Education Revolution: Meghan Freeman of IlluminateXR On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming Education
An Interview With Dr. Bharat Sangani
Sometimes the thing you are building is also building you.
The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Meghan Freeman.
Ms. Meghan Freeman M.Ed. is an education leader, founder, and Co-CEO of IlluminateXR, where she works at the intersection of learning, AI, virtual reality, and human development. Her work centers on a question that matters more than ever: how do we ensure students are actually thinking in a world where technology can generate answers in seconds? At IlluminateXR, she helps build learning experiences that prepare students and educators for a fast-changing future while keeping people, not systems, at the center.
Before co-founding Illuminate XR, Meghan served as CEO of Elite Academic Academy, a California public charter school she helped build from the ground up. Under her leadership, the school was recognized as a California Distinguished School for closing achievement gaps, maintained a 98% teacher retention rate, and reported zero audit exceptions year after year. Earlier in her career, she was named Teacher of the Year in 2011, a reflection of the classroom-first perspective that still shapes how she leads today.
Across every chapter of her career, Meghan has focused on creating better opportunities for students, stronger support for teachers, and learning systems that prepare people for real life, not just the next test. Her voice is grounded, clear, and deeply human, shaped by years of leading schools, building teams, and learning firsthand that the best education is never just about performance. It is about people, growth, and giving learners the tools to meet the future with confidence.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
I grew up in education. My mom was a public educator for thirty years, so classrooms were just part of my life. I was around lesson plans, school events, classroom setups, all of it. I saw up close what it looked like when somebody gave everything they had to kids, and that stayed with me.
Becoming a teacher felt like the obvious next step. I spent ten years in the classroom, and in 2011, I was honored as Teacher of the Year for my district. After that, I moved into administration, earned my master’s degree in school administration, and worked in traditional public school systems. A lot of my work focused on closing achievement gaps, improving MTSS, and building trust with families and staff. For a long time, I thought I was headed toward becoming a superintendent.
Then my life changed, and my work changed with it. I moved into the charter world during a season when I needed a role that let me be home while still working in education. This was well before COVID, and I stepped into a non-classroom-based model. I ended up loving it. I liked the flexibility, and I liked that it forced me to rethink some of what I had always assumed school had to be. I also got to see charters for what they were, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Coming from the traditional side, I knew there were plenty of opinions about charter schools, but I could also see more and more families choosing them. I wanted to understand that for myself.
That is where things started to change for me. I did not just become more familiar with charter schools. I started to see how much was possible there. Things could move faster. The focus could stay on kids. You could build something different if you had the right people and the will to do it. Somewhere in there, I stopped thinking about the superintendent path. I knew I wanted to build, and I knew CEO leadership was ahead of me.
That belief led to co-founding the Elite Academic Academy with a strong team. We started with a big vision and a clear belief that kids deserved better. In 2023, the school was named a California Distinguished School, not because students lived in the right zip codes, but because we were closing achievement gaps for often underserved student populations. That mattered to me because it got to the heart of why we built the school in the first place.
Later, when AI started changing education in a very real way, I could see that another big change was coming. I had an idea for professional development that looked very different from what I had seen before, one that treated teachers like professionals and gave them room to think, try things, and grow. With a great team, we built Elite X. Once I saw what that work was doing, I knew it could not stay inside one school. That is what led me to co-found IlluminateXR with Colin MB Cooper and Dr. Brent Woodard, so we could take what we learned and put it in the hands of more districts, more teachers, and more students.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
One of the most interesting parts of my career was realizing that building one school was getting me ready for something bigger.
When we started Elite Academic Academy, I was focused on building a school that worked for kids. Not just on paper, but in real life. Building it from the ground up taught me what that actually takes. It takes systems, culture, trust, hard decisions, and a lot of problem-solving. It also takes the discipline to keep coming back to the question, “What is best for students?” even when everything around you gets noisy.
Over time, that work led to another idea. I wanted teachers to have a very different kind of professional development experience, one that treated them like professionals, gave them room to try things, and helped them grow without fear. That became Elite X, with more than 180 hours of professional development and weekly non-evaluative coaching.
Once we saw what that was doing for teachers and students, I knew it could not stay in one school. That is what eventually led to IlluminateXR. We took what we had learned through building a school and through supporting teachers at a deeper level and turned it into something that could help more districts, more educators, and more students.
The lesson for me was simple. Sometimes the thing you are building is also building you.
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
I have sat in a lot of different seats in education, and that changes what you see. I have taught in the classroom, worked in traditional school leadership and charter school leadership, helped start a school from the ground up, and now I am helping build something bigger through IlluminateXR.
Starting a school teaches you fast. You see what falls apart when systems are weak. You see what happens when teachers do not feel supported. You see what families need from a school and what students need from the adults leading it. That kind of learning stays with you and, it changes you.
I do not speak about education from the outside. I have been in it, and I have had to make hard calls, build with a team, fix what was not working, and keep going when people did not always understand the direction. That gives me a very honest view of schools, what helps, what gets in the way, and what kids need from us.
A lot of what I know came from doing the work, not talking about the work, and the best part is I was able to get strong results.
Can you identify some areas of the US education system that are going really great?
There are many good things happening, and I think it matters to say that. More people in education are asking better questions than they were even a few years ago. The conversation is moving away from just getting through content and more toward what students actually need when they leave school. I have been in circles that have been talking about this for years, and now it is nice to see more schools taking action.
I am encouraged by schools that are willing to question old systems instead of protecting them just because they have been around a long time. I am encouraged by leaders who are rethinking intervention, schedules, support systems, and the role relationships play in learning. I am also glad that more people are talking openly about things like communication, adaptability, critical thinking, and self-awareness as real priorities.
I also think it is a good sign that education is finally being more honest about AI. Pretending it is not changing things would be a mistake. The fact that more schools are willing to ask good questions is a good place to start.
Can you identify the key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
Teacher support has to be near the top of the list. If we want classrooms where students think deeply, take risks, and build real 21st-century skills, then teachers need more than a one-day training and feedback that feels like judgment. They need real development, real support, and room to grow. This is a shift in how education has been built, and it will take time.
That is one reason Elite X mattered so much to me. We built more than 180 hours of professional development along with weekly non-evaluative coaching. We made space for teachers to try new ideas, reflect honestly, and get better without feeling like every move was being scored. The change was real and so exciting to watch. Teachers felt reenergized, and many told us the experience changed how they taught and how they connected with students.
That matters because students do not experience school through policy. They experience it through teachers. When teachers feel trusted and prepared, students feel the difference. I also think we need to stop acting like compliance and the right answer are the main signs of learning. They are not enough, and we need to spend more time focusing on what we call at IlluminateXR the Power Six: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, metacognition, synthesis, and curiosity.
Strong intervention and acceleration systems matter too. Students need schools that can spot needs early, respond well, and work with families instead of around them. When those systems are weak, gaps grow. When they are strong, kids have a much better shot at growing, learning, and finding success after school.
Please tell us all about the innovative educational approaches that you are using. What is the specific problem that you aim to solve, and how have you addressed it?
What we kept running into was this: schools can see grades, missing assignments, and finished work, but that does not always tell you much about what a student actually understands. A student can turn something in that looks great and still be lost. Another student might be making real progress, but you would miss it if you only looked at the final score. AI has made this problem worse.
That is why we built IXR Nexus through IlluminateXR. Nexus helps teachers see more than the end product. It gives them a better view of what is happening while a student is learning, when they are stuck, when something starts clicking, when they are making connections, and when they are reworking their thinking instead of just guessing and moving on.
That kind of view changes things. Teachers can step in sooner and can respond better. They can get a clearer sense of what each student needs instead of waiting until a grade shows up and hoping it tells the full story.
A lot of this grew out of what we learned through Elite X. We saw over and over that when teachers are trusted, backed well, and given room to do their work, they notice more, respond better, and push learning further. Nexus came out of that same belief.
At the end of the day, Nexus helps schools see student growth with a lot more honesty, allowing teachers to personalize learning in a much clearer way.
In what ways do you think your approach might shape the future of education? What evidence supports this?
Schools have gotten very good at measuring finished work, but that still does not tell you much about what is happening while a student is learning. That part has always depended on strong teachers paying close attention. The problem is, when a teacher is carrying 150 to 180 students, even the best ones can miss things. There is only so much one person can catch.
That is where IXR Nexus comes in. It helps schools look past grades and missing assignments and get a better sense of what is going on while students are working. Teachers can get insight into when a student is stuck, when they are starting to connect ideas, when they change direction, and when understanding starts to settle in. They can then support a student before the test arrives. A finished product can hide a lot, and we have all seen that.
I also think it pushes schools to expect more. Not just completed work, not just compliance, not just a polished answer. It puts more value on thinking, problem-solving, and the kinds of skills students are going to need later. The business world has been saying that for years. I have seen the power of making these human skills a priority, and the students are the ones who benefit.
Teacher support still matters too, just not as a side note and not as the whole story either. Through IXR, schools can build professional development that fits where they are instead of handing everyone the same training and hoping it sticks. It is personalized and built to give teachers insights they can use the next day. It’s personalized and built to give insights that teachers can use the next day. It gives teachers practical, small ways to make learning visible, allowing them to see the shift from compliance to learning firsthand.
The reason I believe in it is simple. This came out of real work. We saw what happened when teachers were supported well and students were pushed to think more deeply. Nexus came out of those lessons. It gives schools a better way to see student growth for what it is, while it is happening.
How do you measure the impact of your innovative educational practices on students’ learning and well-being?
I start with student growth because academic progress matters. At the same time, I do not think scores tell the whole story.
I pay attention to engagement, confidence, ownership of learning, and whether students are being asked to do the kind of thinking that will actually matter in life. If students are more curious, more reflective, more willing to wrestle with hard ideas, and more able to explain their thinking, that tells me something important.
Teacher experience matters too. The 98% teacher satisfaction rate mattered because it showed we were building something that supported the adults as well as the students. Teacher feedback also showed that many felt reenergized and believed the Elite X experience changed the way they taught and connected with students.
For me, the healthiest model is one where students are growing, teachers feel trusted, and the culture supports both challenge and reflection.
What challenges have you faced in implementing your educational innovations, and how have you overcome them?
A big challenge is that people want different results, but they do not always want to change the conditions that produce those results. Teachers get asked to do new things while carrying the same pressure, the same workload, and the same fear of getting it wrong. That does not work.
That is one reason Elite X mattered so much. We wanted teachers to have room to try, reflect, and improve without feeling like someone was waiting to judge every step. Once that fear starts to lift, people work differently.
AI has brought its own set of challenges too. Some people want nothing to do with it. Some people want to move too fast. I have found that the best path is usually slower than people want and more thoughtful than they expect. You have to keep coming back to the same question: Does this help teachers and students or not?
I have also had the benefit of building with a strong team. This work would not exist without that.
Keeping in mind the “Law of Unintended Consequences” can you see any potential drawbacks of this innovation that people should think more deeply about?
Yes. I do think about that.
One thing I worry about is schools getting too comfortable with AI and starting to give it space that still belongs to teachers. That is where I get uneasy. A tool can help, and a tool can support, but a tool should not start replacing the judgment of a good teacher or the relationship a teacher has with a student.
I also think about how uneven this could get. Some schools are going to have the staff, time, and training to do this well. Some are not. That is just real life. When that happens, the gap can grow fast. We already have enough gaps in education. I fear AI is going to widen them.
The other part for me is the human side of school. Students still need adults who know them well. They need somebody who notices when they shut down, when they are trying, when they are covering, when they need a push, and when they need a little grace. No tool does that the way a teacher does. My best memories in school are from good teachers who took the time to see me as an individual. Those relationships can change a student’s life.
So yes, I think there is real value here. I also think schools need to be careful. Use it in a way that helps teachers, not in a way that slowly pushes them out of the center.
What are your “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started”?
- Relationships are not extra. They are the foundation of everything else.
2. A well-run school does not happen by accident. It takes strong systems and constant attention.
3. Listening to teachers and parents will teach you things data alone never can.
4. Doing things differently takes courage. Some people will misunderstand you, and you have to learn how to keep moving anyway.
5. I wish I had known sooner that chasing test scores does not work. When we put human intelligence first for both teachers and students, and made 21st-century skills the priority, the scores rose significantly anyway. Deep learning, strong relationships, and real skill-building ended up driving the outcomes we wanted all along.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my favorite quotes is, “We can do hard things.”
I love it because it is honest. It does not pretend that difficult things are easy. It simply reminds us that hard things are still possible.
That has been deeply true in my life. Building schools, leading through change, raising a family, and continuing to move forward through every season have taught me that some of the most worthwhile things in life come through perseverance.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I would love to sit down with Mel Robbins. She has a gift for simplifying ideas and helping people understand them in a way that feels doable. I love that sense of, “If I can do it, you can do it too.”
I really admire the career she has built, and her honesty resonates with me. I also respect the fact that she keeps growing, keeps improving, and keeps showing up in a real way. I connect with that because I have done hard things, and she has done hard things too. There is something powerful about people who are honest about the work it takes to keep going.
Her “Let Them” theory also speaks to me because public leadership is not easy. I think a conversation with her about courage, leadership, growth, and what it actually looks like to keep improving would be incredibly meaningful. I would genuinely love the opportunity to be on The Mel Robbins Podcast. I think the conversations we are having around teachers, leadership, AI, and the future of learning would connect with her audience.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can follow my work at IlluminateXR.com, connect with me on LinkedIn, and visit MeghanKFreeman.com to stay up to date on what I’m building and sharing.
Thank you for sharing these insights!
About The Interviewer: Dr. Sangani (“Doc”) is a thriving cardiologist, business owner, husband, father and friend. His latest venture — LifeRx — is a community committed to helping growth-minded professionals create happiness through the pillars of health, wealth and connection.
Education Revolution: Meghan Freeman of IlluminateXR On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.