to a world-class education. For more than 20 years, Laurie has been involved in the School Choice movement through policy development, coalition building, and collaboration with national education reform leaders. The Reform Alliance has been instrumental in advancing Arkansas's three School Choice programs: the Succeed Scholarship (a voucher), recently absorbed into the Education Freedom Accounts (an Education Savings Account), and the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids Scholarship (a tax credit program).

Emmy Henley’s journey in education reform began at 16, volunteering with after-school and mentoring programs. Her passion for championing Arkansas students led her to join The Reform Alliance. She has spent the past decade helping drive the success of the Succeed Scholarship, now part of the state’s Education Freedom Accounts (EFA). Today, she oversees the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids tax credit scholarship, supports the EFA program, and manages The Reform Alliance staff. This team travels statewide, building parent coalitions and developing innovative models like microschools.

Connect with Laurie and Emmy
The Reform Alliance

Got a story to share or question you want us to answer? Send us a message!

About the podcast
The KindlED Podcast explores the science of nurturing children's potential and creating empowering learning environments.

Powered by Prenda Microschools, each episode offers actionable insights to help you ignite your child's love of learning. We'll dive into evidence-based tools and techniques that kindle young learners' curiosity, motivation, and well-being.

Got a burning question?
We're all ears! If you have a question or topic you'd love our hosts to tackle, please send it to podcast@prenda.com. Let's dive into the conversation together!

Important links:
• Connect with us on social
• Get our free literacy curriculum

Interested in starting a microschool?
Prenda provides all the tools and support you need to start and run an amazing microschool. Create a free Prenda World account to start designing your future microschool today. More info at ➡️ https://www.prenda.com/ or if you're ready to get going ➡️ Start My Microschool