By Kerry McDonald As officials in many areas impose new pandemic lockdowns and restrictions going into the holiday season, things can seem bleak. Depression rates are up, people are fleeing cities in droves, elected leaders regularly violate their own orders, and fraud is rampant in the government’s COVID-19 stimulus programs. It’s understandable to feel frustration and … [Read more...] about Entrepreneurship Is Accelerating at the Fastest Rate in Decades During This Pandemic
Kerry McDonald
Public School Enrollment Plummets as Private Schools See Gains
By Kerry McDonald Ongoing and renewed shutdowns of public schools across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in astonishing public school enrollment drops. NPR recently reported that public school districts in at least 20 states have seen shrinking numbers of students this fall, with Orange County and Miami-Dade County in Florida down 8,000 and 16,000 … [Read more...] about Public School Enrollment Plummets as Private Schools See Gains
5 Economic Principles My Kids Learned on Halloween
By Kerry McDonald Halloween is the perfect holiday for children to discover the humanity of trade. Trick-or-treating may be the main attraction, but the spontaneous candy swap negotiations that occur afterwards are often just as enjoyable and help children learn important economic principles. Fortunately, my community was not one of those to ban trick-or-treating this … [Read more...] about 5 Economic Principles My Kids Learned on Halloween
Trick-or-Treating Bans Are the Scariest Part of Halloween in 2020
By Kerry McDonald Halloween is creepy this year and it has nothing to do with the costumes and face paint. Several cities and counties have placed an outright ban on children’s trick-or-treating due to COVID-19 fears, while others are strongly urging families to forgo the practice. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises individuals and families to … [Read more...] about Trick-or-Treating Bans Are the Scariest Part of Halloween in 2020
Socialist Critique of Libertarian Children’s Books Drives Massive Surge in Sales
By Kerry McDonald As Connor Boyack recently discovered, there is no such thing as bad publicity. The creator of the popular Tuttle Twins children’s book series, which reinforces libertarian values and free-market principles, saw his book sales surge after an established progressive magazine wrote a lengthy feature article attacking the books. Current Affairs published the … [Read more...] about Socialist Critique of Libertarian Children’s Books Drives Massive Surge in Sales
Entrepreneurship Is Skyrocketing During the Pandemic
By Kerry McDonald The pandemic and related government lockdowns have caused widespread economic and social disruption over the past several months. There is much to despair about, as tens of thousands of small businesses have permanently closed and rates of depression and suicide rise. Yet, there are signs of hope. Uncertainty and fear might stop many of us from taking risks … [Read more...] about Entrepreneurship Is Skyrocketing During the Pandemic
Back-To-School 2020: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
By Kerry McDonald September feels a lot different this year, as the usual back-to-school buzz is tainted with uncertainty. Many schools have reopened for in-person learning with social distancing stipulations, although most larger, urban school districts remain remote-only for the foreseeable future. Some schools opened then quickly closed. Pandemic pods continue to … [Read more...] about Back-To-School 2020: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Gallup Poll: Homeschooling Rate Doubles as School Satisfaction Plummets
By Kerry McDonald Results of a new Gallup poll released this week may give us the sharpest look yet at how the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted American education and what may lie ahead. According to the poll, parents’ overall satisfaction with their child’s education dropped 10 percent over last year, while at the same time the number of parents saying they will choose … [Read more...] about Gallup Poll: Homeschooling Rate Doubles as School Satisfaction Plummets
Get Ready to Homeschool This Fall — Here’s a Checklist
By Kerry McDonald As schools and districts across the country finalize back-to-school plans amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some parents are instead choosing independent homeschooling. My inbox has been filling lately with messages from parents who may never before have considered homeschooling but are worried about their children’s potential exposure to the virus at … [Read more...] about Get Ready to Homeschool This Fall — Here’s a Checklist
“Pandemic Pods” Make Homeschooling Easier For Parents and Profitable for Teachers
By Kerry McDonald This tumultuous back-to-school season has parents and teachers alike scrambling to make sense of the madness: from ever-changing district directives to COVID-19 response protocols. Some school systems have announced that the academic year will start with remote-learning-only. Others are pursuing partial reopening options with both online and in-person … [Read more...] about “Pandemic Pods” Make Homeschooling Easier For Parents and Profitable for Teachers
Back to School? “No Thanks” Say Millions of New Homeschooling Parents
By Kerry McDonald Next month marks the beginning of the 2020/2021 academic year in several US states, and pressure is mounting to reopen schools even as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Florida, for example, is now considered the nation’s No. 1 hot spot for the virus; yet on Monday, the state’s education commissioner issued an executive order mandating that all Florida … [Read more...] about Back to School? “No Thanks” Say Millions of New Homeschooling Parents
5 Things I Learned Debating the Harvard Prof Who Called for a “Presumptive Ban” on Homeschooling
By Kerry McDonald On Monday, I debated the Harvard professor who proposes a “presumptive ban” on homeschooling. Thousands of viewers tuned in to watch the live, online discussion hosted by the Cato Institute. With 1,000 submitted audience questions, the 90-minute webinar only scratched the surface of the issue about who is presumed to know what is best for children: parents … [Read more...] about 5 Things I Learned Debating the Harvard Prof Who Called for a “Presumptive Ban” on Homeschooling