For Michele Fasnacht, education works best when students are given room to discover what they are good at.
That idea has shaped Solid Rock Community School, the private K–12 school she founded in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The school combines individualized academics with smaller class sizes, hands-on learning, wellness, sustainability, animal care, and Compassionate Humane Education.
The goal is not to push every child through the same path. It is to understand how each student learns, where they feel confident, and what helps them stay engaged.
Building Something Different
Fasnacht’s approach to education grew out of her own life experiences. She has spoken about childhood trauma and bullying, experiences that later influenced how she thought about school environments and the importance of making students feel supported.
“I have never been motivated by popularity or following the crowd,” Fasnacht said. “I have always been willing to think differently and follow my own path when I believe it is the right one.”
That mindset became part of Solid Rock Community School.
From the beginning, the school focused on smaller classes, individualized learning, and close partnerships with families. Fasnacht wanted students to feel known instead of feeling like one person in a large system.
For some children, that can mean additional help in a difficult subject. For others, it may mean having the flexibility to move ahead, explore an interest, or learn through a project rather than relying only on a textbook.
Finding What Clicks
One of the ideas behind personalized education is simple: students do not always show their strengths in the same places.
A child who struggles with one type of assignment may become highly engaged when asked to solve a practical problem. Another student may discover an interest through gardening, environmental work, animal care, or a hands-on project.
Fasnacht sees those moments as important.
“I think about the students who gained confidence, discovered a passion, overcame obstacles, or found a place where they felt accepted and supported,” she said.
Solid Rock uses what it calls living classrooms to give students more of those opportunities.
Students can connect academic subjects with the school’s seed-to-table garden, sustainability activities, wellness programs, animal care, and project-based learning.
The idea is not to replace academics. It is to give students more ways to understand and apply what they are learning.
Learning Through Responsibility
Solid Rock Community School also uses Compassionate Humane Education throughout its K–12 culture.
Students are encouraged to think about how people, animals, and the environment are connected. Concepts such as responsibility, kindness, critical thinking, stewardship, and respect are built into everyday school experiences.
Sanctuary at Solid Rock adds another layer to that model.
Students can learn about rescued animals, habitats, behavior, conservation, and care. Those experiences give them real responsibilities and a chance to see how knowledge is used outside the classroom.
Older students who develop a serious interest in animal-related careers can take that further.
Turning Interests Into Careers
The school’s S.A.V.E. program, short for Sanctuary for Animals and Veterinary Education, is designed for high school students interested in veterinary medicine and animal-care careers.
The multi-year program includes a veterinary lab and instruction from experienced professionals, including a veterinary technician and veterinarian.
Students may study animal behavior, grooming, rescue and rehabilitation, wildlife conservation, veterinary assisting, veterinary medicine, animal rights law, habitats, and sustainable food and gardening.
Depending on when they enter the program, students can also build clinical and practicum hours, work toward certifications, and earn college credits.
Students may gain experience around dogs, cats, farm animals, reptiles, birds, exotic animals, and primates.
For Fasnacht, S.A.V.E. is an example of what can happen when schools give students enough space to explore an interest in depth.
A student does not have to wait until college to find out whether an animal-related career is right for them.
Learning From What Does Not Work
Fasnacht also believes personalized education requires schools to keep changing.
She has said that not every idea introduced at Solid Rock worked the first time perfectly. Programs have been adjusted. Operations have changed. Feedback from families and staff has influenced how the school has grown.
“Successful leadership is not about avoiding mistakes,” she said. “It is about being willing to evaluate what is working, acknowledge what is not, and make thoughtful changes when necessary.”
That same flexibility applies to students. If one approach is not working, the answer is not always to push harder. Sometimes the better choice is to find a different way for the student to connect with the material.
Looking Beyond Grades
Fasnacht does not dismiss academic achievement. She sees it as one part of a larger picture.
“I define success by the positive impact we have on the lives of our students,” she said. “Academic achievement is important, but true success goes beyond grades and test scores.”
For her, success can also mean a student becoming more confident, finding an interest, learning to think independently, or developing a clearer sense of purpose.
That is the idea at the center of Solid Rock Community School.
Students may arrive with different strengths, challenges, and interests. The school’s job is to help them figure out what they can build from there.
Interview with Solid Rock Community School
Why is helping students identify their strengths so important?
Students often know what they struggle with long before they understand what they are good at. I think education should help change that. When students discover an area where they feel capable and interested, their confidence can grow. That confidence often carries into other parts of school and their lives.
How do smaller classes support personalized learning?
Smaller classes make it easier to know students as individuals. Teachers can notice when a student is struggling, needs a different challenge, or something has suddenly caught their attention. Those details matter. Personalized education starts with relationships and with actually understanding the child in front of you.
What have students taught you about different learning styles?
They have taught me not to make assumptions. A student may have difficulty in one setting and completely surprise you in another. Sometimes a hands-on project, an animal, a garden, or a real-world problem reveals abilities that were not obvious in a traditional lesson. We need to give students enough different experiences to discover those strengths.
How does Compassionate Humane Education fit into that approach?
Compassionate Humane Education encourages students to think critically about how their choices affect people, animals, and the environment. It also creates opportunities to practice responsibility, respect, kindness, and stewardship. Those are not separate from education. They are part of preparing students to make thoughtful decisions in the real world.
What does S.A.V.E. offer a student who is interested in animals?
It gives them the chance to explore that interest seriously while they are still in high school. Students can gain exposure to veterinary medicine, animal behavior, rehabilitation, conservation, and other areas while building practical experience. They may earn certifications, clinical hours, and college credits. Just as importantly, they can begin figuring out whether this is really a path they want to pursue.
How do you know when Solid Rock Community School is succeeding?
I think about individual students. I think about the student who gained confidence, the student who discovered something they loved, or the student who finally felt accepted and supported. Grades matter, but those moments matter too. If we help students understand their strengths, develop character, and leave with a stronger sense of who they are, I consider that meaningful success.
