The Academic Salon brings together educators, mentors, builders, and thinkers who share a belief that education should begin with the individual — their curiosity, relationships, strengths, and capacity to grow.
Donna believes there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. Drawing on classroom teaching, curriculum development, educational advising, and her work founding Penny Tree Education, she helps students turn personalized learning into clear academic pathways, meaningful portfolios, and credible college-ready records.
Read Full BioA veteran educator with experience across private, parochial, public, and charter schools, Jeffrey centers learning on doing, questioning, researching, debating, reflecting, and exploring. His work spans English, history, human rights, social justice, field experiences, mindfulness, outdoor education, service learning, and student-led inquiry.
Read Full BioMegan has spent the last 15 years rethinking primary and secondary education through the lenses of literacy, special education, environmental and social justice, play-based learning, and student well-being. Her work is grounded in helping young people understand their relationships with one another and with the world around them.
Read Full BioNina brings together educational advocacy, administrative leadership, entrepreneurship, and firsthand experience building a customized homeschool curriculum for her own child. Her philosophy is deeply child-centered: the curriculum should adapt to the learner, not the learner to the curriculum.
Read Full BioPaul believes curiosity is stronger than embarrassment and that students can create meaningful value long before receiving permission, credentials, or recognition. Drawing from philosophy, tutoring, software development, small business ownership, performance, service, and fatherhood, he helps shape the Salon’s larger vision.
Read Full BioRussell teaches mathematics and science through connection, curiosity, and problem-solving. His background in engineering, materials science, finance, and education informs a central belief: long-term success depends less on what a learner already knows than on how confidently and persistently they approach unfamiliar challenges.
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