Podcasts · Kids & Family

Future of Education Podcast

MacKenzie Price

300 episodes

The Future of Education Podcast is the place to find out what's happening in schools. Our guests are wide and varied, from educators, entrepreneurs, athletes, celebrities, influencers and most importantly-our students! They all have one thing in common- they are passionate about reinventing education to make it relevant and efficient.

More about the show

Our host, MacKenzie Price, is the Co-Founder of 2hr Learning (2hourlearning.com) and some of the top-performing schools in the country. 2 Hour Learning is a groundbreaking school model that is reshaping the landscape of K-12 education. It's powered by AI technology, enabling schools to provide personalized curriculum to students. Our K-12 schools perform in the top 2% nationwide by leveraging this personalize model to help students love school, learn twice as much, and build life skills. MacKenzie is at the forefront of educational transformation, striving for a balanced and enriching learning experience for every child. She graduated with a BA in Psychology from Stanford University and resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two daughters.

The Future of Education podcast is produced by 7 Lyons Media (7LyonsMedia.com). Please send press inquiries to mkp@2hourlearning.com.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. S2E363: How to Be a Mentor to Your Kid (Not Just a Parent)

    · 38 min · S2 E363

    Many parents worry about whether their kids are developing the character, resilience, and adaptability needed for a fast-changing world. In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with Chauncey—a former Teach for America…

  2. S2E362: Is Your Kid's School Teaching Reading Wrong? 5 Non-Negotiables from a Curriculum Expert

    · 44 min · S2 E362

    National reading scores are plummeting, yet many schools are still using reading programs that completely ignore basic learning science. In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with curriculum expert and learning…

  3. S2E361: The Harvard Business Approach to Raising Critical Thinkers

    · 44 min · S2 E361

    Many kids today are struggling to think independently, handle high-pressure moments, and make strategic choices on their own. Terrence McMullen—a Harvard MBA graduate and Dean of Parents at Alpha—is on a mission to fix…

  4. S2E360: A Stanford ER Doctor’s Blueprint for Raising Healthy Kids— With Dr. Viveta Lobo

    · 57 min · S2 E360

    What does it actually take to keep kids healthy, active, and out of the emergency room? In this episode, MacKenzie sits down with Dr. Viveta Lobo—a Stanford ER physician, professor, Alpha parent, and mother of three—to…

  5. S2E359: The Reality of Building an Alternative School—With Infinity Academy Founders Gillian and Jenna

    · 49 min · S2 E359

    What actually happens when you leave traditional careers to build an alternative school from scratch? In this episode, MacKenzie sits down with fellow alternative school founders Gillian Berard (former public school…

  6. S2E358: The Ambitious Parent Trap (& The Leadership Skill You Need to Escape It) with Heather Chauvin

    · 44 min · S2 E358

    Leadership skills in the workplace don't always translate to leadership skills in the home. Often times, the well-intentioned efforts of ambitious parents can lead to surprising consequences for their kids. As it turns…

  7. S2E357: The 15-Minute Weekly Habit That Turns Kids into Self-Starters

    · 46 min · S2 E357

    What if one focused conversation each week could help your child identify roadblocks, set meaningful goals, and take ownership of what happens next? In this episode, MacKenzie speaks with Jackson—an Alpha Guide with a…

  8. S2E356: "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire": A Skeptical Educator Tested Our Learning Model in India

    · 46 min · S2 E356

    When Dr. Tasha Arnold came across Alpha's MAP test scores, she was in disbelief. As a lifelong lover of traditional schooling with two decades of experience teaching everywhere from Chicago public schools to top…

  9. S2E355: Steal the Stock Market Simulation We Use to Build Young Investors

    · 37 min · S2 E355

    In this episode, MacKenzie sits down with Alpha guide Chris Hays to break down the stock market simulation he uses to make investing, risk, and reward click for students. Using classroom currency, multiple investment…

  10. S2E354: Are You Passing Limiting Beliefs to Your Kid? (6 Simple Fixes)

    · 51 min · S2 E354

    How do you help a child who says "I'm bad at math," "I can't read," or "That's just not my thing"? In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with Alexis Wilson, growth mindset and performance coach, to discuss how parents…

  11. S2E353: A Former Principal Reveals the Biggest School Red and Green Flags

    · 34 min · S2 E353

    How can you tell if your child’s school is thriving or failing? In this episode, former Florida Principal of the Year Christie Ray joins Mackenzie to break down the critical red, yellow, and green flags parents often…

  12. S2E352: 40+ Cities, 9 Models: All of Our Schools Explained

    · 52 min · S2 E352

    When most people hear "Alpha," they think of our flagship campuses—but that’s only a small fraction of what we’ve built. Across 40+ cities, Alpha has expanded into a diverse ecosystem of specialized academies and…

  13. S2E351: Memory Palaces, Spaced Repetition, and Forced Recall: Memorization Tricks from an 11-Year-Old History Expert

    · 30 min · S2 E351

    How does an 11-year-old memorize every U.S. president in order, read at an 11th-grade level, and compete in national academic bees? In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with Everest, a fifth-grade student who has…

  14. S2E350: Philosophy is the New Computer Science (Why the AI Era Needs Deep Thinkers)

    · 25 min · S2 E350

    For the last decade, computer science was considered the undisputed king of college majors. But in the age of AI, that script is rapidly being flipped. Now that AI can write code in seconds, the ability to think deeply…

  15. S2E349: The Harvard-Backed Strategy to Motivate Your Kids (Alpha's Secret to Success)

    · 16 min · S2 E349

    In this episode, Mackenzie breaks down a groundbreaking Harvard study on student outcomes—which she helped get off the ground—and reveals how Alpha turned those findings into a high-yield motivation model. Plus, she…

  16. S2E348: Goodbye 3 R's, Hello 4 C's: The Skills Replacing Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

    · 15 min · S2 E348

    For generations, traditional education has anchored itself in the "3 R’s": Reading, writing, and arithmetic. But in a world dominated by artificial intelligence, these foundational skills are no longer the ceiling—they…

  17. S2E347: How We Hire Top Talent to Lead Our Classrooms (Most Aren't Teachers!) – with Dr. Stef Baduria

    · 41 min · S2 E347

    Out of 40,000 applicants last year, only a fraction made the cut—and 80% of them have never taught in a traditional school before. We have former doctors, lawyers, professional athletes, consultants, veterans,…

  18. S2E346: She Was Our Guinea Pig. Did It Work?

    · 25 min · S2 E346

    Ten years ago, Elle became one of the very first students at Alpha—essentially acting as a long-term guinea pig for a brand-new school model. Today, she is graduating as valedictorian, heading to Stanford University,…

  19. S2E345: "I'm Not Smart": How Identity Labels Trap Our Kids

    · 30 min · S2 E345

    What happens when a child decides by the first grade that they simply aren’t the "smart" one? When Elle brought home a family portrait labeling her sister as smart and herself as dumb, her teachers and parents feared…

  20. S2E344: Does AI Belong in a Montessori Classroom?

    · 32 min · S2 E344

    Many Montessori apologists decry the use of AI in the classroom, claiming this type of technology is harmful to the learning experience. But our latest experiment actually proves the opposite. We just opened…

  21. S2E343: The "Pay to Read" Method (+ 4 Other Unconventional Ways to Raise Bookworms)

    · 10 min · S2 E343

    In an era of instant dopamine hits like TikTok, YouTube, and ChatGPT summaries, getting a kid to crack open a book feels like a losing battle. But it doesn't have to be! In this episode, MacKenzie breaks down the…

  22. S2E342: Why Traditional Discipline Makes Kids Worse: The Behavioral Science You Need To Know

    · 27 min · S2 E342

    Traditional discipline punishes disruptive students by isolating them. But bad behavior is actually just a data point. In this episode, I sit down with Matt Shenker—a licensed therapist, the Lead Guide at Alpha…

  23. S2E341: When Your Middle Schoolers Pitch You a Podcast Episode, You Say Yes

    · 21 min · S2 E341

    The story of how today’s episode came to be perfectly illustrates student agency in action: An email from one of our GT School students, Everest, popped up in my inbox asking to come on the show. She wanted to teach…

  24. S2E340: We Hired Our Student (From Video Game Obsession to Tech Founder)

    · 30 min · S2 E340

    Most schools expel students for hacking their network. We gave this one a job. In this episode, I sit down with Austin, an Alpha High junior who did the unthinkable: he successfully hacked into our academic platform,…

  25. S2E339: The Pygmalion Effect: 8 Rules for Raising Limitless Kids

    · 16 min · S2 E339

    Most parents love their kids, but far fewer truly believe in them. In this episode, Mackenzie breaks down the Pygmalion Effect, a powerful psychological phenomenon proving that children will quite literally grow or…

  26. S2E338: Debt-Free Paths to Six-Figure Careers with Hannah Maruyama (Part 2)

    · 30 min · S2 E338

    What are we actually paying for when we write a check for higher education? Is it the elite network? The critical thinking skills? The chance for our kids to meet a future spouse? In Part 2 of this eye-opening…

  27. S2E337: The $100K Mistake: The Case Against College (with Hannah Maruyama)

    · 30 min · S2 E337

    Higher education is an $848 billion industry, and families are falling into the default trap of buying degrees that don't match the modern job market. In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with Hannah Maruyama, the…

  28. S2E336: 4 Summer Strategies for Real-World Growth (90s Inspired)

    · 18 min · S2 E336

    Summer is right around the corner, and as parents, we always find ourselves in the same debate: How do we keep our kids growing without making their break feel like summer school? In this episode, Mackenzie breaks down…

  29. S2E335: Alpha Anywhere: Elite At-Home Academics, Worldwide

    · 47 min · S2 E335

    How do you get the elite academics of Alpha if you don't live near an Alpha School? Enter: Alpha Anywhere! In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with Joe Marone, CEO of Alpha Anywhere, to discuss the official global…

  30. S2E334: Can Screens Be Avoided? Why Total Tech Bans Fail Kids (Plus, a Montessori & Waldorf Bomb)

    · 18 min · S2 E334

    Can education actually be screen-free? Are chatbots a concern in AI education? Does technology (like personal laptops) lead to isolation for students? We're discussing all of these hot-button questions in this episode.…

  31. S2E333: Debunking the Screen Time Panic: Smart Screens vs. Dumb Screens

    · 15 min · S2 E333

    Should screens be banned entirely? Are screens a necessary evil? Or, are screens a tool that can be used to revolutionize learning? In this episode, we take on the internet critics and break down the crucial…

  32. S2E332: 10 AI Tools Your Kids Can Use Today (Alpha-Tested and Vetted)

    · 21 min · S2 E332

    The goal of education isn't to avoid new technology, it’s to use it to raise the bar. At Alpha, we’ve battle-tested dozens of platforms across our 20+ locations to find the ones that actually drive mastery, grit, and…

  33. S2E331: Why We Don't Say the Pledge: Keeping Politics Out of Education

    · 20 min · S2 E331

    Education should be about unlocking potential, not enforcing ideology. In other words, education is non-partisan. To be non-partisan means to present information and make decisions based on merit and shared values. For…

  34. S2E330: The Secret to Solving Behavioral Issues at School

    · 24 min · S2 E330

    In this episode, MacKenzie and Alyssa Blask Campbell, co-author of NYT Bestseller Tiny Humans, Big Emotions, reveal the "secret" to solving behavioral issues: shifting from managing a child's surface behavior to…

  35. S2E329: The 9 Senses: Interpreting Your Child’s Unique Nervous System

    · 46 min · S2 E329

    If you’ve ever felt like you’re 'shooting in the dark' with your child’s emotions, you aren't failing...you're just using the wrong map. In this episode, MacKenzie sits down with Alyssa Blask Campbell—founder of Seed &…

  36. S2E328: I Hate Reading: Dealing with Reading Resistance

    · 28 min · S2 E328

    If you’ve ever heard the words "I hate reading" come out of your child’s mouth, you aren’t alone. In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with author and "Wonder of Parenting" co-host Tim Wright to unpack the growing…

  37. S2E327: When Grit Looks Like Crying

    · 28 min · S2 E327

    Grit isn’t a personality trait; it’s a muscle that only grows when it’s under actual tension. But for a five-year-old, that tension usually looks like tears and frustration. In this episode, Mackenzie sits down with…

  38. S2E326: The End of "Because I Said So": An Unfiltered Look at Student Self-Governance In Action

    · 16 min · S2 E326

    Most schools rely on compliance; Alpha relies on ownership. In the second half of our deep dive into student-led governance, we explore the transition from the "Because I Said So" model to a culture of genuine…

  39. S2E325: What Happens When You Let Kids Decide Their Own Rules, Rewards, and Punishments...

    · 14 min · S2 E325

    Most of us remember school as a place where rules were handed down from the top and our job was to follow them. But what happens when you flip the script and give students the authority to build, defend, and police…

  40. S2E324: The Wealthy Student Myth, Our 'iPhone-Style' Updates, and Screen Time Truths

    · 15 min · S2 E324

    Does our school only work for wealthy, driven students? Braden Pomerantz, Head of Alpha Austin, answers this frequently asked question with personal experience to back it up. Braden and MacKenzie also break down the…

  41. S2E323: Why We Treat Every Student Like They Have an IEP

    · 15 min · S2 E323

    Every child deserves a truly personalized education, regardless of their background or learning style. In this episode, we're getting exclusive "boots on the ground" intel that dismantles the myth that our learning…

  42. S2E322: Challenging the ADHD Epidemic: The Tragedy of Mislabeling Movement-Starved Students

    · 24 min · S2 E322

    Are we facing a medical crisis, or a movement crisis? In the final part of our conversation with David Bidler, founder of nonprofit Physiology First, we tackle the controversial intersection of physiology and the ADHD…

  43. S2E321: How Neglecting the Brain Body Connection Is Holding Your Kids Back

    · 19 min · S2 E321

    We often blame "broken" school systems for poor performance, but what if the real bottleneck is the human body? David Bidler, founder of Physiology First, joins the show to argue that we are running modern educational…

  44. S2E320: School Choice in Action: How Educational Savings Accounts Grant Free Access to Alpha

    · 19 min · S2 E320

    In 2026, the power of education is shifting back to the family. With the expansion of School Choice and Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs), parents are no longer locked into a system that isn't working- they are…

  45. S2E319: Non-Traditional Arts Explained: How Alpha Encourages Arts Without the Classics

    · 30 min · S2 E319

    Our approach to music, art, and theater is a little different than traditional schools. It's a common question: How do kids get enriched in the arts without the "bread and butter" classics we all grew up with- like…

  46. S2E318: The 5 Strategies Your Child’s School Can’t Survive Without

    · 19 min · S2 E318

    Most educational innovations "flash up" and then disappear after only a few years. Why do some fail while others lead to a decade of success? After 300 interviews with educators, education founder Dr. Annalies Corbin…

  47. S2E317: An Anthropologist's Lens on Education Reform

    · 16 min · S2 E317

    The K-12 system isn't failing; it’s functioning exactly as it was designed to. In this episode, Dr. Annalies Corbin- anthropologist, archaeologist, education founder and author of Hacking School- joins the podcast to…

  48. S2E316: How to Build a Child Who Doesn't Quit: Growth Mindset Strategies That Anchor Motivation

    · 26 min · S2 E316

    If you want your kid to have an "I Can Do Hard Things" attitude, this episode is for you. In Part 2 of this series on motivation, co-hosted by Alpha Guide Jacob, we pull back the curtain on Motivation Architecture. We…

  49. S2E315: The Death of the Gold Star: How To Build Unique Reward Systems for Every Kid

    · 22 min · S2 E315

    Stickers and grades might get compliance, but they don't spark passion. In this episode, cohosted by Alpha Guide Jacob, we explore how our Guides act as motivation architects- designing bespoke reward systems that meet…

  50. S2E314: Superintendents, Salaries, and Scandals: The "Adult-First" Corruption Coming to Your City

    · 27 min · S2 E314

    If you think your local school is safe because the funding is high, this conversation is your wake-up call. In the second half of our explosive sit-down with Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter Chris Papst, he…

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.