David had a great conversation with Christina Dougay who is the founder of Practical Education and Knowledge LLC (P.E.A.K.) a microschool in Houston, Texas.

With a background in both education and the mental health sector, she brings a unique perspective to creating safe, supportive, and engaging learning environments for children.

Driven by a desire to find an alternative to traditional public education for her own children and others in need, Christina strives to provide a positive, trauma-informed approach to learning. She believes that every child is capable of success, deserves to feel valued in the classroom, and should experience the joy of learning.

Christina invited her husband to join the podcast with her because they have been in this together since the beginning. They shared the origin story of how they were driven by the desire to create something better for their daughter, which drove them to launch with 3 students in their living room and grow to a larger space in a short amount of time.

Christina & Dusty are emblematic of the spirit and heart of the microschool movement. They have a great story to tell about how they took matters into their own hands and how it helped their own daughter while launching them into a journey of meaning and purpose to serve others.

There are tons of gems in here that you read about in the research about leadership and startups. They didn’t need to read that research, because they embody entrepreneurship and took one step at a time and made their vision come to life. Such an inspiring story!

You can learn more about their microschool here: https://www.practicaled.org/

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

David had a great conversation with Don Soifer who is the CEO of the National Microschooling Center.

They discussed the recent report just released from the National Microschooling Center that illuminates important data about microschools like what percentage are private, public, what types of students microschools serve, facilities, types of models, and so much more!

We get to be one of the first to share this and get to hear Don’s analysis which is super exciting.

Here is a more about Don and the Center. The National Microschooling Center ia America’s comprehensive resource center, movement-builder and authority for the most exciting new education movement in a generation. He co-created and co-directed the Southern Nevada Urban Micro Academy, the nation’s first public–private partnership microschool with the City of North Las Vegas, delivering unprecedented academic growth with a previously underserved population of families under pandemic operating conditions.

Prior to opening the Center, Soifer has been President of Nevada Action for School Options, an award-winning nonpartisan “action tank” he founded in 2017 to support the growth of diverse choices of rich, high-quality and personalized educational opportunities for all students. He previously served as Executive Vice President of the Lexington Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Arlington, VA that he cofounded in 1998.

Soifer directed the institute’s education and other domestic-policy research programs, and his research has been published and discussed in many of the nation’s most influential news publications and policy journals, and cited by policy decisionmakers at all levels of government, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Soifer earned a record as one of the nation’s most accomplished charter school authorizers, serving an unprecedented three mayor-appointed, Council-confirmed terms on the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board beginning in 2008. He was widely regarded as a driving force transforming one of the nation’s most successful charter authorizers as it instituted systems for prioritizing quality for the 120+ schools oversee. He subsequently served as a board member on the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority, appointed by the State Board of Education, from 2019-2021.

Soifer has been an Aspen/Pahara Institute education fellow since 2018.

You can learn about The National Microschooling Center here: https://microschoolingcenter.org/

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

David had a great conversation with Raphael Gang who is a Program Officer at the Stand Together Trust (STT) where he makes investments focused on supporting a dynamic education marketplace for families, educators, and entrepreneurs. Prior to joining STT, he worked at 4.0 Schools, a nonprofit national incubator for early-stage education impact ventures, where he coached education entrepreneurs and led 4.0’s communications, fundraising, and research. He helped launch and implement the statewide school voucher program, oversaw charter schools statewide, and managed policy for supporting choice at the Louisiana Department of Education. A former elementary school teacher, he has worked in policy and in leadership at two networks of schools. As a father of two young children, Raphael believes strongly that if we want a future of learning that is for all children, we need to build it.

David and Raphael discussed how important it is to engage families in the process of building your microschool. We think that building schools is an intellectual process, but entrepreneurship is about doing and not thinking. In that spirit, Raphael recommends you start small, start fast, and start cheap by starting to talk with families and make that your top priority. They also discussed the transition from educator to entrepreneur which can be a big one for many educators! Finally, they discussed the need for microschools to be sustainable and to build a business not a charity to ensure your microschool stays around for years to come!

You can find Raphael on X here: x.com/raphaelgangedu

Here are some things that Raphael shared if you want to explore these topics further:

1. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-started-successful-school-just-27000-sam-rogerson/

2. Lean Startup by Eric Ries - https://theleanstartup.com/

3. Tom Arnett'sk, Families on the New Frontier report - https://www.christenseninstitute.org/publication/microschools-families/

4. Raphael's - Build a Business, not a Charity blog - https://microschoolingcenter.org/news-blog/gang

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Enjoy this episode with Tyler Thigpen who is co-founder and CEO of The Forest School: An Acton Academy in Georgia, The Forest School Online, and the Institute for Self-Directed Learning. He also serves as Academic Director at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. A Georgia native, Tyler has worked across public, private, and charter schools, as well as national nonprofits like Transcend. He’s helped lead innovative school initiatives including nXu, The Academy Group, and EL Education, and co-founded MENTOR Georgia and Chattahoochee Hills Charter School. Tyler holds advanced degrees from Harvard and Regent College and has been published in The Washington Post, Education Week, and AJC. He lives in Trilith, GA, with his four children—all alumni of The Forest School.

David and Tyler discuss the overall benefits of microschools, especially as it relates to building relationships and creating intimate and close knit communities.

They finish the conversation by talking about their experience with implementing self directed learning models in various settings, and the benefits of microschools to create powerful learner driven environments.

You can find Tyler at one of the links below:

https://theforest.school/

https://online.theforest.school/

https://www.selfdirect.school/

https://www.instagram.com/weareforestschool?igsh=cDJxNDl6bjd6cXVj&utm_source=qr

David shared the relaunch of the podcast focusing on all things microschools and the vision going forward as follows.

• This is a podcast about all things microschools.
• It will share the nuts and bolts of opening and running a successful microschool.
• He will share leadership development tips and tricks.
• He will share how to embody an entrepreneurship mindset.
• He wants this podcast to help anyone in the process whether they join Changemaker Education officially or not.

He then shared a little about what Changemaker Education does:

• It is a network of affiliate microschools that incubate paradigm shifting microschools across the country.
• It is unique because it is a network but founders have autonomy.
• Founders license the mind, body, soul curriculum, the brand, and the support and community in exchange for a revenue share once they open.
• Founders are provided with the support they need from budget to student recruitment to curriculum to facility procurement.

Then David shared Changemaker Education was created:

• We believe that we are in a massive time of change and we need the people in the community that know and care about the kids to create real change on the ground.
• We believe that it is the grassroots and the people on the ground that will create lasting impact in education.
• We see the microschools movement as one key driver of this change and want to create the conditions to support founders with a vision for a life changing microschool to get it off the ground.

Then he made a call to action for the changemakers listening and his calling to lead this effort:

Part of the goal for this podcast is to reach the people that have this dream to launch a microschool, or be part of a founding team to get one off the ground.

This is a call for the educators, care takers, parents, community members who see that we need change and are willing to commit to being part of the solution.

If you are committed and all in to create the change and ready to follow your dream, we want you to be part of this movement.

We are at the forefront of a massive transformation and paradigm shift. This is not for people that are looking to maintain the status quo or tweak around the edges. This is a call for radical change, and a call to reimagine the way we do school and create proof points all across the country and the world that this is possible.

I have been in education reform for over 25 years and am super excited about the opportunities for change. I want to gather the people that will do it in the best way for kids.

I have worked in all different types of schools: public charter, traditional public, and private schools and I have seen what happens when you create intimate learning environments where kids are at the center and parents are engaged in the process.

I have been called as a changemaker and am inspired to lead the charge to gather the other changemakers that are ready.

Changemaking is not easy. People like to keep things the way they are. But we can do it together. We can do it arm and arm and heart to heart one student, one microschool, and one community at a time.

I hope you will join us. Please follow Changemaker Education on Linked in and check out our website: changemakereducation.com

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

This is only the beginning! Let’s do this!

David shares his wisdom today about what happens when you feel inspired from the depths of your soul to create change and be the best version of yourself. He asks you to clarify the change you want to create, and see where fear is holding you back. David shares that when you are following your soul’s calling, it is typically those that are closest to you that project their fears onto you and unintentionally ask you to play small.

David recommends that you use these opportunities to learn and grow. Their fears are a reflection of the fears within you. Use this as fuel to drive yourself toward the change you want to see and to comfort the part of you that is worried and nervous.

David finalizes the episode by asking you to embrace the truth that you know within yourself and follow your heart.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

David has a great conversation with Elana Feinberg. They discuss the current trends in education, what Elana is seeing in schools that she thinks more people should be doing, and reforming the inside or outside of the system. You will hear great advice from Elana about problems with implementation and some of the unique ways that great schools across the country are creating innovative change for all types of different kinds of learners.

Elana has almost 25 years of experience in education, social enterprise, and technology. She has worked with district and charter schools, educational technology companies, and other social enterprise and educational organizations. Elana has designed and launched (or expanded) 10+ schools and coached 30+ teachers, school leaders, and entrepreneurs through her work for New Schools for New Orleans, Catalyst: Ed, Camelback Ventures, Leading Educators, Next Generation Learning Challenges (Mass IDEAS), Boston Schools Fund, Walton Family Foundation, and the Center for Women in Entrepreneurship. She works from an anti-racist and feminist lens, mostly supporting women and people of color who are working to innovate and disrupt. When project managing and leading launches or supporting leaders, she is involved in every aspect of the work, including design, operations, talent and hiring, governance, and programs. She has also designed and facilitated workshops on entrepreneurship and consulting for Catalyst:Ed, Camelback Ventures, and the Center for Women in Entrepreneurship, and created the Core Consulting Competencies program, detailing the information and strategies that new consultants and entrepreneurs need to know to be successful. Finally, Elana has built a nationwide network upon which she often calls upon for support, resources, input or connections.

You can learn more about Elana here:

@elanafeinberg Twitter/X

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elana-feinberg/

www.elanafeinberg.com

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

One Stone, co-founded by Teresa Poppen, revolutionizes education by empowering students to take charge of their learning journey. Initially focusing on experiential service, One Stone evolved into Lab 51, a student-driven school fostering real-world impact and self-discovery.

At One Stone, students drive the organization's direction, with student-majority boards ensuring their voices shape its activities. Service projects, like Project Good, instill leadership and empathy, while the Hatch Studio offers entrepreneurial opportunities, nurturing risk-taking and innovation.

Lab 51 operates on a competency-based model, emphasizing mindset growth and skill development aligned with students' passions. A college-like environment lets students craft schedules around their interests, engaging in design labs, community reads, and the Living in Beta program, fostering identity exploration.

One Stone's approach challenges parental involvement, urging them to embrace student-driven learning alongside their children. Extracurricular activities, integrated seamlessly, extend learning beyond traditional bounds, aligning with students' interests.

The organization shares its innovative practices through Idea 51 and professional development series, assisting other schools in adopting student-centric approaches. Challenges, like funding and resistance to change, are overcome by a steadfast commitment to core values, notably trust in students.

Understanding the "why" behind educational initiatives is paramount, with One Stone's website providing insights into its programs. Visitors are encouraged to witness firsthand the transformative power of student-driven education.

In summary, One Stone's dedication to empowering students and sharing its innovations epitomizes a new paradigm in education. By prioritizing student agency, fostering real-world impact, and staying true to core values, One Stone is redefining education and inspiring change in institutions worldwide.

You can learn more about One Stone below:

Website:

onestone.org

Facebook:

facebook.com/onestoneidaho

Instagram:

instagram.com/onestoneidaho

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/one-stone-idaho/

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technology
Save teachers’ time
Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
Improve student performance on state assessments
🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.