Feb 13, 2026

Ohio has long been at the forefront of the school choice movement—and today tens of thousands of students participate in one of the state’s five scholarship programs.

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald talks with Rabbi Eric "Yitz" Frank, President of School Choice Ohio, and Ann Riddle, Director of Provider...

Feb 10, 2026

What does it look like to build a school around student voice, joyful learning, and real affordability?

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Elizabeth Dean, Head of Learning at The Village School, a learner-centered school in Arlington, Virginia serving about 70 students. Elizabeth shares her journey...

Feb 3, 2026

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald speaks with Kalecia Simmons, founder of The Black Homeschools, about how one parent’s search for support grew into a thriving homeschooling community serving more than 1,100 Black families across the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area—and beyond.

Kalecia shares her...

Jan 30, 2026

In this episode of LiberatED, Kerry McDonald is joined by Heike Larson, Vice President of Programs at the Roots of Progress Institute, and Dr. Laura Mazer, a surgeon and curriculum lead for the Institute’s new summer program, Progress in Medicine 2026. Together, they explore a bold new model for summer teen learning...

Jan 27, 2026

On this episode of LiberatED, host Kerry McDonald sits down with Emily Barnitz, founder of Zoe Learning House, a fast-growing hybrid homeschool program in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Emily shares her journey from being homeschooled herself to becoming a public school teacher—and ultimately launching Zoe Learning House in...