Today's guest is David O'Connor, a college lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania for many years and a longtime theatre director and designer. David is a cofounder of <a href= "https://www.phillyalc.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philly ALC</a>, a self-directed school in Philadelphia that also has part-time programs for homeschoolers.  *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at <a href="http://www.fee.org/liberated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fee.org/liberated</a>.

Today's guest is David O'Connor, a college lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania for many years and a longtime theatre director and designer. David is a cofounder of Philly ALC, a self-directed school in Philadelphia that also has part-time programs for homeschoolers. *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.

Today's guest is David O'Connor, a college lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania for many years and a longtime theatre director and designer. David is a cofounder of <a href="https://www.phillyalc.org" rel="noopener noreferrer">Philly ALC</a>, a self-directed school in Philadelphia that also has part-time programs for homeschoolers.&nbsp; *** Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter on education trends at <a href="http://www.fee.org/liberated" rel="noopener noreferrer">fee.org/liberated</a>. &nbsp;

Why a college professor helped to launch a self-directed school in Philadelphia

The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. 

This twice-weekly podcast is hosted by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and leader of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab. A regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74, Kerry is the bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), and the author of the forthcoming book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (Hachette, 2025). She has a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter at fee.org/liberated.

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Education for Kids

The LiberatED Podcast tells the stories of the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating innovative K-12 learning options across the US and expanding education options for families. This twice-weekly podcast is hosted by Kerry McDonald, a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education and leader of the Education Entrepreneurship Lab. A regular contributor at Forbes.com and The 74, Kerry is the bestselling author of Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom (Chicago Review Press, 2019), and the author of the forthcoming book, Joyful Learning: How To Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling (Hachette, 2025). She has a BA in economics from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard University. A mom of four, Kerry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly email newsletter at fee.org/liberated.

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Why a college professor helped to launch a self-directed school in Philadelphia

Why a college professor helped to launch a self-directed school in Philadelphia