The LadyK Podcast
Saving America One Child at a Time
Join Katy McKinney, “Lady K”, the Head of School at Lafayette Academy: A Classical School for an inspiring podcast series dedicated to Saving America through the excellent education of our children. At Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, we are committed to Saving America through the right education of our children, fostering a rigorous, content-rich, classical liberal arts program that cultivates both academic excellence and virtuous character.
Our mission is to develop the intellectual and personal habits of each student, preparing them to lead responsible, virtuous, and productive lives. We believe in Saving America 🇺🇸 one child at a time by equipping students to become contributors and leaders in their homes, communities, businesses, and government. Through a curriculum rooted in the principles of our Founding Documents, we nurture intelligent and virtuous American citizens who understand and live by the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, endowed by our Creator.
Each episode explores how Lafayette Academy: A Classical School's vision shapes students into statesmen, entrepreneurs, and servant-leaders dedicated to God, country, community, and family. Tune in to discover how we forge character, inspire service, and build a foundation for a free, just, and happy society—one student at a time.
Episodes
25 episodes
Published by the Federal Reserve: Lafayette Students Explain the Invisible Hand Behind a Hit Song
What does a popular song have to do with economics?In this episode, Katy sits down with four Lafayette Academy students whose economics project was selected for publication by the Federal Reserve's Journal of Future Economists. ...
What Great Relationships Teach Us: A Senior Thesis Conversation
In this special episode, Head of School, Katy McKinney, sits down with one of Lafayette Academy’s students, Ellie Schweizer, who just completed her senior thesis exploring virtue, friendship, and the “good life” through the philosophy of Aristo...
Lafayette’s Approach to History: Forming the Moral Imagination and Future Citizens
In this episode of the Lady K Podcast, Katy McKinney pulls back the curtain on how Lafayette Academy: A Classical School teaches history, and why it’s so much more than dates, battles, and tests.From kindergarten stories about George Was...
Forming Future Citizens An American Education Worth Preserving with Guest Dr. Khalid Khan
In a free nation, education is never neutral, it is always forming something.In this episode, Dr. Khalid Khan explores what it really means to educate a child for citizenship, not just academics. Through examples like the restraint of Ge...
It Started With a Question: Academics or Character?
Why would someone start a school from scratch?In this episode of the LadyK Podcast, Katy McKinney shares the real story behind founding Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri. It wasn’t a business plan or a ...
The Hidden Skills That Shape Great Students | Classical Education at Lafayette Academy
What truly makes a student successful?Grades and test scores are only part of the story. In this episode of the LadyK Podcast, Katy McKinney, Founder and Head of School at Lafayette Academy, a classical school in Lake Saint Louis, Missou...
Before You Enroll: 4 Questions That Reveal a School’s True Culture
Choosing a school can feel overwhelming, but, it doesn’t have to be.In this episode, Katy McKinney shares four specific questions every parent should ask when visiting or considering a school. These questions go deeper than academics and...
The ROI of Classical Education: Choosing the Right School for Your Family
Choosing a school is one of the most significant investments a family will ever make, but, how do you evaluate the return?In this episode of the LadyK Podcast, host Katy McKinney, Head of School for Lafayette Academy, sits down with Joe ...
Screens, Attention, and Learning: A Classical School Perspective
Parents are noticing something is off, shorter attention spans, constant distraction, and learning that feels harder than it should.In this episode of the Lady K Podcast, Katy McKinney, Founder and Head of School at Lafayette Academy: A ...
Life After Lafayette: Discipline, Shooting, and Marin McKinney’s Path to Hillsdale
Life After Lafayette Academy, a Lake Saint Louis classical school, as alumna Marin McKinney shares how her education prepared her for high-level shooting at Hillsdale College.In this episode of the LadyK Podcast, KatyMcKinney sits down w...
More Than Politeness: Manners and Etiquette at the Heart of Lafayette Academy
At Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, manners and etiquette are not simply expectations, they are foundational to how the school day begins and how students are formed.In this episode, Katy McKinney explains why manners matter beyond...
No Screens, No Problem: How Handwriting and Real Books Are Transforming Our Students
Classical education can feel unfamiliar to many parents, especially when they first walk into a school without computers, see students handwriting notes, or hear about things like the Paideia or a senior thesis. In this episode, Katy M...
From Kitchen Table to 125 Students The Lafayette Academy Classical School Story
Show summary here. Join Katy McKinney, founder of Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, as she shares the beginnings of a classical school that’s now home to over 125 children. From a single moment of wonder at the kitchen table to a decade of...
Mission Moments: How Virtue Builds Unshakeable Kids
Founder and Head of School Katy McKinney shares “mission moments” from Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, real snapshots where students’ character shines. From a first‑year student who refuses to quit a body‑drag challenge, to a ninth‑grade...
Why Our School Isn’t Chasing Accreditation
Accreditation sounds reassuring—but it doesn’t always mean better learning. In this episode, Katy McKinney shares why Lafayette Academy chose not to pursue accreditation and how the school measures excellence instead. She explains what colleges...
Dunkirk and the Rescue Mission for America’s Kids
The LadyK Podcast invites parents, teachers, and community leaders to rediscover the timeless truths that shape strong minds and hearts. Hosted from Lafayette Academy in St. Charles County, Missouri, each episode explores topics like classical ...
Cultivating Gratitude: The Antidote to Entitlement
In a culture that often fuels comparison and entitlement, what if the real key to joy is something far simpler — gratitude?In this episode, LadyK explores how practicing thankfulness can transform families, classrooms, and communitie...
Why History Matters with Keith Preston
Join host Katy McKinney, founder of Lafayette Academy, for a compelling conversation with Mr. Keith Preston, a dedicated U.S. history teacher with seven years at the school. In this episode of the Lady K Podcast, Keith shares his journey from i...
Planting Seeds for Stronger Families
Ever wonder how your family’s daily efforts could shape a thriving, virtuous future? In this captivating episode of the Lady K Podcast, Katy McKinney, Founder and Head of School of Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, unveils key pra...
Classical PE: Building Strong Minds Through Strong Bodies with John Schweizer
In this episode of The Lady K Podcast, host Katy McKinney, Founder and Head of School for Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, a Hillsdale College Curriculum School in Lake St. Louis, MO, dedicated to shaping knowledgeable, virtuous, an...
Preserving Our Republic: How Classical Education Fights for Freedom and Family
In this episode of The Lady K Show, Katy McKinney, founder of Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, shares her passion for preserving American values through classical education. Inspired by Thomas Jefferson Education and Cultural Literacy, sh...
Victor Not Victim: Building Resilient Learners
In this episode of the Lady K Podcast, Katy McKinney reflects on her journey from business to education, emphasizing the importance of enabling students to adopt a victor mentality rather than a victim mentality. She shares her personal experie...
Why Teach Self Governance
In this conversation, Katy McKinney discusses the critical role of religion in democracy, emphasizing how it fosters a culture of voluntary law obedience. She explores the importance of teaching virtues and character in education, particularly ...
The Importance of Teaching Our Children History
In this conversation, Katy McKinney, founder of Lafayette Academy, shares her journey into the world of history education, sparked by a profound lecture she experienced on American history. She discusses the importance of teaching history in sc...
Classical Education - The Solution to the Educational Crisis
In this conversation, Katy McKinney "LadyK" discusses the current crisis in American education, highlighting the mediocrity in both public and private schools. She shares how her journey of founding Lafayette Academy: A Classical School, is aim...