Fired for Saying No: COVID Mandates, School Shutdowns, and Alternative Education with Stephanie Edmonds

New York City history teacher Stephanie Edmonds never imagined that her dedication to her students would one day cost her the career she loved. But during COVID, as she watched extended school shutdowns devastate her students’ mental health and academic progress, she began speaking publicly about the harms she was witnessing firsthand. When New York City rolled out vaccine mandates for teachers, Stephanie refused — and was ultimately fired for standing by her convictions. What began as a personal crisis became the catalyst for a profound transformation.In this episode, Stephanie shares the inside story of how pandemic politics, teachers’ unions, and bureaucratic pressure kept schools closed far longer than promised — and how those decisions reshaped a generation of children. She also takes us behind the scenes of 15 Days: The Real Story of America’s Pandemic School Closures, the new documentary she helped create that exposes what was really happening behind closed doors. Today, Stephanie is part of the Lavender Village, a homeschool-based, spiritually grounded learning community in Connecticut, where she teaches, supports families, and helps build a parallel model of education outside the systems that failed so many. Through her work and her platform Teaching Liberty, she’s showing what it looks like to reclaim agency, create community, and live in alignment with deeper principles. This is a conversation about courage, intuition, educational freedom, and choosing creation over compliance. Stephanie’s story is a powerful reminder that new systems are already emerging — built by the people willing to take the first step.Learn more about Stephanie at https://www.instagram.com/teachinglibertyWatch the 15 Days documentary at https://www.15daysfilm.com/Support Terrain Theory on Patreon! Our recently-launched member platform gives you access to a ton of free & exclusive content. Check it out: https://www.patreon.com/TerrainTheoryHelp support Ryan and Briana's road to recovery by donating to our GoFundMe set up in their name. Every penny will go to cover the costs of associated with healing their terrain using alternative, terrain-friendly methods. Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ryan-briana-heal-from-pfas-exposureTerrain Theory episodes are not to be taken as medical advice. You are your own primary healthcare provider.If you have a Terrain Transformation story you would like to share, email us at [email protected] more at www.terraintheory.netFollow Terrain Theory:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrain_theory/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Terrain-TheoryX: https://twitter.com/terraintheory1YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@terraintheoryMusic by Chris Merenda