I have enjoyed hearing from many microschool founders, their ups and downs, wins and loses, and connecting with several of them through this podcast! Thank you, Kerry, for your work and your encouragement for all non-traditional schools and leaders!

Kerry brings fresh curiosity to each founder’s story and helps elicit those nuggets that make each story unique. I have been inspired by every episode and have gleaned both practical tips and deeper insights into how to approach the tremendous endeavor of educating young people in the 21st century.

Kerry McDonald’s passion for educational choice is absolutely amazing! Her podcast consistently inspires with fresh perspectives from a diverse range of edupreneurs, showcasing the transformative power of innovative education. Each episode highlights how microschools can look vastly different across the country, yet all share the common goal of providing students with exceptional learning experiences. Kerry’s ability to spotlight these unique stories and approaches is both encouraging and empowering for those of us in the educational space. Her insights remind us that there’s no one-size-fits-all in education, and her advocacy continues to pave the way for families and educators to embrace choice, creativity, and possibility. A must-listen for anyone passionate about reimagining education!

Kerry McDonald is a true champion for change and empowerment in education. Her podcasts inform and inspire listeners to reimagine education — its delivery; its impact and its future. Whether you are a parent, student, educator, administrator, policymaker, entrepreneur — however you are intersecting with the educational arena, the LiberatED Podcast is for you!! Join Kerry as she meets with guests who are changing lives and changing outcomes for students and families everywhere!

This podcast has encouraged me to think about what is best for my child’s education and to not let anything stop me from providing it. There are so many inspiring stories of people who have decided to create their own schools, and I have really enjoyed hearing the origin stories and how the founders overcame the various obstacles to make it a reality.

As a former NYC public school teacher that left the system, I discovered this podcast and was overjoyed to hear the stories of so many others who are passionate about creating better learning environments for children. I’ve learned so much through this podcast and, as an educational entrepreneur, it has been incredibly helpful and meaningful. The Liberated Podcast has given me faith and inspiration when I needed it most. When I listen to an episode of the Liberated Podcast, I always end up feeling inspired and freshly motivated to continue fulfilling my purpose. I highly recommend this podcast!

I’ve been listening to Kerry for about a year now since deciding to walk (run) away from the public school system in June. Kerry is a pillar in educational reform, and I am inspired more and more every listen. If you’re thinking of leaving, or have already left and need more motivation or to network, this podcast is for you! There are so many that have paved this path for us to give kids the education they deserve.

I love that Kerry is profiling all these different models and initiatives to alternative education. There is no one-size-fits-all approach that will work for everyone. And by exploring different pockets of edu-innovation, we start to see what’s working for families.

I didn’t listen to this podcast at first because I expected just another unschool podcast interviewing moms who pretty much have the same advice. Discussions are wide-ranging including unschooling, indoctrination in government schools, ideas for in small groups, etc… I look forward to all of Kerry’s articles and podcasts.

Kerry, I love your podcast but am disconcerted about the way this Vanderbilt study has been interpreted to be “harmful” to students who attended the pre-school program by both Dr. Gray and Colleen Hroncich. I read Dr. Gray’s article in PT as well as heard him on your podcast with much the same messaging. This is disconcerting because no one is getting specific about what’s happened to these kids between K-5, and it’s preposterous to speculate that their development of learning disabilities is linked to having participated in a pre-school program. You and Colleen Hroncich did not give one specific example of “harm.” Were they all diagnosed by the same professional? Did they all go to the same K-5 school with the same disciplinary policies? And, what about the home environment of each participant? A home where parents can homeschool for pre-school or kindergarten is likely much more stable and likely better educated than one that must rely on a government run pre-school. E.D. Hirsh likes to point out in many of his great books, that the whole point is what happens between K-5, as language and knowledge development are latent: they get set in pre-school and then nurtured throughout K-5 and then some more in 6-8 and bloom in high school. But if one only gets good content in pre-school and then not after, they will likely lose it by 2nd or 3rd grade, a point of great shame to our standard public elementary schools. The problem is lack of content knowledge, not having gone to pre-school. I agree with freeing education from the state, or at bare minimum to allow for a more robust School Choice ecosystem, but this study is being used, seemingly, dishonestly. I’d love to hear you address this.

This is one of the few podcasts I’ve listened to that equips and encourages parents who want to provide an education for their kids that doesn’t conform to the “norms”. We do know what’s best for our kids, and Kerry McDonald agrees.

Love to see the options for parents who want to support a different way for their kids

Knowing Kerry’s content over the years of reading her articles and publications, I am thrilled to see this Podcast! As expected, she and her guest (Jill Perez) offered encouragement to critically consider, brainstorm creative solutions to the education problems we are facing, and dig in to community with an open heart! “CONNECTION is the way out” - I couldn’t agree more. So grateful

As I listened to Jill and Kerry discuss these important topics concerning educating our children in healthy and child-centered ways despite bureaucratic one size fits all restrictions and mandates, I found myself gaining hope for this country’s future once again. There ARE options for those who disagree with the direction of conventional “schooling” and as parents/ teachers/advocates we can be a part of the solutions to providing those options. That’s good news!

The first episode was very informative. Can’t wait for more episodes!