Mimi Rothschild is a pioneering child's rights advocate, has authored a total of seven books on children's education and home schooling including Cyberspace for Kids, and is the founder of several, distinguished online home schooling academies, all created to assist families with their every educational need. Mimi Rothschild is the co-founder of The MorningStar Home School Academy, a school dedicated to providing families with teacher-led home school curricula. A pioneer of children's rights advocacy and home schooling, Rothschild is leading the way towards new horizons in education.
Mimi Rothschild's passion for children's rights began at age 10. After watching the bloated bellies of Biafran children on the nightly television news, Rothschild took a coffee can and began her very own door to door campaign to collect change for hungry kids. Within several years, she led one of the nation's first Walks for Hunger which raised money for hungry children.
Mimi Rothschild's fight for children's rights took a domestic turn in 1983 when she gave birth to her first of eight children. Not pleased with the way public schools seemed to inhibit children's natural learning development, she decided to dive headfirst into the nascent world of home schooling. She authored an incendiary critique of the public school system entitled Children at Risk, after the government-sponsored report called Nation at Risk. Both reports suggested, "If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might have well as viewed it as an act of war."
She began home schooling several of her soon-to-be eight children. In 1987, Rothschild co-founded The Massachusetts Home Learning Association, a group dedicated to serving the needs of regional home schoolers. Throughout Mimi Rothschild's decades of home schooling, she had never been satisfied with the quality of curriculum materials available and had avidly worked with other home schoolers to establish co-ops, internships and real-life learning experiences.
In 1997, Mimi Rothschild and her daughter co-authored Cyberspace for Kids a series of books showing children how to take advantage of the vast informational resources on the Internet. Rothschild subsequently wrote Teen Resources on the Web: A Guide for Librarians, Parents and Teachers and co-wrote Crash Bang Boom: Exploring Literary Devices through Children's Literature.
During this time Mimi Rothschild was active in child advocacy by orchestrating such nonprofit groups like The National Organization for Children. These groups were dedicated to providing computers to hospitals which housed critically ill children and several other charity efforts. She set about developing online home school services that were able to bring the classroom to the child when the child couldn't come to the classroom. In the late nineties, Rothschild and her husband began developing the software and home school curriculum needed to accomplish such a feat.
Thus, the Learning By Grace, Inc. home school academies were born. Each academy brings a quality, Biblically-based education to the child. They allow parents with no education experience to provide their children with a great learning environment. With a firm focus on the child's individual development, courses are structured to address the unique needs of every child. Each home school course provides the child with the opportunity to improve their socialization skills, better their ethics, and to openly learn about God's magnificent Creation in a real world setting.
Mimi Rothschild combined her home school expertise with a vision to provide all home schoolers with cutting-edge online learning solutions when she launched The MorningStar Home School Academy in 2004. She recognized that many Christian families would love to send their children to a private Christian school but are unable to do so due to financial limitations. The MorningStar Home School Academy allows Christian students to receive home school curricula with help from a staff of professional teachers. Given her unquenchable passion for helping children to reach their dreams, clear that Mimi Rothschild won't rest until every child has the chance at academic excellence.
Contact:
Mimi Rothschild
The MorningStar Academy Home School Program
10 Shurs Lane, Suite 202
Philadelphia, PA 19127
215.487.3700
Mimi Rothchild's Curriculum Vitae
Mimi RothsChild
10 Shurs Lane - Suite 202 - Philadelphia, PA 19127 215.487.3700 - MRothschild@LearningByGrace.orgSENIOR EXECUTIVE
27 years successful veteran providing fiscal, strategic and operational leadership in education, technology and manufacturing
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
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Founder/CEO 2002-Present LEARNING BY GRACE, INC.
- Co-founded international provider of online educational programs for PreK-12 home school students
- Led a team of programmers, instructional designers, artists, editors, media specialists, and educators in the development of 150 online PreK-12 home school courses which contains over 32,000 home school web pages
- Developed 4th generation customized robust Learning Management System that enrolls, registers home school courses, logs instructional time, and hosts suite of learning tools
- Created and first to market with Talking eBooks
- Managed direct reports in Finance, Operations, Academics, Business Development, Legal and Technology Departments
Notable Accomplishments
- The Grace Academy, a partnership between home school parents and professionals to meet students' needs
- The Morningstar Academy, a private Christian home school serving home based learners
- The Jubilee Academy, an online home school curriculum provider that assists home educators
- The Victory Math Academy, an online home school tutoring service for students struggling with math
- Partners By Grace Home School Program which empowers non profit entities such as churches and schools to build their own virtual home school academies
- Created the first online home school curriculum for Pre-Kindergarteners
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Special Projects Director 1999-2002 TUTORBOTS, INC
- Technical specification documentation for learning management platform
- Recruited certified school teachers in all academic departments
- Supervised curriculum development of multimedia rich online courses
- Enrolled and supervised the education of 3300 students
- Ensured compliance with state charter & public school regulations
- Developed internal procedures and controls, allocated staff and implemented best practices and performance monitoring systems in support of Continuous Improvement
- Negotiated licensing agreements with vendors such as the computer, curriculum and Internet providers
- Supervised the identification of and delivery of special education services to over 300 students
Notable Accomplishments
- Recipient of Small Business Innovation Research Award for the development of S.A.L.L.Y, the system to advance lifelong literacy, a bot-based system that would tutor struggling readers
- Developed the largest cyber charter school serving K-12 students in the world
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Founder/CEO 1992-1996 AMAZING GRACIE'S, INC.
- Manufactured and retained a line of children's specialty clothing
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Vice President/Chief Designer 1990-1994 ROYAL CROWN NEWBURY
- Provided sculpting and design services to Walt Disney, Franklin Mint, Lenox China, Paradise Galleries
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Founder/CEO 1982-1990 ROTHSCHILD DOLL COMPANY
- Designed collectible dolls and plush to the collectibles market
- Managed the production in manufacturing on three continents
- Developed economic development outreach program in Jamaica, Haiti, Massachusetts and New Hampshire for single mothers to sew doll clothing and assemble dolls and teddy bears.
- Supervised the wholesale and retail distribution of product in all 50 states through major catalogues and toy retailers such as FAO Schwartz
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Owner/Operator 1979-1982 FORBES
- Owned and operated twenty three (23) retail stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware
- Supervised site selection, leasing agreements, store build out, and design
- Managed advertising and marketing initiatives including radio campaign
- Developed wholesale and retail distribution outlets
- Recruited and trained employee teams to staff stores
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PUBLISHED BOOKS
- Author, Mimi Rothschild, Children at Risk: How Schools Impede Learning, Change The World, Inc. 2007
- Author, Mimi Mandel, co-authored with Karen A. Gibson,Crash Bang Boom: Exploring Literary Devices Through Children's Literature, Upstart Books, a division of Highsmith Press, October 2002
- Author, The Einstein Academy Charter School Application, 250 page business model for the development of a robust K-12 virtual public school, 1999-2000
- Author, Mimi Mandel, co-authored with Aliza Mandel, Teen Resources on the Web: A Guide for Librarians , Parents and Teachers, Highsmith Press, June, 2000
- Author, Mimi Mandel, Cyberspace for Kids (Grades 1-2), Instructional Fair/McGraw-Hill, 1998
- Author, Mimi Mandel, Cyberspace for Kids (Grades 3-4), Instructional Fair/McGraw-Hill, 1998
- Author, The Mandel Kids, Cyberspace for Kids(Grades 5-6), Instructional Fair/McGraw-Hill, 1998
- Author, The Mandel Kids, Cyberspace for Kids(Grades 7-8), Instructional Fair/McGraw-Hill, 1998
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PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Written over 550 published articles on education including:- How Children Learn
- Play For the Brain
- The Socialization Myth
- Praying for the Prodigal
- The SAT's - A Fair Fight?
- Story Telling in Education
- The Great Grammar Debate
- Religion and the Charter School
- Recognizing Your Gifted Student
- Learning through the Enjoyment of Play
- The Dawn of a New Generation of School
- Charter Schools - Getting What They Pay for
- Redefining Traditional and Classic Education
- Teaching Your Child How to Think Critically
- Charter Schools - The Public School Renaissance
- Diplomas Aren't the Only Way to Get Into College
- Discovering Order for Kids with Psychiatric Disorders
- Benefits of Home schooling the Artistically Gifted Child
- The Maine Reform Experiment - More is Not Necessarily Better
- How Multimodal Distance Education has Supplemented Learning
- Let's Go Surfing - Use of the Internet for Career Counseling in Schools
- Technology Allows Young Composers to Hear and Discuss Their Own Music
- Policies and Perceptions - How do Admissions Officers View Home school Education?
- The Gospel According to Bruce, Presenter at Glory Days Symposium, Monmouth University
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SERVICE
- Founder, Ministry Grants, a program that provides scholarships of up to 80% of tuition to Christian schools for families that are in the full time ministry
- Co-Founder, The National Organization for Children, wrote grant applications for 1) an online medical error hotline, 2) CHILD LIFELINE, a program to place computers in all US children's hospitals, ADDVANTAGE, an online resource for children with Attention Deficit Disorder, children's holocaust museum and REACH, a state wide virtual charter school
- Co-Producer, RADIO GRACE, an online radio station streaming Christian worship, gospel, and rock music free of charge 24/7/365
- Executive Producer, The Learning By Grace Moment, a one minute radio program that about education and children in 130 Christian markets throughout the country
- Developer, eSchoolResources.com, a free online digital library that contains 5000 electronic textbooks, encyclopedias, bibles, dictionaries for use by educators
- Co-Founder, Massachusetts Home Learning Association, 1987
- Co-Chairperson, American Freedom from Hunger Foundation's Walk for Hunger, 1971, raised money to alleviate hunger in Tanzania and Appalachia
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HONORS & AWARDS
- Parent's Choice Aware, Cyberspace for Kids, 1999
- Best Children's Retail Store, Amazing Gracie's, MetroKids, 1996
- DOTY Doll of the Year Award, Doll Reader Magazine, 1985
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EDUCATION
Temple University - BA in Radio, Television & Film -
MARRIED
Since 1979 with 8 children
Dear Jubilee Academy,
I want to say a big thank you and let you know that my family has greatly benefitted from utilizing your online program. It has been a tremendous blessing to us for the past 2 years and we look forward to having our second son begin your program in the upcoming months.
We began the process of homeschooling because we were unsatisfied with the amount of learning that our first son was getting while involved with the Headstart Program. My wife's ability to teach became evident, in that what she provided at home put our son ahead of what he was getting in Headstart's educational program. We looked at other Homeschooling Curriculums and we were even given a full curriculum for free from another homeschooler. Although it was free for us, it cost them a great deal of money and we felt a sense of obligation to explore the program and use it as much as we could. This was a short-lived experience.
We discovered that my wife's time was greatly spent in trying to organize lessons and keep records, but her passion was in teaching, being creative, and allowing our son (only one at the time) to explore ways of learning. We searched online and found your program. I can't even completely remember how we ended up with your program, as there were many to look at, but I truly believe that it had to be God.
I know that we were concerned with the record-keeping and we needed some direction in the lesson planning. Your program gave all of that and more. We would have been satisfied with just the online lessons, because we were prepared to buy reading materials and other supplemental learning materials to assist us. But, pleasantly surprising, your program provided those materials and more. It even provided software (CD's and DVD's)!
So, I could go on and on and on. Suffice it to say, my wife and I value education tremendously and we invested in our children's future (financially, spiritually, and with our time given to them). Your program gives us the commodity of time, because it helps us to be efficient. Thank you so much for developing this program and making it available for us and many other families. Your focus on Christ is evident, you are open to hearing feedback and acting upon it, and you provide sufficient materials for families to use. Although your program is a business and needs to survive by bringing in funds for future existence and growth, at the same time you have caring and professional people working for you on the front and back end. That part is not a necessity. That part is done because you care about the people that you are serving.
On that note, I want to thank you for sending your staff to the INCH Conference on May 2nd and 3rd, 2008. They were fantabulous (okay, yeah, that's not a real word, but you understand)! We were so happy to see the Jubilee Academy represented. When I saw the logo, I was like -Yes!- on the inside and I immediately went and spoke to them. Later, I told my wife to close her eyes and informed her that she had some old "new" friends to meet. I brought her over and introduced her and she was so happy! We told them about how much we love the program and how we even purchased a large screen TV and hooked up the computer to it, so that my oldest son, Marcas Jr., could do his Jubilee work!
In the upcoming year, we will be enrolling my younger son, Mitchell, into your program and we look forward to continued success and freedom to educate our children with your organized, Christ-focused curriculum. You have been, and are right now, an answer to our prayers. If there's anything I can do to further your progress, please let me know.
Marcas Bradley, MA, LPC, SCL, Ed.S.
Mimi Rothschild is pleased to introduce a free resource for online homeschoolers at www.TheNarniaAcademy.org. According to Mimi Rothschild, "we are offering 12 free weeks of online lessons for the movie Prince Caspian". In addition to the educational material for homeschoolers on Caspian, the website also offers 12 weeks on The Lion, Witch and The Wardrobe. Go to www.TheNarniaAcadmey.org to sign up for this free homeschooling resource.
Mimi Rothschild, Founder of the Learning By Grace, Inc. Family of Academies has recently sponsored a child through Compassion International. While attending Creation East last week, I came across the Compassion table and was instantly drawn to a magnificent little girl from Rwanda named Izabrizia. Without looking at another child on the table, I knew she was the one our family was to sponsor." It is a great privilege to be able to help, even in a very tiny way, with the enormous plight of impoverished children. Compassion International is one of the world leaders in providing humanitarian aide to children.
Mimi Rothschild's Thoughts on the Most Current Home Education News
Cyber Field Trips
-by Mimi Rothschild With winter weather and the time pressures of getting ready for the holidays, homeschoolers may be spending less time out and about. We can still give our kids the benefits of field trips, though. Later in this post, you’ll find a list of just some of the many wonderful museums you can visit [...]
Read MoreHomeschoolers on the Move
-by Mimi Rothschild Are you traveling away from home soon? Homeschooling families have (yet another) advantage over public school families in that they have the flexibility to travel without having to miss school. Still, you will probably have to make some adjustments. Here are some ways to approach schooling during the holidays: • Adjust your routine. Many families [...]
Read MoreParent Learning: A Homeschool Side Benefit
-by Mimi Rothschild When we think of homeschooling’s benefits, we usually think of the opportunity to provide a first-class education at much less than the cost of a typical private school, the chance each child has to work at his or her own pace and in the best way for that particular child, or the blessings [...]
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