Counter Markets

Financial Newsletter for Free Marketeers and Libertarian Entrepreneurs

Education

How Microschool Networks Are Activating Education Entrepreneurs

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By Kerry McDonald When Katelyn Shore opened the first Wildflower Montessori microschool in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2014, she hoped it would be the start of something big. The vision, introduced by Sep Kamvar at the MIT Media Lab, was to create an open-source network of intentionally small, storefront, neighborhood Montessori microschools that would offer the tools and … [Read more...] about How Microschool Networks Are Activating Education Entrepreneurs

Why Former School Teachers Are Earning More Money As Education Entrepreneurs

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By Kerry McDonald When Emily Williams told her parents back in early 2020 that she was leaving her job as a certified public school teacher to launch a microschool, they thought she was crazy. Both longtime public school educators themselves, they couldn’t understand why Williams, who taught in Mississippi public schools for more than a decade, would want to give up a good … [Read more...] about Why Former School Teachers Are Earning More Money As Education Entrepreneurs

Will the Microschool Movement Last? Lessons from the 1960s “Free Schools”

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By Kerry McDonald Over the past couple of years, there has been a surge in the number of microschools spreading across the country. These small, multi-age, co-learning communities with hired educators were gaining popularity before the educational upheaval of 2020, but they were still very much at the edge of the educational landscape. The disruption caused by the pandemic … [Read more...] about Will the Microschool Movement Last? Lessons from the 1960s “Free Schools”

Are Innovative K-12 Education Models Coming To Your Community? It Depends On Where You Live

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By Kerry McDonald Chris Turner is inventing an entirely new category of education. It’s not school and it’s not homeschool, and it doesn’t fit neatly into existing regulatory frameworks. Turner’s startup, Moonrise.com, is truly an out-of-the-box learning model that too often gets boxed in, preventing its ability to launch or grow in certain US states. Turner decided to … [Read more...] about Are Innovative K-12 Education Models Coming To Your Community? It Depends On Where You Live

Hybrid Homeschooling and the Benefits of a Decentralized Education System

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By Kerry McDonald I presented at a conference last week hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School on emerging school models. I talked about the growth and diversification of the microschooling and hybrid homeschooling movement that was already underway prior to 2020 and that has since accelerated. Now, more families recognize the tremendous value of these hybrid homeschool … [Read more...] about Hybrid Homeschooling and the Benefits of a Decentralized Education System

Why This East Coast State Is Becoming a Hub of Education Entrepreneurship

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By Kerry McDonald New Jersey education entrepreneurs are embracing an ethos of permissionless innovation, creating new learning solutions that work well for children and others in their communities rather than trying to change an entrenched traditional school system. When Ben Ashfield and Tammy Tiranasar couldn’t find their preferred educational environment for their two … [Read more...] about Why This East Coast State Is Becoming a Hub of Education Entrepreneurship

More States Are Mandating Kindergarten. Here Are 3 Reasons Why That’s A Bad Idea.

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By Kerry McDonald This back-to-school season, many parents are eager to drop-off their kindergarteners to begin the 13-year journey toward high school graduation. It can be a joyful time, full of anticipation and excitement. But just because something may be desirable for many families doesn’t mean it should be mandatory for all. California is the latest state to try to … [Read more...] about More States Are Mandating Kindergarten. Here Are 3 Reasons Why That’s A Bad Idea.

How Disruptive Innovation Is Accelerating the Growth of Alternative Learning Models

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By Kerry McDonald Disruptive innovation usually begins on the margins, with a few, intrepid users embracing a new product or service. Abetted by new technologies, a disruptive innovation penetrates the mainstream when its quality is proven to be as good, if not better, than more established models. According to author and investor, Michael Horn, a classic example of … [Read more...] about How Disruptive Innovation Is Accelerating the Growth of Alternative Learning Models

How A Decentralized Education System Keeps Hubris In Check

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By Kerry McDonald Decentralization is crucial in all sectors but especially in education. While the past two years have been characterized in many ways by top-down policy approaches and greater centralization of power, there have also been positive signs of decentralization and bottom-up solutions. This has been particularly true in education, as parents seek new learning … [Read more...] about How A Decentralized Education System Keeps Hubris In Check

How One State Went From Bottom to Top in Education Choice and Innovation

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By Kerry McDonald In addition to expansive education choice policies, the Mountain State has seen the growth of microschools, learning pods, homeschooling collaboratives, and low-cost private schools that are meeting parent demand for more education possibilities. West Virginia has experienced a dramatic expansion of educational freedom over the past year, from the state … [Read more...] about How One State Went From Bottom to Top in Education Choice and Innovation

Autodidacticism — “Solutions Watch” with James Corbett

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By The Corbett Report Who said education was boring? On the contrary. Knowing more about the world, improving your skills and achieving success is electrifying and addictive. But first you have to learn how to learn. Autodidacticism is the process of learning about a skill or a subject without a formal teacher, and today Richard Grove of GetAutonomy.info is here to help us … [Read more...] about Autodidacticism — “Solutions Watch” with James Corbett