We were lucky to catch up with Mark Parmet recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mark , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
After spending 20 years in education, I had the opportunity to start my own school, which was rooted in a philosophy I’m deeply passionate about: Community Based Learning. This approach encourages students to engage directly with the world around them, making education relevant and meaningful by connecting it to real-life experiences. However, as we implemented this model, I quickly realized that while the vision was exciting, the practical aspects presented significant challenges for teachers. They were tasked with designing curriculum that not only met state and national standards but also created authentic learning opportunities tied to the community.
This wasn’t a simple balancing act—it was an enormous burden. Teachers were often overwhelmed by the need to plan and execute lessons that aligned with both educational requirements and meaningful, real-world experiences. Even those who were enthusiastic about taking their students beyond the traditional classroom struggled to find the time and resources to create effective, engaging lessons. What became clear to me was that while schools were open to progressive education models, very few had the tools or frameworks in place to support them.
Most curricula and school models still rely heavily on traditional settings and standardized approaches. Even in cases where schools did try to adopt community-based or experiential learning, the process was often inefficient and frustrating. The time teachers spent on planning often took away from their ability to focus on their students. The larger challenge was that, without a clear structure for integrating standards with real-world projects, schools found it difficult to provide evidence of student learning, which is crucial for assessment and accountability.
This is where my idea for the software was born. I wanted to develop a solution that would streamline the planning process for teachers while allowing them to focus on what matters most—engaging students in meaningful learning. I envisioned a platform that would not only help educators design curriculum aligned with academic standards but also facilitate the creation of real-world, community-centered projects. By integrating these two components, I knew we could help teachers overcome the common hurdles they face and ultimately enhance student outcomes.
The excitement I felt about this idea stemmed from the fact that very few educational tools were addressing this gap. While progressive education is gaining momentum, the support systems for teachers—particularly when it comes to planning and curriculum design—are still lacking. I saw this as an opportunity to offer something truly unique, a platform that empowers teachers to implement Community Based Learning in a way that is both efficient and impactful. This endeavor, for me, is about solving real problems that schools face and supporting a vision of education that prepares students for the real world, not just tests.
Mark , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve spent over 20 years in education, holding various roles—from teacher to administrator to school founder. My journey into this field wasn’t just a career path, but a mission rooted in the belief that education should go beyond traditional classroom instruction. It should spark curiosity, encourage growth, and connect students to the world around them. This drive led me to create my own school, Einstein Academy, where I focused on a model called Community Based Learning (CBL). This approach allows students to engage directly with real-world problems, using their communities as a learning resource while making meaningful contributions.
Through my experiences, I realized that many students, while mastering academic content, often felt disconnected from how that learning applied to their lives. It became clear that traditional education wasn’t fully preparing them for the complexities of the real world. I wanted to change that by offering an approach where learning was not only about knowledge but also about action. But even with this vision, I quickly saw how difficult it was for teachers to create and implement a curriculum that could achieve both academic rigor and authentic, experiential learning. This inspired me to develop a solution that would make it easier for educators to design curriculum that aligns with standards and also provides students with real-world, community-based learning opportunities.
My software addresses the challenges teachers face when trying to balance traditional academic requirements with the need for engaging, meaningful projects. By simplifying the curriculum design process, the platform allows teachers to create lessons that tie directly to community involvement while meeting educational standards. It helps educators take the leap from the classroom to the community, facilitating hands-on projects that encourage students to think critically and apply their learning in tangible ways.
What excites me most about this work is the opportunity it creates for teachers to transform their classrooms into dynamic learning environments. Many educators are eager to move beyond test preparation and rote learning, and this platform gives them the tools to make that shift. It empowers them to design lessons that not only meet academic benchmarks but also inspire students to engage with their communities and take ownership of their learning.
The work I’m doing is deeply rooted in the idea that education should prepare students for the complexities of the real world. My platform helps educators bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world problem-solving in a way that’s both manageable and effective. It’s about providing teachers with a system that supports their vision of deeper, more impactful education while helping them meet the requirements that schools and districts demand.
Ultimately, my goal is to help educators design lessons that are both academically rigorous and transformative for students. By integrating standards-based learning with community engagement, the platform ensures that students aren’t just learning—they’re applying their knowledge in ways that make a difference in their communities. This is where I believe education can truly shine, and it’s the driving force behind everything I do.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In the early days of Einstein Academy, I had a clear vision: to create a school where students could learn beyond the confines of traditional classrooms, engaging with their communities through hands-on, real-world experiences. It was a bold idea—Community Based Learning (CBL)—and while it wasn’t the easiest approach to implement, I knew it was the future of education. The school quickly gained traction, attracting like-minded educators and families who shared my belief in a more dynamic, experiential model of learning. We were on a path toward something truly special, but then, like many others, we were hit by the unexpected: the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic brought sudden challenges that none of us could have foreseen. Schools everywhere were forced to adapt, and Einstein Academy was no exception. The very foundation of our CBL model—learning through community engagement—became nearly impossible when social distancing measures and lockdowns went into effect. We struggled to keep the essence of our learning model alive, and without the ability to engage directly with the community, our hands-on approach became increasingly difficult to maintain. After months of trying to hold it together, we ultimately had to make the heartbreaking decision to close the school.
In that moment, it felt like the culmination of years of hard work had been stripped away in an instant. However, instead of seeing this as the end, I saw an opportunity. I realized that the challenges we faced at Einstein Academy weren’t unique to our school—teachers across the world were grappling with similar issues. They were overwhelmed with the pressures of meeting educational standards while also trying to find innovative ways to keep students engaged, whether in-person or virtually. That’s when I started thinking about how I could take what we’d built at Einstein Academy and translate it into something that could benefit educators on a much larger scale.
The concept of developing a software platform that could help teachers design standards-based, community-focused projects began to take shape. I wanted to create a tool that would streamline the process of curriculum planning, making it easier for educators to integrate real-world, experiential learning into their lessons—even in a world where in-person community engagement might be limited. The software would not only support teachers in their lesson planning but also allow them to continue fostering the kind of deep, meaningful learning experiences we had aimed for at Einstein Academy.
Building this software wasn’t without its own challenges. Transitioning from running a school to developing an educational platform was a steep learning curve, but I was determined to make it work. I drew on the lessons learned from the struggles we faced at Einstein, using them to shape the design and functionality of the platform. Each step of the development process was a reminder of why I started this journey in the first place: to give teachers the tools they need to inspire students and help them see the real-world value of their education.
Today, the software is a testament to resilience—not just mine, but the resilience of educators everywhere who continue to push forward, even in the face of unexpected obstacles. While the closure of Einstein Academy was a difficult chapter, it ultimately set the stage for something much bigger. The software is now in development, and I am excited about its potential to revolutionize how teachers approach learning, allowing them to bring the world into their classrooms no matter the circumstances.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
When I first embarked on my journey to innovate education, I was full of energy and optimism. I believed that with the right vision and determination, we could make sweeping changes to how schools approached learning. Whether it was through launching Community Based Learning or rethinking curriculum design, I was confident that real transformation could happen quickly, especially if everyone shared the same passion for improvement. But as time went on, I realized that this belief was far too simplistic.
In my early efforts, I often felt frustrated by the slow pace of progress. We introduced new ideas and practices that I believed would instantly resonate with both teachers and students. However, what I encountered was resistance—not necessarily because people disagreed with the changes, but because education is deeply rooted in tradition. Even when people see the potential for a better way, stepping away from established norms takes time. I had to come to terms with the fact that changing a system as large and entrenched as education doesn’t happen overnight.
One of the pivotal moments for me was during the launch of Einstein Academy, a school founded on Community Based Learning. I was excited about how the school could push the boundaries of traditional education, but soon I realized that implementing new learning models required far more patience than I anticipated. Teachers needed time to adapt, parents needed reassurance, and students needed gradual exposure to new approaches. Despite the clear benefits, change came in small increments, and I had to adjust my expectations accordingly.
I learned that systemic change is not a quick sprint—it’s a marathon. This was especially clear after Einstein Academy had to close due to the pandemic. Even then, while pivoting to develop my software platform, I was reminded that meaningful progress is often the result of persistence, small steps, and constant adjustments. The work I was doing—shifting mindsets and providing new tools for educators—required not just innovation but also patience. Change, especially at the foundational level, takes time to be fully embraced and implemented.
This shift in mindset was crucial for my growth. Instead of seeing the slow pace as a setback, I began to view it as an essential part of the process. Each small victory—a teacher trying a new method, a student finding deeper engagement, or a school experimenting with Community Based Learning—was a sign that the change was working, even if it wasn’t happening as fast as I originally envisioned. It wasn’t about forcing progress, but about nurturing it.
Looking back, unlearning the belief that change happens quickly was one of the most important lessons of my career. It allowed me to see the bigger picture and understand that true, lasting transformation takes time, persistence, and a commitment to the long game. The journey may be slower than expected, but the impact is far more profound when it’s built step by step.
Contact Info:
