Welcome to LEADPrep
LEADPrep creates a dynamic space where education is engaging, not one-size-fits-all, for all learners to be seen, heard, valued, and thriving. LEADPrep is an innovative middle/high micro-school where teens thrive in our collaborative, experiential, and learner-centered environment.
Learner-centered
Personalized student learning with purpose: now and for what’s next
Experiential
Cohesive, student-directed curriculum for discovery, passion and purpose
Accountable
Empowered students developing agency to drive their own learning
Demonstrated
Voice and choice in assessing and showcasing interest to mastery
Getting the right “fit” is our top priority. Our model allows for diverse learners, including gifted or learning challenged, to thrive.
Education is not one-size-fits-all.
DIVERSITY. EMPATHY. EXPLORATION.
Our intentionally diverse, multi-age student population celebrates differences and provides a safe community of voice and choice in exploring real-world concepts, while pushing for self-growth and accountability.
Quick Facts
Founded: 2013
Grades: 6–12
Teacher/Student Ratio: 1/5
1 campus: Seattle
Annual Service Learning Trip
Community-Based Fridays
Accredited through NWAC-AdvancED
NWAIS Candidate School
Non-Public Agency (NPA)
501C3 Nonprofit
Interdisciplinary A/B Schedule Blocks
Flipped Learning Certified: Level-I
The Challenge Ahead
The challenge ahead for all students is imminent and multi-faceted. Will your child be prepared to succeed? Here are some eye-opening stats and facts that you may find interesting about your children’s future.
What Makes LEADPrep Different
Four Unique Offerings Set Us Apart
Leadership
Inspiring and
Motivating Action
We believe that leadership is an important life skill. That’s why our curriculum is designed to weave in lessons that develop communication and speaking abilities, decision-making skills, and most importantly, the confidence to explain ideas and inspire others. Along the way, our students learn an ethical leadership style that encompasses self-knowledge, self-advocacy, wellness, and valuing the dignity and worth of others.
STEM
Building Critical Thinking Skills
By Doing
At our alternative private school, we integrate the four subjects of STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — into a cohesive and hands-on curriculum. Students use design thinking for anything from building robots to producing films. We help our students find their interests and passions in a fun way that broadens their horizons, creating a mindset to problem-solve for the future.
Flip Lessons
Trading in Hours of Homework
for Active Learning
Instead of students toiling over hours of reading and memorization, LEADPrep flips homework on its head.
Our students watch videos at home each night prepared by our educators to preview the lessons for the following day. This enables students to apply concepts and engage in the subject matter in a focused and direct way in the classroom.
Bridge
Diving Deep to Make
Interdisciplinary Connections
At LEADPrep, we break down the walls of discrete subject learning, enabling our teachers and learners to explore relevant links across our curriculum. By breaking down these artificial barriers we dive deep to explore a theme, concept, or problem to synthesize learning across subjects and make real-world connections.
Our Experiential and Interdisciplinary Approach
Improved Learning By Doing
Students learn better by seeing, doing and making connections. At LEADPrep we combine subject blocks to allow for natural connections between ideas and concepts across different disciplinary boundaries. Our students actively engage in problem solving, with an emphasis on social justice. In both group projects and individually, students grapple with finding solutions to real-world issues for meaningful learning. We dedicate Wednesdays and three full weeks to experiential outings and “service learning” such as building schools in Nicaragua, cooking and serving at a homeless teen shelter, planting trees, and much more.
What Students are Saying
the teachers support my passion
“I love the fact that LEADPrep is a small school with personalized learning. I only have homework I need, not busy work. The teachers support my passion for history and always encourage me to get further into it.”
What Parents are Saying
We have been thrilled with our decision
“We are now seeing a happier, more confident good student in our daughter. The things we were concerned about (a smaller school, missing out on dances, etc.) turned out to be a non-issue. She now has time for extra-curricular activities and the homework battle is gone. It’s been a great experience and I cannot express enough what an impact LEADPrep has had on our family. We have been thrilled with our decision.”
What Students are Saying
they make sure we know our stuff before we move forward
“The teachers don’t follow a herd mentality. They work with the individual instead of just the whole class. They don’t stress about working in only one way and say there is no other option, instead they work with us and make sure we know our stuff before we move forward. LEADPrep is more fun in general.”
What Parents are Saying
[our son] is thriving and learning now
“With LEADPrep, it was night and day. Our son works at his own pace, towards goals set by him under the guidance of teachers. We are so happy that he is thriving and learning now, rather than struggling in public school because he can’t keep up. At LEADPrep, you know right away if there are any concerns and the teachers step up to help where needed and keep us informed.”
What Parents are Saying
[LEADPrep] has brought the twinkle back to our boy’s eyes
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping our son rediscover how bright and capable he is. We were just ‘wow’d!’ by his performance on the Compass test. Even more important than grades on paper…our son is extremely proud of himself. The entire LEADPrep staff has brought the twinkle back to our boy’s eyes. Thank you.”
What Parents are Saying
Thank you
“Thank you for your unwavering support of our son at LEADPrep through his many ups and downs—never giving up on him and leading him to his high school diploma!”
What Parents are Saying
the best school year he’s ever had
“My son told me it’s the best school year he’s ever had, and that’s great coming from a 9th grader!”
What Parents are Saying
the LEADPrep teachers appreciate my son's gifts
“The faculty and staff at LEADPrep have embraced my son’s unique style of learning from day one. Rather than stifle his individuality and squelch his inventive thoughts and dreams, the LEADPrep teachers appreciate my son’s gifts and encourage him to study the subjects he enjoys in the way he learns best.”
What Parents are Saying
for the first time, he really enjoyed going to school
“Thank you, Maureen, for all the great work and effort you and the rest of the teachers provided to our son. It made a huge difference, and for the first time, he really enjoyed going to school.”
What Students are Saying
you actually have a chance to talk to your teachers
“It’s really nice that it’s a small school because you actually have a chance to talk to your teachers. Homework stress is a lot less. Also, it starts later and it’s nice not having to get up at the crack of dawn. People are nice and don’t judge you.”
Meet Our Educators
Liz McFarland
Head of School
Liz McFarland is originally from New Orleans, LA where she first attended culinary school and then went to get her Bachelor’s in Elementary education at the University of New Orleans. From there she went to the University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota for a Master’s in Special education. She then moved to Seattle, where she taught special education classes and pursued further graduate work in School Psychology and Educational Leadership at Seattle U and UW-Danforth program. She has been a school administrator in public schools since 2010 at all levels from elementary to the district office level overseeing multiple programs at multiple schools.
When she is not at school, she enjoys hanging with her teenage son, trivia, cooking, traveling, and karaoke! She is excited to be a part of LeadPrep!
Christi Trimble-Kreutz
Director of Operations
Christi is a proud mom of four kids, 2 dogs, and 2 cats. She has a soft spot in her heart for unique educational opportunities. Between them, she and her two younger kiddos have 4 alternative school experiences, spanning preschool thru high school.
Drawing on her varied career and life experiences, Christi’s goal is to provide the background support needed to make it possible for the other staff members to thrive in their roles and fully utilize their talents.
In her free time, Christi enjoys reading, spending time with family, friends & pets, traveling to sunny destinations, designing spaces, furniture, decor & gifts and engaging in various areas of activism.
Fernanda Postare
Director of Learning / Spanish Teacher
Fernanda is a Spanish teacher who was born and raised in Argentina. She got her BS degree in Education and has been teaching for 16 years, not only in elementary but also in HS. Fernanda lived three years in Spain, where she worked in different schools as an ESL teacher as well as a Spanish teacher as a second language. Teaching and taking care of her students is her passion. In her free time, Fernanda takes ballet and modern jazz dance classes. She has been dancing since she was a child.
Rob Nightingale
History / Social Studies Teacher
Rob found his passion for working with children at a summer camp in upstate New York, where he led children through a multitude of tasks – ranging from kayaking to songwriting, while providing emotional support for children struggling being away from home for the first time. From there, he began working in an elementary school special education classroom in Florida, where he found the joys of working with neurodiverse children. In 2015, Rob moved across the country, taking a month long road trip from Florida to Seattle while camping at all the national parks he could along the way. He has spent the past four years working as an ABA behavior technician, providing one on one support both at home and in the classroom for children with autism as young as three and as old as eighteen. In his free time, Rob loves noodling on guitar, paddling his canoe, and snoozing in his hammock.
Matt Malloy
Math Teacher
Matt is a Kirkland native who graduated from Lake Washington High School in 2016. Always excited by math, he tutored peers throughout his life and worked recently at Lincoln High School (Seattle). In the near future, he plans to obtain a Master’s in Teaching for secondary mathematics and teach internationally. He completed his BA in Mathematics and Economics at University of Montana where he developed a passion for the outdoors and loves to backpack, fly fish, and ride his bicycle.
Jesse Long
Photography Teacher
Jesse is a PNW native who found his passion for teaching and photography at Occidental College when he began taking weekend photography trips and helped lead backpacking photography trips for MS/HS in Death Valley. After completing Seattle Central’s Commercial Photography program, he started an International photography company working with International schools. He became drawn into education from working with all these schools and earned his teaching certification from George Mason in 2006. Jesse has spent 20 years in his photography business and is very excited to teach photography again. His hobbies include playing some bad guitar, board games, puzzles, and cards. Jesse is always in search of the best burger.
Emma Kirk
English / ELA Teacher
Emma is a Washington native from Whidbey Island. She has been working with kids for almost 7 years and spends her summers as a camp counselor. When she’s not in the classroom she’s out and about with her husky Koa, and on rainy days she is curled up reading a book.
Nick Ackermann
Science/STEAM Teacher
Nick is originally from New Jersey where he earned his Bachelor of Science. After getting his MA at Montclair State University, Nick worked as a science teacher for 13 years at both public and private middle and high schools. At the Liberty Science Center, he worked as a STEM enrichment specialist where he led lab activities and facilitated the ‘Live From Surgery’ program. Nick loves basketball, bowling, and trivia nights with his wife, and can be found at beard and mustache competitions that raise money for local charities.
Kester Limner
Art Teacher
Kester is a professional illustrator and comic book artist. She received a BA in Studio Art from Seattle Pacific University and completed the University Scholars program–a cross-disciplinary study of philosophy, faith, and sciences. Kester leads contemplative music and meditation at St. Andrew’s Seattle, an LGBTQ affirming Episcopal church. She is also a life-long neurodiversity advocate for children, teens, and adults. Kester has decades of lived experience supporting people with executive function and sensory processing issues, as well as other medical and learning disabilities. Neurodiversity includes ALL people, because everyone is unique, and we create diversity with our differences!
Danyella Nightingale
Registrar / Special Projects
Danyella first joined the LEADPrep team as the Remote Coach, assisting students who needed to learn from home, and has since become registrar and organizes our Friday expeditions and more! In 2015, she landed in Seattle after a month-long road trip from her home state, Florida, and has put down roots here ever since. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, going to concerts, and camping.
Maureen O'Shaughnessy
Founder
Maureen is a trailblazing school leader, author, and podcaster. Her master’s and doctorate focused on educational innovation. Using her experience and passion for inclusion, belonging, and strength-based experiential learning in the creation (and ten years’ leadership) of LEADPrep has been an honor. Hobbies include travel, exploring, and singing to the car radio.
Get in Touch
LEADPrep
Mailing Address:
PO Box 30745
Seattle, WA 98113
LEADPrep
Seattle Campus
Phinney Neighborhood Association
6532 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Liz Mcfarland
Head of School
liz@LEAD-prep.org
For admissions inquiries, please schedule a call.
(425) 298-6451
(206) 833-2019
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