Our Team
Learners at Acton Academy Johnson City are supported by a dedicated team of experienced Socratic Guides.







Co-founder

Who are we?
Sarah and Kurt are the parents of 9 beautiful children, ages 6-27, and one beautiful granddaughter. We love music, UT football, camping, the beach, fishing, and serving in our church congregation.
Kurt (MBA, ETSU) is a business project manager and strategist for an AI startup. He has always wanted to start his own business and improve education. Sarah (BA, BYU) has been a stay-at-home mom for 27 years, while running a piano studio on the side. She has a passion for Theoretical Psychology and Agentive Behavior Theory. She homeschooled her older children for 15 years, while also experiencing public and lottery-school education with her children intermittently. Finding the Acton Network has been a dream come true.
How did we get here?
When we discovered the Jeff Sandefer podcast with Jordan Peterson, we were blown away by just how good education could be. We wanted it for our children who are still at home, but there wasn't one anywhere near us.
As a mom, Sarah always knew that when her youngest would be old enough for school, she would want a new challenge, and the timing was perfect. When this opportunity came, she was ready - but terrified. Part of the Hero's Journey philosophy explains that if you are on the right journey, it will likely terrify and thrill you at the same time. As Joseph Campbell once penned, "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." It has been a life-changing journey that we are blessed to be on. We are proud to be a part of the growing movement of microschools helping children find their calling to change the world.
We invite you to explore this opportunity for your child to develop their genius and change the world with us.
Sincerely,
Sarah and Kurt Fagerburg
Co-Founders

Acton Academy Johnson City is part of the network of over 300 Acton Academies around the world. We follow the same exact Learning Design (curriculum) and learning model that our owners helped create at the original Acton Academy campus.
We currently offer:
Spark OR Homeschool Enrichment Studio 4-5 year old Part-time Homeschool Enrichment Studio, OR 5 - 7 Year Old Full-time Spark Studio
Discovery 7 - 11 Year Old Learners
Adventure 11 - 14 Year Old Learners
Launchpad Launching 2027
Yes. We are fully accredited from preschool through 8th grade by Middle States Association.
No. AAJC does not operate a childcare program. We have a Preschool program accredited by Middle States Association starting at age 4.
Please contact Acton Academy Johnson City directly for information about part-time or co-op type homeschool programs.
Our Campus is located at 1201 E. Unaka Ave Johnson City TN, 37601.
Tuition for full-time enrollment is $850/mo for an 11-month year ($9350 /yr) starting in Fall 2025/26.
Part-time enrollment is $475/month for Fall 2025/26
We offer sibling/family discounts and need-based scholarships on a case-by-case basis.
For Fall 2026, we will be able to accept vouchers from the State of Tennessee, which should cover 86% of tuition. Need-based scholarships will still be available in addition.
If you believe you are a good fit for Acton, please apply as soon as possible so we can help you navigate the voucher process in January. Spaces will fill up quickly.
Yes. We are accredited through the Middle States Association. This makes us a Category 3 school in Tennessee, qualifying for EFS funds. Please apply directly to the State of Tennessee: Department of Education, to receive those scholarships for your family.
For the academic year 2026-2027, the application date for "renewals" is Dec. 9th, 2025. The "new application" date is Jan. 13, 2026. The deadline is Jan. 30th, but the scholarships are first-come, first-served, so be ready at the first moment they open. Check our Facebook page for our ESF Parent Workshop to help you get ready.
These scholarships are for children entering Kindergarten through 12th grade in the fall of 2026.
Yes, it is true. We are not required to do TCAP testing. We use the Iowa standardized test, but not for a grade. We simply use it to compare a learner to themselves. We report the results to parents.
In order to protect the learning environment of our current learners, we do not offer tours during school hours, but we do schedule Parent Info Sessions and campus tours as part of an audition process. Please click apply now in the top menu bar to start the audition process.
We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori’s philosophy but, we are not a Montessori school. We also use the latest interactive technologies, hands on projects and the Socratic Method for discussions.
We operate on an eleven month calendar, but our flexible program allows families to travel together during the year, without sacrificing any learning.
We are open to Believers, Searchers, and Non-Believers alike and expose children to the importance of mindful spirituality and stress the historical importance of Christianity to the development of Western Civilization. Children are welcome to practice their religious beliefs at school (prayer, bible study, etc). When questions arise around religion, spirituality, or beliefs, guides direct heroes to their parents. We believe parents hold the responsibility to teach their beliefs to their children. And guides don't answer questions! They ask questions, and direct religious questions to the child's parents, ie, "I bet your Mom or Dad would love to have you ask them that question."
Lord John Emerich Edward Dahlberg Acton (1834-1902) was a Victorian scholar of Freedom who saw liberty not as a license, but as the freedom to do what was right. He was suspicious of power for the sake of power, which led to his most famous quote: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." At Acton Academy, we celebrate his defense of economic, political and religious freedom.
We believe that each of us has a special calling in life, and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose, in order to live a satisfying and fulfilled life. Our mission is to prepare your child for his or her special journey.
Someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems—admit that they don't know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help — participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.
Running Partners are classmates who meet together regularly to set goals and hold each other accountable for meeting those goals. Running Partners encourage and inspire each other by asking good questions, listening and providing affirmation.
We believe that children learn best when working with children younger and older than themselves rather than split up into groups based solely on age. In addition to individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in groups.
We believe each of our students will find a passion — something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. This may be by becoming a shoe-shiner who tells stories and makes people's day just by doing his job with love and vigor; it may be by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero's Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people's lives.
We believe in liberty and justice and the ideals of the American revolution as the cornerstones of civilization. In addition to experiential learning, we will study the American documents and the true meaning behind them, as we examine other cultures and forms of government.
We discourage "boyfriends" and "girlfriends" of any gender at Acton Academy Johnson City and do not allow for public displays of affection - kissing and hand-holding, etc, or teasing about liking each other, etc. Brief hugs are acceptable if they have permission from the other person. Our "no touching" policy means we don't touch others without permission, or it is an agreed-upon appropriate game, like basketball, tag, or flag football.
Guiding Beliefs
We believe that when individuals are not old enough to be married, it is not healthy to enter into exclusive romantic relationships. Many studies support this as well. Early pairing off discourages the healthy relationships with all boys and girls that they should be learning to maintain. It also causes premature emotional trauma when relationships cannot be sustained and breakups occur. Trauma is not healthy at any time in life, but it is especially damaging in childhood. The time for exclusive pairing is when they are old enough to support an independent relationship. This will vary for all children, but regardless, Acton Academy will expect all romantic relationships to happen away from school at every age, lol! (I hope you can appreciate the humor here!)
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