2025-06-19 Gary Sheng & Colleen Sechelski Alpha Schools Education Discussion Transcript Summary

Meeting Context

• Setting: Video call with Gary from Tulsa, Colleen from Texas, and Cody from Navasota, TX
• Purpose: Colleen and Cody seeking information about Alpha Schools and alternative education models
• Tone: Educational consultation evolving into spiritual and philosophical alignment discussion
• Key Development: Gary's honest assessment of Alpha Schools limitations leads to deeper conversation about faith-centered education

Participants Background

• Gary Sheng: Strategic advisor to Alpha Schools, currently in Tulsa, increasingly disillusioned with the organization
• Colleen Sechelski: Childcare business owner (0-5 years), former registered nurse, operates play-based learning approach with "God first" philosophy
• Cody: Campus owner from Navasota, TX with 17,000 sq ft facility on 2.5 acres, connected through Zoe Ministries

Major Topics Discussed

1. Alpha Schools Model Explanation

Founder Story and Philosophy: Gary explained Alpha Schools' origins

"Alpha schools is interesting. It's started from a personal problem of the founder Mackenzie Price, exploring, basically K end up needs for for her kids when they were like, five years old... being unsatisfied, right? And so she was a big fan of Montessori, but also understood the gaps in in how Montessori can be run."

Core Model - Montessori 2.0: Two-hour common core plus exploration

"so I think it's been like an ongoing, like, journey of how to figure out how to do modesto 2.0, basically, where you have like, you give kids a lot of freedom to explore, but also you make sure that they don't miss the common core. so you get commonmon core done through. basically, iPad, um for like younger kids for the first two hours of the day, and then they explore, you know, their passions um with workshops and live skis training for the rest of the time."

Human vs Technology Role: Philosophy of delegation and focus

"where Alpha schools has really tried to shift um the human to is more just pouring love and being like a almost like a shepherd of the kids versus like memorizing a bunch of facts. Like they they wanna basically delegate, you know, a lot of the drilling of standard facts um about math and science and, you know, foundational, like memorizing formulas, et cetera, into apps as much as they can."

2. Critical Cost Assessment

Prohibitive Licensing Fees: Gary's honest assessment of accessibility

"I think that an important thing to flag is it's quite expensive. and I I um so that that's one of the my my biggest reflections on the organization... right now, the the current licensing fee is $10,000 per year per student, right? And so that's that's pretty pretty insane, honestly, pretty like it basically makes it inaccessible for basically everyone. That's not not like a super rich parent."

Monthly Software Costs: Breakdown of technology expenses

"It's it's not even like I mean I it's not even a it's not even you don't even have like a a subscription that you can like pay a month for each person to use it right now it's like almost $900 a month as much you're telling me. $800 a month. It just to use the software. Yeah, per kid."

Market Timing Assessment: Future cost reduction predictions

"I think there will be there I think there will soon be competitors that are kind of equally good that are like a tenth of the cost. Maybe it maybe soon a hundredth of the cost, seriously... I would say so. I think it's it's basically reserved for super rich families right now."

3. Colleen's Educational Philosophy Alignment

Play-Based Learning Validation: Strong philosophical alignment discovered

Colleen: "I can tell you that I love that model. I pulled my child out of public school when she was at grade school., because of the frustration and the structure of how they did how it w just how it was done. um, and even with my little kids here, we have a very playbased approach that is more of a shepherding type than a c than a monasterory type."

Movement-Oriented Approach: Practical implementation details

Colleen: "Like I my kids sit for maybe maybe 30 minutes uh in a day, they are moving around a lot. They are playing a lot. We keep a lots of toys and things to do. um because I don't believe and I believe in playased approach to learning."

Technology Integration Interest: Balanced approach to screen time

Colleen: "although my age group is regulated by the state of Texas because you cannot have a quote unquote daycare singer without being regulated. um, they still get um screen time and tablet time once they turn two so I could integrate some of what you're doing into what I'm doing."

4. Regulatory Challenges and System Resistance

Texas Regulatory Environment: Fighting system pressure

Colleen: "what happens is is because it's a highly regulated industry, um you get you will get sucked into that and you'll start to operate based on, uh what is recommended in the industry, which is very similar to a public school model. So I have to constantly fight against that."

Texas Rising Star Program: Resistance to compliance metrics

Colleen: "there's programs in Texas rising Star that they want you to do all these certain things so that you can be have these stars so that you can get more money and it's enticing, but the stuff shows up to your building and there's two guys and a kid in the photo that you're supposed to hang on the wall. And I'm like, let me throw all this crap away, you know?"

Minimum Compliance Strategy: Balancing funding with values

Colleen: "doing the bare minimum so that I can, you know, you have to be part of a program so that you can accept government funding for children that cannot afford childcare. So it's like you have to do the bare minimum so that it doesn't infect your whole your whole program."

5. Gary's Growing Spiritual and Educational Concerns

Technology and Spiritual Order: Divine hierarchy emphasis

"I'm like, I'm honestly getting to the point where I don't even know, like, if I want to be involved in starting any school that's not doesn't put God at the center... we must make sure we keep the divine order of God as the sovereign creator divine orchestrator, um, and then below that is we are serving God, then below that is AI and other technologies as tools of humans that are serving God, right?"

YouTube Brain Rot Concern: Technology addiction observations

"I was visiting a friend in Dallas. uh yesterday and I was we're having breakfast. It is two little kids like five and eight, and they were just glued to this like desktop computer watching like AI generated videos... And like, there's probably nothing new to you, right? Like you've probably seen the YouTube brain YouTube generation, the brain rods and like, I'm super concerned about that."

Millennial and Gen Z Assessment: Cultural diagnosis

"I feel like millennials in Jen Z are just basically we wait we like we we wasted them. We wasted them... like we we we we no one knew what social media would do to us. and like I just I feel like it's the most confused, lost generation. two generations, really."

6. Faith-Centered Education Vision

Christ-Centered Requirement: Gary's evolved standards

"I don't want to work with anyone that's not Christ-centered anymore. And if they are not explicitly, they better have outstanding proof. That the fruits of their work and the way that they act is essentially Christ-centered."

Atheist Educator Critique: Spiritual assessment of educational leadership

"anyone that is a atheist atheistic educator, atheistic technologist is is probably gonna ruin our kids. Like, I I I I hate to say it, but it's just like I don't hate to tell the truth, right?"

Secular School System Critique: Analysis of government education failure

"my my renewed view of education is like, okay, we already created a fallen education system as soon as we create we made it so secular where we can't even talk about God without getting like sued or whatever, right?"

7. Educational Choice and ESA Support

Educational Savings Accounts: Policy alignment

"I'm glad that we have the ESAs now, right? That's that was a big win so that parents have more choice... so that there's that all the schools are on ele level playing field. That's all that. We don't ask for alternative education or private schools to have a a leg up."

Jurisdictional Competition: Vision for educational marketplace

"it's it's it's it's it's literally just level playing field... increase it as much as possible. um, so that there's that all the schools are on ele level playing field."

8. Colleen's Curriculum Development Plans

Self-Developed Curriculum: Independence from existing systems

Colleen: "I've I've searched, I've looked like I'm to the point where I'm fixing to just write it myself. because it's no matter what you do or where you go or what you get involved in, even if it's Christian curriculum, it there's still things that, you know, and I just I just, you know, I just you just never know what you're gonna get."

Divine Confirmation: Spiritual encouragement received

Colleen: "So it's really good to be on phone you, Gary to say, it's almost as if the Lord has said, you're head been the right direction, keep doing what you're doing, and don't get boggged down in the system, you know?"

9. Alternative Education Scale and Selection

Garden of Eden Approach: Small-scale excellence focus

"my job is basically to say no to. almost everything. Um, now, because it's it's like a it's it's a superf fallen fallen world. Like, and I'm actually like of the mind that you basically just have to create like little gardens of Eden that could be like as small as like five kids at a time, right?"

Quality vs Scale Philosophy: Principles for educational expansion

"if you don't feel confident about the approach you're taking, why why are you scaling it, right? Why are you sc yeah. That's super funny, yeah. Why are you making it? Why are you scaling it?"

Parent Education Need: Broader cultural challenge

"we live in such a fallen time that everyone needs to be reeducated, uh, includ maybe especially parents, um, because it all it's all downstream from parent decisions."

10. Strategic Assessment of Alpha Schools

Organizational Disillusionment: Gary's evolving perspective

"I found myself shutting up and being very, very not very, very non-proactive when it comes to like corporate alpha schools calls because I'm like, oh, they don't even want my help because I've actually raised my concerns about a lot of things and they actually find me annoying that I bring up these things."

Better Secular Schools Acknowledgment: Nuanced position

"I do think that there needs to be better secular schools because there's gonna be secular schools, right?... I think it I think like the standards are so low that it is possible, right? It's probably like likely that in alpha school, if you can afford it is a good option, right?"

Personal Decision: Gary's family choice

"But like it's it's it's I would not send my kids to alpha schools, right? Like that's just that's what I would say, right? I don't have kids, but I won't I I won't send my kids to any school that it is not because of ego."

11. Future Educational Innovation Vision

Kingdom Education: Alternative framework development

"Dude, we could we we could change education. We could we could be the pioneers of what what is how to do it the right way. Yeah, basically like kingdom education, like, I like that, yeah, yeah, that's good."

Invention Necessity: Creating new educational models

"I've been so unimpressed by almost every school, you know, model that I've heard of that is why I'm literally going to help invent a new way of schooling."

Key Philosophical Alignments

1. God-First Education

Both Gary and Colleen demonstrated strong commitment to faith-centered education:

• Gary: "God → Human → AI. Never get it twisted."
• Colleen: "Which is God which is God first, you know?"

2. System Resistance

Both participants showed sophisticated understanding of institutional pressure:

• Regulatory compliance vs values alignment
• Minimum compliance strategies to maintain funding while preserving mission
• Recognition that "the system" actively works against innovative education

3. Play-Based Learning

Strong philosophical alignment on child development:

• Movement-oriented rather than seat-based learning
• Shepherding approach vs traditional classroom management
• Technology as tool rather than replacement for human connection

4. Practical Implementation Focus

Both demonstrated real-world experience with educational innovation:

• Colleen's operational childcare facility
• Gary's strategic consulting with Alpha Schools
• Cody's infrastructure resource availability

Strategic Implications

1. Market Gap Identification

The conversation revealed significant market opportunity:

• Alpha Schools serves only wealthy families ($10,000+ annual licensing)
• Demand exists for faith-centered alternatives at accessible price points
• Regulatory environment creates barriers but ESAs provide pathway

2. Implementation Partnerships

Natural collaboration framework emerged:

• Colleen: Operational expertise and existing facility
• Cody: Infrastructure resource (17,000 sq ft campus)
• Gary: Strategic vision and network connections

3. Curriculum Development Opportunity

Multiple participants expressing need to "write their own curriculum" suggests market demand for comprehensive faith-based educational materials.

4. Technology Integration Strategy

Balanced approach needed:

• Limited, purposeful technology use for foundational skills
• Heavy emphasis on human connection and spiritual development
• Resistance to technology-replacement of educators

Notable Quotes

On Alpha Schools Cost Barrier:

"right now, the the current licensing fee is $10,000 per year per student, right? And so that's that's pretty pretty insane, honestly, pretty like it basically makes it inaccessible for basically everyone."

On Divine Order in Education:

"we must make sure we keep the divine order of God as the sovereign creator divine orchestrator, um, and then below that is we are serving God, then below that is AI and other technologies as tools of humans that are serving God, right?"

On System Resistance Strategy:

"we are doing the bare minimum here. We are not trying to get five stars, we are trying to get one star. I don't care, you know, so that we can continue to receive those kids that need the childcare and still stay true to my values."

On Educational Purpose:

"if you don't feel confident about the approach you're taking, why why are you scaling it, right?"

On Kingdom Education Vision:

"Dude, we could we we could change education. We could we could be the pioneers of what what is how to do it the right way. Yeah, basically like kingdom education."

On Curriculum Independence:

"I'm to the point where I'm fixing to just write it myself. because it's no matter what you do or where you go or what you get involved in, even if it's Christian curriculum, it there's still things that, you know."

On Parent Education Crisis:

"we live in such a fallen time that everyone needs to be reeducated, uh, includ maybe especially parents, um, because it all it's all downstream from parent decisions."

On Garden of Eden Approach:

"you basically just have to create like little gardens of Eden that could be like as small as like five kids at a time, right?"

Action Items and Follow-up

Immediate Next Steps

1. Contact Exchange: Gary provided phone number (630-240-5555) for continued collaboration
2. Resource Sharing: Gary committed to sending "various things" including spiritual reflections
3. Curriculum Development: Potential collaboration on faith-based educational materials
4. Infrastructure Planning: Exploration of Cody's campus for educational implementation

Strategic Development Areas

1. Regulatory Navigation: Developing frameworks for faith-based education within state requirements
2. Technology Integration: Creating balanced approach to educational technology
3. Financial Modeling: Developing accessible alternatives to expensive licensing models
4. Network Building: Expanding connections within faith-based education community

Long-term Vision

Development of "Kingdom Education" model that:

• Puts God first in all educational decisions
• Maintains play-based, movement-oriented learning
• Integrates technology appropriately without replacement of human connection
• Operates within regulatory requirements while maintaining spiritual mission
• Provides accessible alternatives to expensive private options

Assessment and Significance

This conversation represents a significant moment of alignment between practical implementers (Colleen and Cody) and strategic visionary (Gary) around faith-centered educational innovation. The honest assessment of Alpha Schools' limitations, combined with the participants' shared commitment to God-first education and system resistance, created foundation for potential collaborative development of alternative educational models.

The conversation demonstrates the tension between market-available solutions (Alpha Schools) and values-aligned approaches, while identifying practical pathways for implementation through existing infrastructure (Cody's campus) and operational expertise (Colleen's facility).

Most significantly, the discussion evolved from technology-focused inquiry to spiritual and philosophical alignment, suggesting that successful educational innovation in this market requires explicit faith foundation rather than secular approaches with religious accommodation.