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Kerry McDonald

The (Further) Case for the Free Market in Education

January 28, 2023 by Counter Markets

By Kerry McDonald In 1964, Leonard Read wrote a powerful essay celebrating the free market in education. Read, who founded FEE nearly two decades prior to promote individual and economic freedom, recognized the ways in which government control of the K-12 education sector constrained choice and prevented diversity and abundance of learning options. In “The Case for the … [Read more...] about The (Further) Case for the Free Market in Education

5 Surprising Facts About Microschooling

December 27, 2022 by Counter Markets

By Kerry McDonald One of the most popular and fastest-growing educational trends today is microschooling. Microschools are intentionally small, mixed-age, K-12 learning communities with personalized curriculum approaches that are sprouting rapidly across the U.S. They harken back to the one-room schoolhouses of yesteryear and were gaining traction even before the education … [Read more...] about 5 Surprising Facts About Microschooling

How Microschool Networks Are Activating Education Entrepreneurs

November 25, 2022 by Counter Markets

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

November 11, 2022 by Counter Markets

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

“100 Schools in 10 Years”, Award-Winning Microschool Founder Shares Her Vision

October 31, 2022 by Counter Markets

By Kerry McDonald “Mom, I can’t do it anymore,” said Iman Alleyne’s four-year-old son about his pre-kindergarten program. Plagued by anxiety-induced stomach aches and daily crying episodes over going to school, Alleyne’s son was sending clear signals that he needed a different learning environment. At the same time, Alleyne was also feeling dissatisfied in her job as a … [Read more...] about “100 Schools in 10 Years”, Award-Winning Microschool Founder Shares Her Vision

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

October 25, 2022 by Counter Markets

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

October 7, 2022 by Counter Markets

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

October 4, 2022 by Counter Markets

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

Microschools Remain A Popular Back-To-School Option This Year

September 12, 2022 by Counter Markets

By Kerry McDonald Josh Pickel’s dissatisfaction as a teacher was mounting. After several years of teaching in other public schools, mostly at the elementary level, he was finally back in his hometown of Canton, Illinois teaching middle school science at the public school he attended as a child. It was what he had always wanted; yet, he was feeling increasingly … [Read more...] about Microschools Remain A Popular Back-To-School Option This Year

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

September 7, 2022 by Counter Markets

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.

September 2, 2022 by Counter Markets

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

August 18, 2022 by Counter Markets

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

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