For many, it’s hard to imagine public education looking any different from how it’s looked for over a century since its inception. As a society, we’ve often adopted the mantra of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Most arguments then center around whether the system is actually broken enough or not to warrant reform. But students, parents, and educators across the US are looking for ways to expand our imagination and redefine what schooling and education will look like in the future.
Recently, Kerry McDonald interviewed Joanna Cervantez on the LiberatED podcast about her experiences in the public education system and her journey from public school teacher to microschool founder.
Ever since second grade, Joanna knew she wanted to be a teacher. Her passion led her to move to inner-city Los Angeles, where she began her career as a middle-school math teacher. Joanna had obtained both her bachelor’s and master’s in education, and her passion for teaching shone through. Her students consistently performed well, and she was able to connect with them deeply in the classroom. Her impact didn’t go unnoticed.
After a few days of observing her on the job, her principal recommended a special program and told her that she had the potential to be a leader and principal in a school someday. Initially, Joanna didn’t pay much mind to the advice; she only wanted to teach kids.
After three years of teaching in Los Angeles, she moved to El Salvador to teach at an orphanage, getting a closer look at educational systems outside the US. By the second semester, they too asked her to be a leader in the school, inviting her to accept a role as an assistant principal. At this point, Joanna realized that she had a gift for educational leadership and decided to pursue further training.
Joanna continued her seamless move up the leadership ladder, becoming a coach, coordinator, and more. But she began to notice she felt “like a pawn in a game” in her profession, and that the work was becoming less fulfilling because of administrative and bureaucratic overreach and mismanagement.
As she explained: “The way that our district is set up is not to focus on children.” So many teachers have the right heart and are working so hard against a system that “is pushing kids through, focusing on test scores…and there’s so much mismanagement.” When the system no longer worked for good teachers dealing with burnout, they got pushed aside.
It was at this point that Joanna realized that she wanted to create something different, and eventually, after connecting with EdChoice, a school-choice advocacy group, and KaiPod Catalyst, a microschool accelerator program, she launched her microschool in 2024.
Joanna noticed two major issues with the public education system. Instead of reinvesting in educators and changing systems to benefit them, administrators ignored the issues. And parents were kept at “an arm’s distance.” She decided her microschool would address these challenges and create a safe space where educators, learners, and parents could collaborate. Now, she gets to do everything she loves without the strings attached. “So many parents don’t feel listened to in the school system, especially if their child has any type of need that is not being addressed in a traditional way,” said Joanna. “I just wonder if parents felt listened to, and they really felt like the system that was designed had their kid in mind, if they would feel very differently about their school.”
Joanna didn’t give up on her passions—she applied them differently to create what didn’t exist. Joanna’s experience reflects the experiences of countless educators and parents on a mission to reform education either by innovating existing systems or leaving the traditional education system to create something new.
What can we learn from stories like Joanna’s? Maybe it’s that listening to people is a powerful tool to create long-lasting change, and that collaboration between teachers, parents, and learners is the key to reforming education. The more perspectives, ideas, and models that exist, the closer we get to achieving educational pluralism.
Joanna’s journey has definitely been impressive, to say the least, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. If you’re interested in starting your own school, definitely go for it! Our Start A School resources here at the Lab can help. You never know what you’ll create.
