How to Choose the Right School with Michael Carberry

Parents want the best school for their kids — but most of us don’t realize what school is actually teaching beneath the surface.
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Parents want to choose the right school, but the real challenge is understanding what school is really teaching our children beneath the surface. In this episode, visionary educator and founder of the Whole Life Learning Center (Della’s school) Michael Carberry breaks down how kids actually learn — through everyday experiences that shape their confidence, curiosity, and identity long before academics matter.
We talk about how school environments influence emotional intelligence, why compliance-based models miss the heart of child development, and what kids absorb from the adults around them. This conversation gives parents a clearer lens on how to evaluate a school, what signals matter more than report cards, and how everyday life becomes the most powerful classroom.
If you’re a dad who wants your child to grow up knowing who they are — not just how to conform — this episode will help you understand what school may really be teaching your child and how to support their natural love of learning at home.


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00:00 — What do parents misunderstand about the purpose of school?
01:06 — Why should parents rethink what school is actually for?
03:26 — How did Joe choose his daughter’s school and why does it matter?
04:34 — What led Michael to question traditional education?
09:08 — How do kids really learn through everyday life?
10:11 — Why do parents focus on test scores instead of real learning?
12:05 — How did schools become built around compliance and standardization?
17:32 — Should children specialize or generalize in school?
19:34 — What is the true purpose of education according to Michael?
21:50 — Does traditional schooling prepare kids for adult success?
26:00 — What are the three pillars of a holistic education model?
34:00 — Why is mentorship the foundation of real learning?
40:05 — How do holistic schools personalize learning for every child?
44:11 — How do kids describe teachers who truly impact them?