By Beth Henary Watson, Inspire Parent

My Acton Academy Parent Experience

Acton Academy parents often discover that learner-driven education challenges them just as much as it challenges their children. During my first two years at Inspire: An Acton Academy, I have learned valuable lessons about independence, trust, and growth. This Acton Academy parent experience has changed the way I think about education, parenting, and even my own learning journey.

It’s hard to be an Acton parent. Especially at first.

Acton academies believe children can learn independently, discover their own motivation, and accomplish far more than most adults expect. Letting go of being a traditional school parent—probably an over-worried one at that—has not been easy. But just as Acton asks big things of learners, it also asks big things of parents.

Here are three things Inspire: An Acton Academy has taught me during my first two years as an Acton parent.

Acton Academy Parent Experience #1: You Don’t Have to Know Everything

For those of us who attended traditional schools—and whose children have attended traditional schools—it can feel unsettling not to know every detail of what is happening academically.

Many of us are used to:

  • Weekly schedules
  • Papers sent home for review
  • Progress reports
  • Report cards
  • Standardized tests
  • Academic awards

At Inspire, most of these don’t exist.

A simple reality eliminates the need for much of this reporting, scoring, and testing: children do not learn at the same speed.

Acton puts into practice what many parents already know. Learners move ahead at their own pace, master concepts when they are ready, and are recognized for achievements when they happen.

This shift has helped me move away from worrying whether my children are “ahead” or “behind” and instead focus on a more important question:

Are they learning? Growing? Taking ownership? Finding joy and accomplishment in meaningful work?

That mindset shift has been one of the most valuable parts of my Acton Academy parent experience.

Acton Academy Parent Experience #2: Your Children Will Surprise You

One of the greatest joys of being an Acton parent is watching your children surprise you.

Not long ago, my children came home with audition scripts for a studio production of Peter Pan. I was surprised not only that they wanted to practice their lines, but that they were excited to audition for specific roles.

A few months later, we watched learners perform a full production complete with British accents and remarkable confidence.

In a small studio like ours, productions such as Peter Pan and projects like Future City—a national engineering competition—require contributions from everyone. Every learner participates. Every learner matters.

Reading has brought its own surprises.

Learners demonstrate progress through self-selected books and written summaries. My graphic-novel-loving son has branched out into novels, a Harry Potter book, and even a history textbook.

My daughter has learned perseverance by finishing books she initially found boring, while also learning when it’s appropriate to pivot and choose something different.

Recently, she decided she wanted to strengthen her math skills over the summer so she could begin the following year working above grade level.

Again and again, I’ve seen children rise higher than expected when given ownership of their learning.

Acton Academy Parent Experience #3: Parents Can Keep Growing Too

At the heart of the Acton model is the belief that every child is on a Hero’s Journey—a unique path toward discovering their gifts and using them to make a difference in the world.

But Acton doesn’t stop there.

Parents are invited to embark on their own Hero’s Journeys as well.

For me, that journey began when we realized we had a child who loved coding. After an educational psychologist encouraged us to find a STEM club, we discovered there wasn’t one nearby.

So we started one.

Today, we operate one of the few 4-H-affiliated coding clubs in the state.

The challenge? I knew very little about coding.

Initially, I relied on online tutorials. Over time, however, I watched learners begin teaching one another, creating video games, e-books, and animations that reflected their own interests and creativity.

As the children became more capable, I learned to step back.

Acton helped me recognize that independence is not disobedience. Often, it is simply the desire to solve one’s own problems.

My confidence in the learners grew—and so did my confidence in myself.

Because I needed to support newcomers, I gradually learned more coding skills myself. This summer, I’ll even be helping lead an introductory coding camp at our local library.

One unexpected gift of the Acton Academy parent experience is realizing that I don’t have to have all the answers.

The Real Gift of Being an Acton Parent

My husband and I attended school in the 1980s and 1990s. Like many people, we grew up believing there was always one correct answer.

For some things, that’s true. Facts matter.

But between rigid facts and complete subjectivity lies a world of problem solving, creativity, teamwork, perspective, synthesis, and innovation.

Acton gives both learners and parents permission to fully engage their natural desire to learn, create, and grow.

After two years, I can confidently say that this Acton Academy parent experience has transformed how I view education.

And honestly, it’s a lot more fun than making sure my children finish their worksheets each week.

Curious About Inspire?

If you’re interested in learner-driven education and want to see what an Acton Academy parent experience looks like firsthand, we’d love to meet you.

Schedule a tour, visit our studios, and discover how learners are building independence, confidence, and purpose every day.