Education Disruption

Increasingly, we’re hearing from teachers that student morale and engagement are concerningly low while behavioral issues are on the rise. But are the typical approaches to classroom management actually making student engagement and behavior worse? What happens when a teacher is expected to confront a student about their behavior in front of their peers, give them a failing grade due to absences, or confiscate their phone? These sorts of interventions can reinforce toxic power struggles between students and staff, ultimately creating more barriers to learning.

But there is an alternative approach—instead of policing and punishing student behaviors, the team at Map Academy intentionally doesn’t escalate situations that can lead to disconnected, dysregulated, or disempowered students. In this episode, hear from Map teachers and leadership about how they manage student disengagement and (mis)behavior while promoting a non-hierarchical power dynamic—all with a nuanced understanding of how defiant and apathetic classroom behaviors often stem from existing personal struggles.

(Clips at the beginning of the episode are excerpts of TikToks by @adventureswitheliza, @history_4_humans, @awalmartparkinglot, and @josh_dennis.)

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In traditional high schools, students are expected to adhere to strict schedules, standards, and benchmarks, all of which can be unrealistic for learners whose educations have been disrupted by their life circumstances. And when students fail to conform to expectations, it can be easy to fall off track, with many being driven to drop out altogether.

That’s why students at Map Academy always have a say in how they will progress through their high school journeys. In this episode, recent graduate Anthony shares how he knew Map was different from the systems that had failed him before, and staff discuss radical student autonomy—what it looks like in practice and how it helps prepare learners for the independence and responsibility that comes with life after high school.

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We all know that school is supposed to be a place to focus on learning. But for many students, learning can be disrupted by the realities of their lives, including and especially trauma. Map Academy was designed to serve students who are dealing with challenging lived experiences—like substance misuse, housing insecurity, and mental health struggles—that can lead to trauma. Beyond just recognizing how these experiences have caused their students to become disengaged, Map helps them better understand the impacts of trauma and gives them tools to help them heal from it.

In this episode, hear from Map leadership and staff about their “healing-centered” approach to learning, teaching, and youth development—how they connect students to holistic support and resources, help them build meaningful connections, and give them the time and space they need to heal (and re-engage with learning) at their own pace.

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We need your support! We’re in the running to record a live episode of the podcast at SXSW EDU. Community votes help determine the lineup, so every vote counts! Our session proposal is all about devices in the classroom — the inequity that comes with policing phone use and how we can approach tech in a way that empowers and respects all students. In this special episode, hear from Co-founder & Co-director Rachel Babcock on this topic — a preview of our proposed #SXSWEDU 2024 session!

In this edition of Education Disruption, you’ll hear stories of success and challenge as told by Map students — a final capstone project before their high school graduation.

In this episode, we hear from Zay. Facing personal struggles with depression and substance use, he had trouble staying on track at his previous schools — he was getting suspended and expelled and says he was treated as a “delinquent.” At schools that were unable to help him heal and thrive, he was losing sight of his goals. But once he found his way to Map, Zay was set up with wraparound supports and pushed outside of his comfort zone, allowing him to succeed both academically and in life. “Map Academy actually ended up making graduation from high school possible, which I never thought that it would be,” he says. Now, post-graduation, Zay moved to New York to pursue his music career and has a scholarship to fall back on if his plans change.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

In this edition of Education Disruption, we’re hearing from Map Academy students right before they graduate from high school. As they reached this milestone, they were tasked with reflecting on their journeys as part of a storytelling capstone assignment. 

In high school, Jennie kept finding herself in trouble. There was a lot going on at home and school, and she would be involved in drama, get into fights, and fall behind on her schoolwork. She knew she needed a change — that’s when she found her way to Map Academy. At first, Jennie still struggled with distractions, including conflict with other students. But at Map, students like Jennie are given the support and tools they need to navigate their emotions, practice self-control, own their behavior, and feel empowered to make better choices. “Having to leave school and not be able to learn because of fighting made me realize that I can woman up and not fight in school,” she says. Now, Jennie is a high school graduate, and she says she’s reached a new level of maturity.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

In this edition of Education Disruption, we’re talking to students of Map Academy just before they become official high school graduates. As part of their graduation requirements, these students were tasked with reflecting on the journeys that led them to this point.

Jayden faced several challenges at his previous high school — inadequate staff support, anxiety, depression, and bullying made him believe he would have no choice but to drop out. Throughout it all, though, Jayden found comfort in art. “I started drawing for fun, then in the long run it helped me with my mental health,” he says. Once Jayden found his way to Map, the staff encouraged his creativity, which made him feel comfortable expressing his full self at school. With the respect, individualized attention, and motivation he needed, Jayden was able to re-engage with school and get his diploma from Map.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

In this new edition of Education Disruption, we’re featuring stories of success and challenge as told by Map students in their own words — a final capstone project before their graduation.

Getting started at Map during the 2019 - 2020 school year, right as the pandemic took hold, was tough for Doug. He struggled to adjust to the new setting, fell behind, and feared he wouldn’t be able to graduate on schedule. He says he felt anxiety and shame about this setback, so he stopped coming to school altogether. He found work outside of school, but quickly realized that he would need a high school diploma if he wanted to start his career — so he found his way back to Map and reconnected with his friends and goals. He says that the encouragement he got from Map staff along the way was key to him getting his diploma. “Everybody's a little bit nervous. Everybody thinks they're behind, but in reality, nobody's paying attention to what anybody else is doing,” Doug says. “You just got to pay attention to what you're doing. Keep yourself on track.”

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

In this edition of Education Disruption, we’re featuring stories of success and challenge as told by Map students in their own words — a final capstone project before their graduation.

In this episode, we hear from Javon, a recent Map graduate. At his previous schools, Javon was distracted, wasn’t getting the right support from his teachers, and got caught up in friendships that weren’t serving him. At first, he was hesitant to open up to the staff at Map, but after they earned Javon’s trust, he reconnected with his education and goals. Now, he’s committed to applying what he has learned to motivate current and future Map students. “I care about all the kids here at Map. I see potential in all of them,” Javon says. “I know that they can do whatever they want to do, but they got to use the assets that they have in this building.”

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

In this new edition of Education Disruption, we’re featuring stories of success and challenge as told by Map students in their own words — a final capstone project before their graduation. 

In this episode, we hear from Autumn. Faced with complex challenges — including an ADHD diagnosis, juggling work and school, and homelessness — academics were hard to focus on or prioritize. She never lost sight of her goals and tried various alternatives, including working towards a GED and attending night school, but none provided the support she needed and deserved. Then, she found her way to Map at age 21. “I'm so grateful for everything,” she says. “It was amazing to have a school that didn't just support you in school, but in life in general.”

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Map Academy’s model was designed with flexibility built-in, making it ideal for students who can’t attend school on a traditional schedule — including those who are working full-time to support themselves and their families, like Sophia. Sophia struggled with mental health and family issues, causing instability that disrupted her education. Her experience at her last school was challenging, and she wasn’t getting the support she needed to stay engaged, so she dropped out. Then, she found her way to Map.

Map’s flexible schedule allows her to keep her job as a full-time certified nursing assistant while pursuing her high school diploma. Sophia worked with Map social worker Mike Balaschi, who helped establish boundaries around academic expectations while still allowing Sophia the accommodations she needed to balance work, life, and school.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Youth development requires meeting students where they’re at. At Map Academy, that means understanding that some students might have experienced trauma that has caused them to struggle in previous schools. That’s why Map educators prioritize fostering mutual trust with their students.

In this episode, we hear from Anre Dowell (Community Support Partner). During his time at Map, Anre used his youth development experience to build strong, genuine relationships with students — including Anthony and Carlie, who also share their stories in this episode. Anthony and Carlie say that Anre consistently pushed them to engage. But first, Anre got to know them, what brought them to Map, and the reasons why they might not be able to focus on academics. “If you lock in and you keep going back … we'll eventually build the bond,” Anre says.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

In order for an educational practice to be truly student-centered, teachers must understand their students — their strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and lives beyond the classroom. With trusting relationships in place, learning experiences are more effective because they are tailored to student needs.

In this episode of Education Disruption, we hear Ryan’s story. Map's flexible, student-centered approach — cultivated during one-on-one time with history teacher Avia during COVID — helped him re-engage with high school, avoid dropping out, and incorporate his passions into his education.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

At Map Academy, we know that life — including struggles with mental health — can get in the way of learning. And oftentimes, in traditional schools, students who fall behind aren’t given the support they need to catch up academically. This, unfortunately, happened to Jenna. She struggled to get back on track after missing a lot of school. Then, she found her way to Map. 

In this episode, we hear how Map’s flexible, self-paced approach, welcoming community, and built-in mental health supports helped Jenna re-engage with her education and earn her high school diploma.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Map Academy students are survivors — many have been forced to navigate challenges beyond their years. To help students through these obstacles, Map offers wraparound supports, like social workers who help students tackle a wide range of barriers — from hunger, to housing insecurity, to substance misuse, and more. And, crucially, staff works hard to ensure students know that Map will be there for them when they’re ready and able to re-engage with their education.

This persistent yet patient approach is key to the success of Map students like Maria. As a working student, she fell off track academically in traditional school, then fell into a cycle of substance misuse. In this episode, we follow her recovery journey and hear how Map has supported her along the way to her diploma.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Integral to Map Academy’s unique, student-centered approach is time — for students to work at their own pace, for teachers to build trusting relationships with learners, and for staff to adjust to Map’s model. Map works hard to find staff with the patience and flexibility needed to foster Map’s supportive student and staff culture — in this episode, we hear from three of them: Steve (Teaching & Learning Co-Lead and Humanities Teacher), Shiobhan (Humanities Teacher), and Mike (Wraparound Co-Lead and Social Worker).

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

We’re back with a brand new season of Education Disruption, with more stories from the Map Academy community. In this episode, we hear from Jade, who came to Map after her anxiety made it difficult to stay on track at her traditional high school. Jade worked closely with Mike, Wraparound Co-Lead and Social Worker at Map. We also hear from him about how Map’s trauma-informed and competency-based model helps students like Jade re-engage with their education, grow emotionally, and make progress towards their goals.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

One of the requirements to graduate from Map Academy is a post-secondary plan, ensuring that students leave Map with meaningful, actionable steps to take toward a career or college. Co-founders Rachel and Josh recognize that what happens after high school is just as important as getting a diploma. In this episode, they share their insights about the post-secondary planning process, some of the challenges their students have faced, and their hopes for a 13th year that would allow them to provide more structured support to their learners after graduation.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Map Academy co-founders Josh Charpentier and Rachel Babcock reflect on the impact of the pandemic—on their students, opportunities, and challenges presented, as well as some resulting innovations. Because Map was specifically designed to re-engage marginalized students who are off track or dropped out, we wanted to know what shifts Josh and Rachel are seeing in an alternative high school model under this unprecedented strain.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

In this episode, co-founders Josh and Rachel talk about building the right team in the middle of a pandemic. Map Academy is an alternative school for disconnected and marginalized youth. Their model was built for disruption. Covid-19 is just that—another disruption. Map puts students at the center of every decision, including when it comes to hiring new staff—because who better to talk about what students need than the students themselves?

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

As schools across the country are wrestling with opening during the ongoing pandemic, we catch up with Map founders Josh and Rachel as they prepare to reopen and welcome back students and staff. They share the challenges and unexpected silver linings created by the statewide mandated closure. We hear how the Map staff is doing all they can to open—and remain open—so their students can get the support they need to continue making progress.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Welcome back to a special edition of Education Disruption. Over the next few weeks we'll be talking to students of Map Academy that are preparing to graduate amidst a myriad of disruption. We'll hear the stories of how these students found Map, and why Map has worked so well for them.

In today's episode, we talk to Virginia, who experienced tragedy in 10th grade but found her way back to high school and got on the road to her diploma in her 20s at Map Academy.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Welcome back to a special edition of Education Disruption. Over the next few weeks, we'll be talking to students of Map Academy that are preparing to graduate amidst a myriad of disruption. We'll hear the stories of how these students found Map, and why Map has worked so well for them

Meet Gustavo. He immigrated to the US with his mother and brother from Brazil at age 15. He is incredibly hardworking, but he soon found it impossible to stay in traditional high school and work enough hours to help support his family. He reluctantly dropped out. Eventually, Gustavo — like a lot of Map's older students — made the brave decision to return to school and earn his diploma. At Map Academy, he found a web of support, a flexible schedule, teachers who truly listen, and a pathways coordinator to plan his future with.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Welcome back to a special edition of Education Disruption. Over the next few weeks we'll be talking to students of Map Academy that are preparing to graduate amidst a myriad of disruption. We'll hear the stories of how these students found Map, and why Map has worked so well for them

Today we talk to Zo, who struggled to go to school every day in part because of bullying, and also because of her diabetes. Mom tried to step in and work with the school, but didn't get much help. Fortunately, they found Map Academy. 

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Welcome back to a special edition of Education Disruption. Over the next few weeks, we'll be talking to students of Map Academy that are preparing to graduate amidst a myriad of disruption. We'll hear the stories of these students found Map, and why Map has worked so well for them

Today we talk to Kayde, who despite all the barriers in front of him, is about to get his high school diploma from Map Academy

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Welcome back to a special edition of Education Disruption. Oer the next few weeks we'll be talking to students of Map Academy that are preparing to graduate amidst a myriad of disruption. We'll hear the stories of how these students found Map, and why Map has worked so well for them

Today we talk to Sabrina, who was cast aside as a "bad kid" at her old school, and found success at Map Academy

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Welcome back to a special edition of Education Disruption. Over the next few weeks we'll be talking to students of Map Academy that are preparing to graduate amidst a myriad of disruption. We'll hear the stories of how these students found Map, and why Map has worked so well for them

Today, we talk to Hayden, who in previous school experiences struggled with a lack of mental health support and bullying. Now, at Map, he's about to graduate. 

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Welcome back to a special edition of Education Disruption. Over the next few weeks, we'll be talking to the co-founders and staff of Map Academy about how they are adapting to the current Covid-19 crisis and continuing to provide the wrap-around support their students count on.

This episode was recorded just after Governor Baker announced that schools would remain closed for the rest of the school year. In today's episode, co-founders Rachel & Josh talk about how they are moving forward, continuing to support their community remotely, and what it means for the future.  

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Welcome back to a special edition of Education Disruption. Over the next few weeks, we'll be talking to the co-founders and staff of Map Academy about how they are adapting to the current Covid-19 crisis and continuing to provide the wrap-around support their students count on.

In this episode, we talk to teachers working on-site and remotely to keep students on track academically.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Welcome back to a special edition of Education Disruption, over the next few weeks we'll be talking to the co-founders and staff of Map Academy about how they are adapting to the current Covid-19 crisis and continuing to provide the wrap-around support their students count on.

This episode was recorded during the first week of school closures in Massachusetts and focuses on how the Map is responding to the immediate and evolving needs of their students and their families.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

On this new special edition of Education Disruption, we're changing the format and taking a look at how Map Academy has reacted and adapted to the ever-changing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be talking to the co-founders and staff about systems they are putting in place, and how they are continuing to support their student body even if school is closed.

Today's episode was recorded during the first week of school closures in Massachusetts and focuses on the pivot from a blended learning environment, to a completely remote model.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

In this final episode of our first season we discuss the challenge of remaining on mission especially when the work gets hard. It can be easy and tempting to revert back to the old model of high school education, but we knew when we started that it wouldn't be easy.

We'll be taking a break from the podcast but will be returning for a second season soon potentially with a new format that will allow you to hear from the teachers, social workers, and even students of Map Academy. In the meantime please share this podcast with your friends and colleagues in education. These first 10 episodes represent the underlying foundation of our approach to high school education and we would love for this show to serve as a tool for others looking to make a change in education. 

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Most schools have a principal, vice-principal, and superintendent, but we chose to run our school as co-leaders. Sharing these responsibilities and taking advantage of our individual strengths, we see this co-leadership model as a crucial factor in the growth of our high school.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Our academic model is specifically designed to meet kids where they are, and help them develop real competency in academics. This means at our high school there are no letter grades, and students aren't grouped by age. In this episode, we discuss our academic model. 

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

At Map Academy, our approach to high school is based in Positive Youth Development (PYD). This approach helps us better prepare our students for life, and also means that our school looks very different than other schools. 

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

For our staff we don't plan out all of our trainings at the beginning of the year. Instead we have Responsive Professional Development that adapts to the needs of our community every week.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

The day-to-day challenges of running a high school that is student-centered have to be met with a certain level of patience.

PROGRAM NOTE: At about 5:40 into this episode there was a knock at the door. It was a student who had just received her first credit of high school. At Map Academy, every credit earned is celebrated and announced to the entire school community. We thought this was a great moment and chose to keep it in the episode.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

Coming right off of our first day of school, we discuss the school culture we are trying to create at Map Academy in our second year. We also talk about the nuance of integrating a new group of students and staff with our founding students and staff.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

It takes a certain kind of teacher to work at a school that departs from the traditional model. We put an emphasis on building the right team and investing in human capital. In this episode, we talk all things staffing. 

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

One major aspect of the high school experience we chose to overhaul was the schedule. There are no bells at our school and students have a lot more autonomy over their day. In this episode, we talk about how we're reshaping this school day model after seeing it in action our first year. 

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Frustrated by the current state of education, Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier decided they would open a high school. 

Education Disruption is the story of how high school can be done differently, for the benefit of the students.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

As leaders of our district's Alternative High School Program, we saw the limitations and shortcomings of the traditional model and the available alternatives. The traditional school model serves some kids, but not all kids. 

We set out to reimagine high school. In our first episode of Education Disruption, we talk about how and why we came to open our own high school.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.