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
Unschooling
One Prominent Libertarian Explains Why Unschooling Is the Best Way to Educate Kids
By Kerry McDonald “It seems obvious to me from my own education that one learns things mostly when you’re interested in learning them and not mostly when somebody sits you down and makes you learn them,” said David D. Friedman in our conversation on unschooling in the latest episode of the LiberatED Podcast. Friedman, a physicist, economist, and law professor who is the … [Read more...] about One Prominent Libertarian Explains Why Unschooling Is the Best Way to Educate Kids
Unschooler, Entrepreneur, Prodigy: The Story of Cole Summers
By Hannah Frankman Kevin Cooper, known to the internet as Cole Summers, was taken from this world far too soon—he tragically died on June 11 in a kayaking accident. But in his 14 years of life, he accomplished more than most of us do in a lifetime. At age 6, his parents handed him the reins to his own education, giving him the freedom to choose what to study. (He chose … [Read more...] about Unschooler, Entrepreneur, Prodigy: The Story of Cole Summers
Two Grown-Up Homeschoolers Explain How Alternative Education Helped Them Get Ahead
By Kerry McDonald With more parents than ever before choosing or considering the homeschooling option, it can be helpful to hear how homeschoolers turn out. According to the US Census Bureau, homeschooling has tripled this academic year from its pre-pandemic levels, with more than 11 percent of current K-12 students currently learning this way. Research reveals … [Read more...] about Two Grown-Up Homeschoolers Explain How Alternative Education Helped Them Get Ahead
Why I Chose To Un-School My Son
By Nikki Gray Now more than ever before our society is seeing the need to take matters into our own hands and not rely on others to get the job done for us. The topic of un-schooling has become quite popular and with good reason. According to Wikipedia: Unschooling is an educational method and philosophy that advocates learner-chosen activities as a primary means for … [Read more...] about Why I Chose To Un-School My Son
How Microschool Networks Expand Learning Options
By Kerry McDonald Technology has the potential to decentralize K-12 education and make it more learner-directed, upending a top-down system in favor of individual autonomy and self-determination. But the technology can’t do this alone. It requires a learning environment that fosters creativity and curiosity, using digital platforms and supportive adults to facilitate … [Read more...] about How Microschool Networks Expand Learning Options
Teachers Who Quit to Create Schooling Alternatives
By Kerry McDonald It’s not uncommon for public school teachers to experience burnout or feel demoralized by the weight of their work. Many leave the classroom and the education profession behind to pursue other careers. In fact, U.S. Labor Department data reveal that public school educators are quitting their jobs at record-breaking rates. But some public school teachers … [Read more...] about Teachers Who Quit to Create Schooling Alternatives
Why You and Your Kids Should Detox Your Mind by “Deschooling”
By Sarah Surette Everyone has beliefs and habits that they carry into adulthood with them. Some of these are harmless remnants of childhood, like holding your breath as you go through a tunnel or skipping over cracks in the sidewalk. Others tend to be larger and more abstract, like the environment in which a child learns or if they tend to see things in a more objective … [Read more...] about Why You and Your Kids Should Detox Your Mind by “Deschooling”
How “Unschooling” Can Benefit Your Child and the World
By Sarah Surette How could trust revolutionize education? Peter Gray defines unschooling in his book Free to Learn, as “the category of home-based education most compatible with trustful parenting.” In this way, the parent is placing trust in the abilities and instincts of the child instead of allowing outside authorities to dictate what, where, when and how to … [Read more...] about How “Unschooling” Can Benefit Your Child and the World