Guest: Michelle Trojan, Principal, Intrinsic Schools (Chicago, IL) Hosts: Vashaunta Harris & Jim Goenner Guest Host: Don Cooper Powered by the National Charter Schools Institute | Sponsored by The Founders Library

What does innovation in education really mean?

In Episode 3, the conversation challenges a common assumption: innovation isn’t always about inventing something entirely new — it’s often about trying, improving, and adapting what works.

Vashaunta Harris, Jim Goenner, and guest host Don Cooper explore key ideas from this week’s readings, including the tension between uniformity and pluralism and the role of innovation happening closest to students — in classrooms, not policy.

Then, they turn to practice.

Joined by Michelle Trojan of Intrinsic Schools in Chicago, the episode highlights a school where innovation is not a program — it’s a mindset. From its Montessori-inspired design to its team-teaching “pod” model and flexible use of time, Intrinsic continuously evolves to meet student needs.

Students take ownership of their learning through structures like C Day, where they choose academic support, enrichment, and leadership opportunities based on real-time data and personal goals. The school also expands what success looks like — connecting students to careers, trades, college pathways, and real-world experiences.

Michelle’s story brings it full circle: leading a school in the same neighborhood where her own family once struggled to find the right educational fit — now creating access and opportunity for the next generation.

As Don reflects, Intrinsic embodies a core truth: innovation happens closest to the problem — and closest to students.

• Theme: Innovation as Iteration — Trying, Improving, Adapting • Readings:

• Kolderie: Innovation is Schools and Teachers Trying New Things

• Berner: Uniformity vs. Pluralism

• Guest host: Don Cooper • Featured school: Intrinsic Schools (Chicago, IL)

Key Model Elements: • Team-teaching “pod” structure (gen ed + special ed collaboration) • Montessori-inspired design adapted for secondary students • Flexible learning spaces and real-time data use • Weekly “C Day” for student choice, support, and enrichment

Student Experience: • Ownership of learning through goal-setting and choice • Exposure to careers, trades, and postsecondary pathways • Networking nights, career shadowing, and partnerships • $1.5M annual scholarship support + alumni coaching

Big Ideas: • Innovation is continuous improvement, not one-time change • Pluralism allows schools to reflect different student needs and communities • Structure — not just choice — shapes what’s possible in education • Schools should prepare students to be confident, capable contributors to society

#BoldByChoice

Guest: Belicia Reaves, Executive Director, Two Rivers Public Charter School (Washington, D.C.) Hosts: Vashaunta Harris & Jim Goenner Guest Host: Don Cooper Powered by the National Charter Schools Institute | Sponsored by The Founders Library

In Episode 2, we move from theory to practice — exploring how the democratic purpose of education comes to life inside real schools.

Vashaunta Harris, Jim Goenner, and guest host Don Cooper are joined by Belicia Reaves of Two Rivers Public Charter School, a community-rooted school designed around inquiry, diversity, and shared responsibility.

From preschoolers designing and building a bench for their school garden to middle school students leading service projects across their city, this conversation highlights how students learn democracy by practicing it — through real problems, real decisions, and real relationships.

Belicia shares how Two Rivers was founded to meet a deeper civic need: developing not just academic skills, but compassionate, responsible citizens. Through project-based learning, student-led conferences, and a strong culture of “crew, not passengers,” the school intentionally builds both individual agency and collective responsibility.

Together, the hosts reflect on a central tension in public education: how to balance family choice with shared norms, and how schools can serve as true civic infrastructure — preparing students not just for careers, but for participation in community and democracy.

As Belicia reminds us, when schools are designed with purpose, students don’t just learn about the world — they learn how to shape it.

• Theme: The Democratic Purposes of Public Education • Reading: Rediscovering the Democratic Purposes of Education (Moe, Ch. 6) • Guest host: Don Cooper • Featured school: Two Rivers PCS (Washington, D.C.)

Host Framing Questions: • What is most misunderstood about democracy’s role in education today? • Are schools designed as democratic institutions—or delivery systems? • What did chartering originally make possible around voice, pluralism, and participation? • What tensions do schools avoid: choice vs. coherence, diversity vs. consistency? • What would change if we truly designed schools for democratic purpose?

In Practice at Two Rivers: • Inquiry-based, project-based learning • Diverse, community-rooted design • “Crew, not passengers” culture • Students solving real problems (garden bench project) • Middle school service learning grounded in civic engagement • Student-led conferences and standards-based grading

Big Ideas: • Democracy is learned through participation, not abstraction • Schools can serve as civic infrastructure • Balancing family choice with shared community values • Preparing students to be active participants in society

#BoldByChoice

Featuring: Brett Peterson, Director at High Tech High Mesa (San Diego, CA) Student Guest: Isabella Coralez, Junior at High Tech High Hosts: Vashaunta Harris & Jim Goenner Guest Host: Don Cooper Powered by the National Charter Schools Institute | Sponsored by The Founders Library

Season 4 of Bold by Choice begins with a new lens. Rather than focusing only on individual schools, this season explores the ideas behind the charter movement — the thinking that makes new and different kinds of public schools possible.

The charter idea was never meant to create a separate sector of education. It was intended to introduce pluralism, innovation, and new possibilities within public education, allowing educators and communities to design schools around how students actually learn.

In this opening episode, hosts Vashaunta Harris and Jim Goenner are joined by guest host Don Cooper to frame the season’s central question: What does the charter idea make possible today? Drawing on foundational readings including Reinventing America’s Schools and other core texts shaping the season, the hosts explore how chartering emerged as a movement to rethink the structure and purpose of public education.

To bring those ideas to life, the conversation turns to High Tech High in San Diego, one of the country’s most influential project-based public charter schools.

Director Brett Peterson reflects on the founding purpose of High Tech High — responding to concerns that students were graduating without the skills, confidence, and real-world experience needed for the modern world. High Tech High responded with bold design choices: integrated courses, project-based learning, exhibitions of student work, and strong relationships between teachers and students.

Junior Isabella Coralez shares the student perspective, describing how internships, projects, and integrated coursework connect learning to the real world and help students see themselves as creators, problem-solvers, and contributors.

Together, the hosts and guests explore the tradeoffs behind intentional school design — including High Tech High’s choice to prioritize project-based learning and authentic demonstrations of learning rather than traditional structures like AP course tracks.

The episode closes with a reflective conversation about what High Tech High reveals about the charter idea itself: that the true promise of chartering lies in creating space for educators to design schools differently while remaining accountable to students, families, and communities.

Season 4 invites listeners to think deeply about the future of public education — not by searching for a single model to replicate, but by exploring the ideas that make meaningful innovation possible.

• Season Theme: The Charter Idea Today — What’s Possible • Chartering as a movement for educational pluralism, not simply a sector of schools • Core reading: Reinventing America’s Schools by David Osborne • Guest host: Don Cooper • Featured school: High Tech High — San Diego, California • Key design elements:

• Project-based learning

• Integrated coursework

• Small schools and teaching teams

• No academic tracking

• Student exhibitions and real-world projects • Student voice: learning connected to community, internships, and authentic problem-solving • Tradeoffs in school design and why intentional choices matter • Season 4 explores pluralism, innovation, student agency, and the evolving charter idea

#BoldByChoice

Guest: Christie Huck, CEO, City Garden Montessori School (St. Louis, MO) Hosts: Vashaunta Harris & Jim Goenner Powered by the National Charter Schools Institute

In this episode of Bold by Choice, we travel to St. Louis to spotlight City Garden Montessori School — a public charter school built on the belief that Montessori education should be accessible to every child.

CEO Christie Huck shares the story of how City Garden began — not as an education reform initiative, but as a group of parents asking a powerful question: What kind of school do our children and our city truly deserve? What began with living-room conversations and a tiny preschool eventually grew into a public charter school serving more than 600 students across early childhood, elementary, and adolescent programs.

Grounded in the Montessori philosophy, City Garden creates prepared environments where students build independence, responsibility, and a deep love of learning. In classrooms filled with hands-on materials, collaboration, and student ownership, children learn not just academics — but how to care for their community and for one another.

City Garden reminds us that when schools trust children’s curiosity and design learning environments around their humanity, extraordinary things can happen.

Stay Bold by Choice.

• Season 3 Partner: Diverse Charter Schools Coalition • City Garden Montessori School — St. Louis, Missouri • Montessori philosophy: autonomy, independence, and individualized learning • Prepared environments designed for beauty, order, and student ownership • Public charter model expanding Montessori access to diverse families • Grew from 53 students in 2008 to more than 600 students today • Teachers undergo rigorous Montessori certification and training • Students stay in multi-year classroom communities, strengthening relationships • Student lesson of the year: children show profound compassion and care for one another in times of hardship

#SchoolBrag

Guest: Rachelle Martinez, Operational Leader, Odyssey Charter Schools (Altadena, CA) Host: Vashaunta Harris Powered by the National Charter Schools Institute

In this episode of Bold by Choice, we head to Altadena, California, to spotlight Odyssey Charter Schools — a community built around active learning, strong relationships, and a workshop model designed for how students actually learn.

This season, in partnership with the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition, we’re highlighting intentionally designed public schools across the country. Odyssey lives deeply into that promise — centering student voice, social-emotional well-being, and academic rigor in equal measure.

Operational leader Rachelle Martinez shares how behind-the-scenes leadership shapes students’ daily experience — from navigating renewal years ago to leading through COVID and the devastating Eaton fire. Through it all, Odyssey remained focused on what mattered most: creating safe, responsive spaces where students feel known and supported.

We explore the school’s workshop model, restorative practices like the Peace Path, and beloved traditions like Stone Soup Day — all grounded in community, collaboration, and resilience.

Odyssey reminds us that great schools aren’t accidental. They are built — and rebuilt — on purpose.

Stay Bold by Choice.

• Season 3 Partner: Diverse Charter Schools Coalition • Odyssey was founded in 1999 to challenge one-size-fits-all instruction • Workshop model: mini-lessons + collaborative learning + “organized chaos” • Responsive Classroom & restorative practices embedded from TK • Peace Path conflict resolution system across campus • Stone Soup Day community tradition rooted in collective responsibility • Led through COVID and the Eaton fire with a focus on safety and belonging • Operational leadership as a driver of student experience • Student lesson of the year: resilience, flexibility, and hope

#SchoolBrag

Guest: Tresha Ward, CEO, Prospect Schools (Brooklyn, NY) Hosts: Vashaunta Harris & Jim Goenner Powered by the National Charter Schools Institute

In this episode of the Bold by Choice Podcast, we travel to Brooklyn to spotlight Prospect Schools — one of New York City’s first intentionally integrated charter school networks, grounded in the International Baccalaureate framework and designed around inquiry, identity, and belonging.

This season, in partnership with the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition, we’re highlighting schools that are intentionally diverse by design — and Prospect lives that commitment every day.

CEO Tresha Ward shares how her journey as the daughter of West Indian immigrants and a first-generation college student shaped her leadership and her commitment to ensuring students are not just college-ready, but life-ready. From shadowing students each year to building systems where every child is known by at least one adult, Tresha unpacks how intentional diversity and inquiry-driven learning prepare students to thrive in complex, global spaces.

Prospect reminds us that excellence and belonging aren’t opposites — they’re partners.

Stay Bold by Choice.

• Season 3 Partner: Diverse Charter Schools Coalition • Prospect Schools is one of NYC’s first intentionally integrated charter networks • Grounded in the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework • Students engage in interdisciplinary, inquiry-based learning • CEO shadows students annually to lead through a student lens • Strong adult culture with 80%+ staff retention • Expanding focus on life-ready skills: digital literacy, financial literacy, college persistence & career preparation • Alumni partnerships supporting students beyond high school graduation

#SchoolBrag

Guest: Gayle Nadler, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Multicultural Learning Center (Los Angeles, CA) Host: Vashaunta Harris Powered by: National Charter Schools Institute

What happens when language, culture, and belonging are treated as strengths — not barriers?

In this powerful episode of Bold by Choice, host Vashaunta Harris travels to Los Angeles to sit down with Gayle Nadler, co-founder and executive director of Multicultural Learning Center (MLC), a TK–8 public charter school that has been living out the promise of bilingual, inclusive education for more than 20 years.

Gayle shares the deeply personal story that shaped MLC’s design — from her fourth-grade experience being bused across Los Angeles into a bilingual classroom where she longed to belong, to the living-room conversations with her mother that led them to open a dual-language charter school during California’s ban on bilingual education (Proposition 227). Just days after opening, the school faced the national trauma of 9/11 — a moment that cemented MLC’s mission to prepare students to navigate a complex, interconnected world with empathy, confidence, and voice.

Listeners will hear how MLC’s two-way bilingual immersion model treats every student as a language learner, why cultural identity is central to academic success, and how classrooms are intentionally designed for joy, movement, collaboration, and inclusion. Gayle also reflects on alumni stories that reveal the long-term impact of the school — graduates who advocate across cultures, challenge injustice, and carry confidence into college, careers, and community life.

The conversation closes with reflections on leadership, balance, listening to students, and what it truly means to be bold in education.

Episode Highlights:

• A fourth-grade experience that inspired a lifelong commitment to belonging

• Founding a bilingual charter school during California’s ban on bilingual education

• Designing classrooms where language, culture, and identity are assets

• Alumni stories that reveal the long-term impact of dual-language learning

• A scholarship fund rooted in legacy, community, and giving back

• Leadership lessons on balance, accountability, and leading with heart

If you believe schools should reflect the world students live in — and help them thrive within it — this episode is for you.

Share this episode with someone who believes in bilingual education, inclusive design, and public schools built on love and purpose. And don’t forget to share your own #SchoolBrag story with us.

Until next time — stay Bold by Choice.

Guests: Mike Chalupa & LaShawn Bowser Hosts: Vashaunta Harris & Jim Goenner

What does it look like when a public school is designed around a single, powerful question: What would it take for every student to be known, loved, and inspired academically?

In this episode of Bold by Choice, hosts Vashaunta Harris and Jim Goenner head to Baltimore to spotlight City Neighbors—a family of public charter schools that has spent nearly two decades proving what’s possible when creativity, authentic relationships, and student agency sit at the center of learning.

City Neighbors began not in a boardroom, but in a living room—where 17 families gathered around a quilt-covered table, dreaming up the best school they could imagine for their children. From that vision grew one of Maryland’s earliest charter schools, now expanded into three campuses serving nearly 900 students across two K–8 schools and a high school. The through-line has never changed: small communities, deep relationships, and learning that matters.

Mike Chalupa, Executive Director and founding leader, shares how his own middle-school experience—watching the clock tick toward dismissal—shaped his commitment to building schools where students don’t want learning to end. LaShawn Bowser, school leader at City Neighbors Hamilton, reflects on her journey from youth counseling to education and the moment she realized that how students experience their school day shapes everything else in their lives.

Together, they unpack what makes City Neighbors distinct:

• Public project-based learning grounded in real questions and real work

• Reggio Emilia–inspired design, treating students as capable, creative, and worthy of deep respect

• Arts integration as a core academic strategy

• Intentional physical spaces that signal calm, dignity, and collaboration

• Teacher autonomy and professionalism, where educators design learning with students, not just for them

Listeners hear powerful stories—from a student who learned she no longer had to change herself to fit school, to graduates who name the adults who loved them when it wasn’t easy, to projects that helped students see themselves as problem-solvers and creators in the world.

The conversation also pulls back the curtain on leadership: the hard days, the failures that become learning moments, and the long-game mindset required to do human-centered work well. As Mike and LaShawn remind us, this is journey work—and transformation doesn’t happen on a timetable.

This episode is a reminder that:

• Joy, beauty, and belonging are academic strategies

• Failure is an event, not an identity

• Great schools are built by communities brave enough to ask different questions

If you believe public schools can be places where students are fully themselves—brilliant, curious, messy, creative, and whole—this is a #SchoolBrag you won’t want to miss.

Listen in and be inspired by City Neighbors—where students are truly known, deeply loved, and academically inspired.