By Eric Wearne In May the National Hybrid Schools Project at Kennesaw State University hosted the first Hybrid Schools Conference on campus. 175 people from over 30 states traveled to Kennesaw to meet and talk about their experiences with schools which meet a few days per week, and ask their families to homeschool the rest of the week. Most of these schools around the … [Read more...] about How Hybrid Schools Are Finding Each Other…and Joining Forces
Education
Empowerment, Exit and Entrepreneurship Will Continue to Transform Education
By Kerry McDonald Over the past two years of social and economic disruption, U.S. education has experienced an extraordinary transformation that can best be defined by 3 “Es”: Empowerment, Exit and Entrepreneurship. Empowerment Beginning in the spring of 2020, and prompted by widespread school closures and remote schooling, parents began to reclaim control of their … [Read more...] about Empowerment, Exit and Entrepreneurship Will Continue to Transform Education
Could Employer-Based Microschooling Be The Newest Workplace Perk?
By Kerry McDonald When Elon Musk created a small school for his children and some of his SpaceX employees on the company’s California campus, he created a spark that could just now be catching on in other workplaces across the country. In a 2015 interview about the school, the billionaire inventor said: “The regular schools weren’t doing the things that I thought should … [Read more...] about Could Employer-Based Microschooling Be The Newest Workplace Perk?
New Data Show the Exodus From Public Schools Is Continuing
By Kerry McDonald Since 2020, more families have been fleeing local district schools for other options. Homeschooling rates doubled in that year alone and remain high today. Home-based “pandemic pods” have evolved into established microschools and co-op arrangements that have worked better for many families than a conventional classroom. Catholic schools, like other private … [Read more...] about New Data Show the Exodus From Public Schools Is Continuing
Teacher and Mom of Four Launches Mask-Free Learning Center in Response to Parent Demand
By Kerry McDonald The coronavirus response over the past two years has transformed education, putting parents back in the driver’s seat and inspiring education entrepreneurs to create new K-12 learning models. There are signs that entrepreneurship flourished during the pandemic response, as employment disruptions prompted individuals to launch new businesses. A new … [Read more...] about Teacher and Mom of Four Launches Mask-Free Learning Center in Response to Parent Demand
4 Positive Education Trends to End 2021
By Kerry McDonald There is a lot to be frustrated about as 2021 concludes. Some places are back in lockdown over rising coronavirus cases, while others are re-imposing previous restrictions and introducing new ones—including my city. But at this joyful time of the year, I choose to be optimistic and focus on all the good things happening right now, particularly in the … [Read more...] about 4 Positive Education Trends to End 2021
This Microschool Network Is Booming as Families Flee Government-Run Schools
By Kerry McDonald When Jessica Gregory and her husband moved from the Washington, D.C. area in 2020 to a suburban community north of Boston, they expected to find a school for their children that was similar in quality to the one they left behind. They were disappointed to discover that classroom and behavioral management consumed much of the school day, and a rigid … [Read more...] about This Microschool Network Is Booming as Families Flee Government-Run Schools
Why College Degrees Are Losing Their Value
By Peter Clark The concept of inflation (the depreciation of purchasing power of a specific currency) applies to other goods besides money. Inflation is related to the Law of Supply and Demand. As the supply of a commodity increases, the value decreases. Conversely, as the good becomes more scarce, the value of the commodity increases. This same concept is also applicable to … [Read more...] about Why College Degrees Are Losing Their Value
We’ve Only Just Begun to See the Benefits of the New Surge in Homeschooling
By Alice Salles Parents across America were caught unprepared for the mass closure of government schools in 2020. Soon after, however, many decided they and their children had had enough of the status quo. Now at a crossroads, will they choose reform or repudiation? The wave of ill-advised school shutdowns last year compelled tens of thousands of parents to rethink their … [Read more...] about We’ve Only Just Begun to See the Benefits of the New Surge in Homeschooling
Burned Out Teachers Are Launching Their Own Schools Instead of Abandoning Their Passion—and Succeeding
By Kerry McDonald Teachers across the country are feeling burned out and depleted, particularly as school coronavirus policies and staffing shortages make their jobs more difficult. According to a survey by the RAND Corporation, almost one-quarter of teachers planned to leave the profession in 2021, and teachers experienced higher rates of work-related stress and depression … [Read more...] about Burned Out Teachers Are Launching Their Own Schools Instead of Abandoning Their Passion—and Succeeding
New University Provides An Alternative to “Woke” Higher Ed
By Kerry McDonald This article is excerpted from LiberatED, a weekly email newsletter where FEE Senior Education Fellow Kerry McDonald brings you news and analysis on current education and parenting topics. Click here to sign up. “I criticize by creation, not by finding fault,” said the Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. This is such an important message. There … [Read more...] about New University Provides An Alternative to “Woke” Higher Ed
No, You Don’t Need to be “Qualified” to Homeschool Your Children
By Hannah Frankman Over the years, I’ve heard so many parents dismiss the possibility of homeschooling their children because they don’t feel “qualified.” “I’m not a teacher.” “I’m not good at math.” “I wasn’t good at X in school, so I could never teach my child that subject.” All these assumptions stem from a fallacy about what education is, and what makes an … [Read more...] about No, You Don’t Need to be “Qualified” to Homeschool Your Children