Meet Madeline Herrera of East Lawrence

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madeline Herrera.

Hi Madeline, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I worked in public education for about a decade before deciding to leave and start my own school. I had become frustrated with how difficult it was for such a massive system to pivot to meet the needs of staff and students. The year after I left was a time filled with exploration of different teaching and schooling methods from around the world and digging into educational research. From there, I asked myself what pieces made sense for the school I was building and what pieces were unhelpful or just not needed. Before leaving my previous school, a parent in the community had told me that it was impossible to have a school where students, parents and staff could all be happy and have their needs met. When creating Limestone, I wanted to challenge that notion and take into account these three core demographics. It translated into flexible drop-off and pick-up, extended plan time for teachers, more play for students and targeted instruction within small groups.

I had built up strong relationships as a public school teacher so when I announced my plan to start my own school, support poured in. We had a memorial tuition fund started before we opened our doors so that we could better serve all students. Businesses and the local universities reached out ready to engage in curriculum work. Donations came in of all kinds: time, treasure and talent!

I was told to expect that I may only have two students the first year. The community however was so interested that we started with 28 students and four employees. We’ve had hurdles to overcome and lessons to learn, but we have a strong community now as we close out our third academic year.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a road filled with crises and victories alike! One of the things that has been difficult is that while around 50% of our students receive financial aid, there are many more students who would like to attend and cannot because of our finite resources. We dream of a day when our funds are built up so that we can fully approve each financial aid request.

Creating community is hard work. I was recently talking with my staff about this. Community feels easy when you are attending a pizza party. Eat what you care, leave when you want. But true community takes being vulnerable, showing up for each other when life is messy, recognizing when you have more capacity to help and when you have less. It’s not a clique, it’s not excluding people after a disagreement. Instead you need to figure out how to repair and how to include. It can be an uncomfortable process and yet there is joy there. Many of our parents tell us they never experienced true community before this. It is intentional, careful work that is also gratifying. So incredibly gratifying.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am incredibly proud of Limestone Community School and what we’ve been able to achieve. Our students are involved in their community in meaningful ways. They have organized park cleanups, designed homes that have been built in our community for people experiencing homelessness, have spoken up at city commission meetings and so much more. They understand that their voices matter and they can make a difference. What more can we ask for as educators?

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Students are capable of so much when we give them the space to fully engage as the community members that they are. When the world feels overwhelming, I come back to this simple truth and put my focus there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://limestoneschool.com/
• Instagram: instagram.com/limestonecommunityschool
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/limestoneschool