About Us

Our Philosophy

At Alcott Learning, we offer online courses and coaching that empower parents to bring the very best education into their homes. We minimize overwhelm and confusion through our simple “Transformational Education Roadmap” which is based on the work of Oliver DeMille. DeMille brilliantly brings together the best educational principles revealed by theorists including Maslow, Piaget, Vygotsky, Bloom, Montessori, Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, E.D. Hirsch; approaches such as classical education and self-directed learning; data from top education sources; and as embodied by the lives of heroes such as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Founders, Martin Luther King Jr., and others. DeMille’s work aligns these principles with the correct windows of human development. In 20+ years in professional education, we have found no educational tool more powerful. At Alcott, we have taken his work and turned it into a simple and natural “Transformational Education Roadmap” for parents and educators.

 

Liz Quist, Founder & CEO of Alcott

When I was a junior in public high school my teacher read that Jane Austen was educated in the classics by her father, an intelligent and loving man. I left my daydreams for the moment and had an epiphany that would stay with me through life. I raised my hand and sincerely asked, ‘if Jane Austen was educated in the way you described, and accomplished what she did in her life, why aren’t we doing education the same way?’ My teacher didn’t enjoy that question, so we moved on, but this experience sparked one of the core questions of my life.

Since then I've spent countless hours studying the principles of true education and creating my own journey based on these principles. This included mentors, creative projects, the greatest books, field experiences and endless robust conversations.  I’ve in turn mentored hundreds of students in the same principles and watched as they forged meaningful personal lives of service and leadership. 

My career is centered on helping others experience transformational education. However, my experience in the field of education has revealed that many institutions lack engagement in true education principles and practices. I was a part of that 50% of new teachers who quit their first year. There was little professional development to help me get through the obstacles of a first year and no direction when it came to implementing the school's methodology, burdensome state standards and testing requirements. I knew within the first week of my first teaching job that I would not be back! Luckily, I was fortunate to eventually find a fabulous school where I could really contribute. I’ve started my own company to pay that forward. 

I was the Executive Director of a leadership-focused high school and middle school. In this position I oversaw all programs that served over 1,200 students. I co-founded the successful middle school program, including co-writing the curriculum. Our staff grew to include world travelers, professionals, college professors, MBAs and PhDs. Though most schools lose over 50% of their new faculty, my hiring teams retained 95% of new hires over a 5 year period. We attribute that success to an innovative and supportive culture built on excellent professional development opportunities

It is one of the deepest and greatest human needs to really learn. Our society has all but forgotten to cultivate and nurture this need. I know there are many other teachers and administrators out there that feel the same way I do. I want to support them. We teach and create opportunities for transformational learning.