This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, we’re joined by MacKenzie Price (founder of Alpha School) to talk about the future of education — and what parents can do at home right now to help their kids love learning. MacKenzie is a mom who noticed her daughters going from curious and excited to totally bored in a top-rated traditional school. Instead of accepting “that’s just how school is,” she set out to understand why—and ended up building a new model that puts passion, curiosity, and real-life skills back at the center. We talk about the practical things parents can try at home: simple ways to make learning feel engaging, how AI can support reading and math by making it more personalized, what “good” vs. “bad” screen time looks like, and why paying attention to your child’s natural interests can make such a difference. Then we zoom out and talk about what school in the U.S. could look like over the next decade as AI becomes part of the classroom — more personalized, more flexible, and potentially giving kids valuable time back for the skills they use in real life. MacKenzie shares great examples of what happens when kids have a little more space to explore, from public-speaking projects to creative deep dives that turn into something bigger. Timestamps: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast 00:00:36 Meet MacKenzie Price (Founder, Alpha School) 00:06:05 How is Alpha School doing learning differently? 00:10:32 Why does AI belong in the classroom? 00:15:28 Will this style of learning be the norm in 5–10 years? 00:17:02 What can traditional schools borrow from this model? 00:22:30 What are easy ways to make learning more engaging at home? 00:37:27 What are MacKenzie’s long-term hopes for U.S. education? 00:40:48 Rethinking screen time vs “good” screen time 00:43:45 How can parents help their kids discover their passions? 00:52:58 Why doing things differently matters 00:56:51 Could this learning model work without AI? 00:58:45 Parent resources, apps & where to start 01:00:18 Thanks for listening! #twoparentsandapod --------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to our sponsors this week: *Neuro: Clean, focused energy without the crash. Get 20% off your first order at https://www.neurogum.com with code TWOPARENTS. *Nurture Life: Nutritious, ready-to-serve meals and snacks for kids ages 10 months to 10 years. Get 55% off your first order plus free shipping at https://www.nurturelife.com/TWOPARENTS with code TWOPARENTS. *Manukora: Ethically produced, creamy Manuka honey packed with antioxidants and prebiotics. Get $150 off your first Starter Kit at https://www.manukora.com/TWOPARENTS. *Aura Frames: Give the gift of unlimited photos and videos. Get $45 off the best-selling Carver Mat frame at https://on.auraframes.com/TWOPARENTS with code TWOPARENTS. --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple: https://www.youtube.com/@twoparentsandapod https://open.spotify.com/show/7BxuZnHmNzOX9MdnzyU4bD?si=5e715ebaf9014fac https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-parents-a-podcast/id1737442386 --------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Two Parents & A Podcast: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/twoparentsandapod TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@twoparentsandapod Follow Alex Bennett: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/justalexbennett TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@justalexbennett Follow Harrison Fugman: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/harrisonfugman TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@harrisonfugman Find our guest: Website | https://www.draribrown.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/futureof_education/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@aribrownmd --------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House – https://www.justmediahouse.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.