rachel moore, owner
When Liz suggested I open an Acton Academy in our area, I laughed at the thought. I already owned three businesses and had two young kids: I was not looking to add anything to my plate. I loved the idea of my kids attending an individualized school which fostered entrepreneurial spirit, but I knew my strengths did not lie in operations. How could I open such a specialized school without someone to lead the day-to-day?
I noticed divine nudges over the next six months, and learned a lot more about Acton Academy through people that were placed in my path, articles that popped up on my social media, and Liz’s repeated calls about how much growth her daughter had experienced in this new school environment. I filled out the general application to open an Acton on their website but did not finish the final step (the audition), because I did not feel equipped to open a school.
Then, my husband, Chris, and I attended our sons’ end of year open house at their elementary school. My kids were showcasing the work they had completed throughout the school year. He and I I split up, each touring one classroom at a time. Chris was with Mac in Amanda Heller’s classroom. Several students were crying at the thought of not having her as a teacher the following year. It was then she expressed her interest in opening her own school and frustration with sticking to the curriculum and rigid rules set for her in the public system.
“Someday I’ll open my own school, I just need to win the lottery first.”
Chris overheard Amanda say this and said “my wife will be your lottery, she wants to open a school here too, she just doesn’t want to run it.” Amanda had heard of Acton Academy and loved the freedom-focus and learner-lead model. Having home schooled her own children, Amanda craved unschooling the learners and helping them find their own love of learning.
Amanda and I jointly submitted the owner application to Acton Academy two weeks later. She would operate the school, and I would fund and manage the business. Our application was accepted two days later to open an Acton Academy along 30A. We were their ideal combination. A homeschooling mom with a passion for education, and a momprenuer who was seeking to leave the system and forge a new path.
Acton Academy has been a huge blessing in our lives. I am certain Amanda was placed on my path. She is the perfect person to run a non-traditional school. She is smart, kind, and freedom-focused. I feel so lucky my kids grow up alongside another woman who cares so deeply about them. My kids are thrilled to go to school. They get time-off after each session, and they are always asking how soon they can go back to the studio.
In addition to the benefits of the individualized learning, there have been some unexpected, but wonderful benefits, of sending my kids to Acton Academy of 30a. I have seen a dramatic impact on the learners’ mental health. Later start times allows for more sleep and has allowed us to step out of the hustle culture. We have also met wonderful families: families called to adventure and who have become our village.
My family and I moved to the 30A area from Connecticut in 2022 for the more appealing climate and lifestyle. I enrolled my kids, Mac and Cam, in the public school with three weeks remaining in the 2021 school year, and received a call the night before classes started. Amanda Heller would be my older son’s teacher, and she wanted to know all about him. She wanted to set him up with a classmate that would be a good fit to show him the ropes the first couple days. I was not used to teachers reaching out, especially at 7 pm, but I just thought it was impressive and carried on.
A few months later, one of my best friends, and the only other entrepreneur in my CT network, left the state and moved to Austin, TX. She enrolled her daughter at an Acton Academy, at the suggestions of local entrepreneurial parents in her friend group. During her daughter’s first week of school, Liz called, “you would not believe this school. There are no desks or homework. It is so different, so cool…you need one on 30A.”.
Amanda heller, owner + lead guide
My Hero’s Journey started in elementary school. I wanted to be a teacher. During my high school years, witnessing the frustration of so many of my friends solidified my decision even more … I was going to be a teacher but something different.
My path, however, was not as straight-forward as I thought. After graduating with my BA in English and starting my M.Ed, I was given an opportunity to work with the Disney Company. This would inevitably be the beginning of my journey of self. Although I knew that my place was in education, I had to take the leap–my call to adventure. As a Disney Cast member, I learned the value of being a high-energy facilitator and discovered my authentic self in my role in creating happiness every day. This sense of self continued on my path of being a mother and part of my community. I helped start the MOMS Club of Newtown, offering support to the mothers in the community as well as volunteership. I helped start the Junior Achievement Program at her children’s elementary school, a non-profit program that encourages entrepreneurship. Witnessing the continued static world of public education, I decided to homeschool my children, ultimately choosing to ‘un-school’ them so that they could begin their own journey.
After moving to Florida and my pre-teens were independently working on their journey, I found myself reflecting on my journey, my inmost cave. Seeing the need in our community for teachers, I decided to, once again, join the world of public education but with a better sense of who I was and what my role would be. This strength in character allowed me to take my part as teacher and turn it into a mentor. My learners were given the freedom to discover their own levels with me as a guide and the encouragement of their fellow classmates. I found allies in fellow teachers who offered support when I was held to task for my choices as a teacher, with the reinforced decision that the child’s journey always came first.
During my three years at Dune Lakes Elementary, I started the Garden Club, Girls on the Run, became LETRS certified, ESOL certified, and ultimately earned the “Teacher of the Year” award for my school.
When approached about starting an Acton Academy, I felt like everything I had learned culminated to this very moment. From witnessing the frustrations of friends in school, to discovering the role of someone who finds true pleasure in creating happiness for others, to stepping back and witnessing the beauty of connections, to again finding my true calling … creating leaders.
The role of an Acton Leader is a unique one. We get to observe discovery and the visible growth of young people. We get to provide challenges as needed and watch our learners build a community that values the individual and each other’s success/failures. We find pleasure in witnessing these self-discoveries all the while knowing we will be the unsung hero–as a Guide should be.