Micro-Schools Lead the Way for Community & Support
May 14, 2020
Frank Rosner & Max Pierce

Too many youth today get lost in the traditional public school system. It’s not the teachers’ fault; they have more students to keep track of than ever. And it’s not the fault of the students who are just being their normal teenage selves. It’s because we don’t have enough micro-schools lead the way in education today.

I firmly believe that we need to teach children how to develop and nurture relationships with their teachers, a skill that will serve them well in college and beyond. Because this doesn’t typically happen in public education, we must turn to different models to get it done.

Today’s guests on the Education Evolution podcast are students at LEADPrep Academy, a flagship micro-school in the Seattle area. In fact, this is the school I founded and lead. Too often we forget to let today’s students have a voice in society, and today we give Frankie and Max, a sophomore and junior respectively, that voice.

Tune in as we hear about the best part of attending a micro-school, how teacher relationships make a difference (even in distance learning), and why traditional online school doesn’t always work. The boys also share some insight into how their own friendship circles are doing with the changes caused by COVID-19.

About Frank Rosner

Frank is a 10th grader at Leadership Preparatory Academy and also works with toddlers with special needs at the Kindering Center. He has a unique perspective on these youngsters as a special needs student himself. He is diagnosed with a variety of learning challenges, including autism. Frank is a homebody who loves to cook, clean, garden, and knit! He also has three pet tarantulas.

About Max Pierce

Max is a junior at LEADPrep and also takes classes at the local college. He particularly loves his college communication class. Max has always had a hard time focusing in school and started taking medication for his ADHD in fourth grade. When middle school got rocky, his parents suspected he wasn’t getting the attention he needed and started to search for alternatives that eventually led him to LEADPrep. He immediately felt like he was among friends and people he could trust. Max works at his local coffee shop and loves traveling, snowboarding, being with his friends, and…sleeping!

Jump Through the Conversation

[1:04] Who are Frankie and Max?
[1:48] What works best at a micro-school for Max and Frankie
[4:43] How the impact of relationships have impacted Frankie’s ability to learn
[6:10] What Max thinks about online school through LEADPrep (and college courses)
[9:34] How Max and Frankie (and their friends) are handling social distancing
[12:45] Frankie’s Magic Wand: Early years, small groups, neurodiversity celebrated, active learning
[15:35] Max’s Magic Wand: Empathy and learner-centered middle schools

Links and Resources:

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or search for us on your favorite podcast app. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Latest Episodes

Life with Passion and Purpose

The guiding principle of Education Evolution has been to light passion among educational leaders and to spark them into action. Over the last few years, I believe we’ve done just that. And while the work isn’t over yet, the time has come to put a pause on the podcast....

Unlocking the World of Literacy with Marnie Ginsburg

Reading is simple, right? Not for everyone, and it’s especially challenging for those who don’t have access to all the tools and resources they need to be successful. This week we hear from Marnie Ginsburg, founder of Reading Simplified, who has dedicated her career...

Leading Like a Teacher with Miriam Plotinsky

The further away administrators get from their roots as teachers, the more they forget what it’s like to be in the trenches. The result is often either a real or perceived lack of empathy for teachers. Both teachers and administrators have vital roles in the school,...

Latest Blog Posts

Why Isn’t Educational Change Happening?

School change is so much harder than I thought! When I did my doctoral research on school innovation and created a hands-on learning school-within-a-school in the 90s, I had no idea that I’d spend the next few decades making tiny changes. Changes that often...

Instilling a Practice of Gratitude in Uncertain Times

Thanksgiving looks different this year. Traditions are being shattered in 2020 and new realities are emerging. Thanksgiving is no exception. After Canada’s Thanksgiving in October, COVID statistics jumped, reminding us that, sadly, the pandemic isn’t taking a break...

Building Interdisciplinary Learning into Traditional Classrooms

A traditional classroom setting is just that...traditional. Teachers must teach specific subjects for a required amount of time, often using prescribed curriculum materials that may be a decade old. There’s little consideration for the individual learner--their...

Categories

Coming Soon!

Subscribe

Listen to Education Evolution on Apple Podcasts
Listen to Education Evolution on Spotify
Listen to Education Evolution on Stitcher
Listen on Google Play Music

Related Posts

Unlocking the World of Literacy with Marnie Ginsburg

Unlocking the World of Literacy with Marnie Ginsburg

This episode explores the multifaceted world of literacy and emphasizes the importance of equipping our children with the tools they need to unlock the joy of reading, even before they step into a classroom.

Leading Like a Teacher with Miriam Plotinsky

Leading Like a Teacher with Miriam Plotinsky

This week on the podcast, we’re welcoming back author and educator Miriam Plotinsky. She’s sharing about her latest book, Lead Like a Teacher, and talking about what school leaders can do to build more trust and a more collaborative school environment.

Sign Up for Podcast Announcements
and Get our Free Guide:
Five Interdependent Hacks to Lead the Creation of a Learner-Centered Culture!

By providing your email address you are agreeing to receive email communications from Education Evolution.
You can unsubscribe at any time.