177. Creating More Meaning for Students with Michael Strong

<p dir="ltr">We know that students’ basic needs need to be met in order for them to learn and grow. Safety is at the core of this, especially as they discuss ideas in the classroom. And with this safety comes community, connection, meaning, and purpose, some of the most important elements of a school setting, according to this week’s podcast guest.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Michael Strong is founder of The Socratic Experience, a virtual school for students in third through twelfth grades, and he’s designed schools for students from Alaska to Chicago and beyond. In our conversation, Michael and I talk about why student choice is so important, why psychological safety matters more than test scores, and when parents should search for other options for their children.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Michael reinforces the message that I’ve been sharing since the start of this podcast: there’s no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to education. And it just takes one teacher, parent, or school administrator to start the conversation to create change.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Tune in today!</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h2 dir="ltr">About Michael Strong:</h2> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">Michael Strong is founder of The Socratic Experience, a virtual school for grades 3-12. He is one of the most experienced designers of innovative school programs in the United States. His projects include a public school program in which minority female students gained four years’ worth of critical thinking gains in four months (on the Watson-Glaser). He later went into Montessori secondary school program design at The Judson Montessori School (San Antonio), The Emerson School, and Hacienda School. He created The Winston Academy, where middle school students passed AP exams, making it the most academically advanced school in the country at the time.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Another of Michael’s projects, Moreno Valley High School, a Paideia charter high school, was ran