Our Story

We are parents on a journey to find a better way to educate our daughter, Madeleine.

We both had joyful early educational experiences, Nicole at an alternative elementary school in Ohio and David at a Montessori school in the Washington, DC, area. As young children, we loved learning and we loved the schools we attended, where our curiosity was celebrated as the key to learning.

Later, we both moved to traditional public schools. While we each have memories of a special teacher who inspired us, on the whole, standards and tests replaced curiosity and joy. School wasn’t fun anymore. We both “excelled” by conventional measures, earning admissions to good colleges and graduate schools. But something fundamental seemed to be missing.

After our daughter was born, we started to explore educational options for her. We realized that the world she would face would be vastly different—perhaps unimaginably so—from the world we encountered in our childhood. She would need to know how to learn, respond, innovate, and create in her own way rather than become skilled at taking tests and following instructions like we had. She would need curiosity and joy to fuel her educational journey—not just as a young learner, but throughout her childhood, college years, and beyond. The more we investigated, the more we came to see that traditional schools were not up to the task.

Then we discovered Acton Academy, a rethinking of school. Acton asks the fundamental question that was missing in our own educational experiences. What is education really for? Acton believes that education is not just about college, getting a job, or even starting a career. It’s about discovering a calling. It’s about answering the most fundamental questions: “Who am I? Where am I going? How do my passions and talents connect with the world around me? How can I serve a great need and even change the world?” Acton challenges students to become the agents and primary drivers of their learning, the entrepreneurs of their own education and life calling. That’s why we decided to join the hundreds of entrepreneurs around the world who are working to open an Acton Academy in their own community.

If, like us, you believe that traditional schools aren’t working and you want something deeper and more meaningful for your children’s education, then we invite you to explore Acton Academy of Washington, DC. Sign up for a personal tour and learn how you can become a founding family.

We hope you enjoy the journey!

David & Nicole

David Kirby, Founder and Guide

David is an entrepreneur, executive, and guide who has never stopped learning in his varied career. He credits his passion for math and drive to learn to an early experience with Montessori. David cofounded the annual Acton Children's Business Fair of Washington, DC to showcase the power of entrepreneurship for children ages 6 to 14. He cofounded Acton Academy of Washington, DC because he believes that school should be a place where children develop an entrepreneurial mindset and discover a calling. David completed Acton guide training under Acton cofounder Jeff Sandefer in Austin, Texas. He has organized Acton Summer Seminars on the Socratic method and Montessori principles. An advocate for lifelong fitness, David is also a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and CrossFit Kids Certified Instructor. He has degrees from Bates College and Harvard University, and he spent a wonderful year studying abroad at Oxford University.

Nicole Spencer, Founder

Nicole’s passion for education comes from attending an alternative elementary school as a child. That experience nurtured in her a lifelong love of learning, something she believes comes naturally to children and that schools should encourage and protect. Nicole cofounded the annual Acton Children's Business Fair of Washington, DC, and every year she is awed by the creativity, passion, and joy the children bring to their entrepreneurial creations. Nicole has been a Montessori primary assistant guide, and has also worked in tech startups, marketing, public policy, and international development. She received her AMI Montessori primary and elementary assistant certificates from the Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola University, and she has degrees from Georgetown University and the University of Chicago.

Samanta Arenas, Assistant Montessori Guide

Samanta was first introduced to Montessori at age two when she was enrolled in a Montessori school that she attended through eighth grade. Previously, Samanta worked as a biology and anatomy tutor and a trainer of emergency room medical scribes. In these roles, Samanta confirmed her love of guiding and is thrilled to be part of a team supporting the growth of young learners. Samanta completed Montessori early childhood assistant training and has a BA from Cornell University, where she played on the varsity volleyball team. She enjoys running with her track club, lifting, and reading.

Paige Becker, Assistant Montessori Guide

Paige attended a Montessori school as a child and is delighted to be back in a Montessori environment. She loves guiding curious and independent learners. In college, Paige worked with elementary learners as an ecology and ornithology teacher. She also mentored college students in a university avian laboratory. Paige earned a BA in biology from Cornell University, where she played on the varsity volleyball team with assistant Montessori guide Samanta Arenas. She has a passion for animals and the environment, loves practicing American Sign Language, and can be found playing recreational volleyball, reading, and hiking.

Aaryn Drapiza, Elementary & Middle School Guide

Aaryn is thrilled to be part of a school that is changing the world through learner-driven education. She has worked with children of all ages as a teaching assistant, swim teacher, and gymnastics instructor. She has experience facilitating Socratic discussions with undergraduates and is excited to use the Socratic method to help learners at Acton develop a deeper understanding of the human condition and of the world. Aaryn has a BA in humanities from Lee University. She enjoys reading, traveling, and singing along to musicals.

Konjit Hailu, Lead Montessori Guide

Konjit is an AMS trained Montessori primary guide who has served many roles in the field of Montessori education over the past decade. As a lead guide at Acton, she manages Acton’s Montessori program, plans the curriculum, and coaches and mentors team members. Most importantly, Konjit is attentive to the individual needs of learners and loves guiding them to reach their highest potential and develop their independence. Konjit has an MA in international education from The George Washington University and has worked to improve education systems in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, North Macedonia, and Ethiopia. She speaks French and her native language of Amharic fluently. Konjit has lived and worked in Europe and Africa and currently makes her home in Arlington, VA, where she lives with her three children and husband.

Aashna Mago, Director of Operations & Special Projects and Elementary Guide

Aashna is excited to be part of a school that is rethinking education and fostering a love of learning. She joins Acton Academy from Silicon Valley, where most recently she worked at Facebook on evaluation and user-centered research for K-12 initiatives. Previously, she worked in the virtual reality industry. Aashna holds a BS in computer science from Stanford University, where she cofounded Kids with a Cause, introducing design thinking to K-12 students. She enjoys experimenting with new recipes, playing tennis, or practicing a new language (currently, Greek!).

Zoë Persons, Assistant Montessori Guide

Zoë is delighted to be part of a Montessori and student-centered school. She has worked with children as a student teacher, nanny, and volunteer in a foster care program. During her senior year of college, she interned at an experiential preschool, an experience that sparked her interest in alternative education. Zoë has a BA in human development from Eckerd College and has completed the AMI Montessori 3-6 orientation training. She loves hiking, biking, practicing yoga, baking, and spending time with her chocolate labrador, Korra.

Nick Weber, Elementary Student Teacher/Guide

Nick is a senior at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, where he is studying elementary education. He was previously a student teacher in an elementary class at Durango Montessori School, and he has also worked as a camp counselor. Through these experiences, Nick has found a passion for guiding elementary learners. Outside of the classroom, he is an avid skateboarder. Nick is originally from Howard County, Maryland.

Jesse McCarthy, Advisor

Jesse McCarthy, founder of Montessori Education, is an expert in Montessori and child development, host of a top-ranked Montessori podcast, and a popular Montessori lecturer. He received his B.A. in psychology from UCLA and his AMI Montessori teacher's diploma for 2.5- to 6-year-olds from The Montessori Institute of San Diego. Jesse has worked with thousands of children, teachers, and parents through the years as an elementary and junior-high school teacher, as a head of school overseeing programs for infants to 8th graders, and as an executive and lead educator for LePort Montessori, the nation’s largest network of Montessori schools.

Jeff Sandefer, Advisor

Jeff is an entrepreneur and a Socratic teacher. As an entrepreneur, he began by starting his first company at age 16 and most recently sold Sandefer Capital, an energy investment firm with several billion dollars in assets.

As a teacher, he cofounded the Acton School of Business, a school dedicated to America’s next generation of principled entrepreneurs and famous for its 100-hour work weeks. The Princeton Review has consistently ranked Acton’s teachers, students, and program among the best in the country. While at the University of Texas, Jeff’s students voted him the school’s Most Outstanding Teacher five times, and he was named by Businessweek as one of the top entrepreneurship professors in America. He also cofounded Acton Academy (Austin), where he is a middle school lead guide.

Jeff has been a longtime board member of National Review, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, The Philanthropy Roundtable, and the Harvard Business School and is one of the youngest members ever elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame.

Laura Sandefer, Advisor

Laura is cofounder and head of school of Acton Academy (Austin). Raised by a science teacher and minister, Laura lived on both coasts and in between as a child and then landed at Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies in the College of Arts and Science.

After working in London and New York City in the aviation insurance business, Laura yearned to follow her heart into the world of teaching. She went back to Vanderbilt's renowned Peabody College and received her Master of Education. This led her to work in arts education at the Oklahoma Arts Institute. Laura later married Jeff Sandefer and has two sons and a stepdaughter. It is the inspiration of these children that led Laura and Jeff to cofound Acton Academy.

Her greatest hero is her beloved late mother, who was a master teacher as none other. Her wisest mentor is her father, who sent her off to college with two words of advice: "Be curious."