[Podcast Episode] Decentralizing Education: The Forces Behind the Micro-School Boom, with Kerry McDonald
In this episode, host Andreas welcomes Kerry McDonald, the host of The Liberated Podcast and author of 'Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom.
We explore the rapid rise of microschools and the factors driving the decentralization of education with guest Kerry McDonald.
We discuss:
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational choices
How technology is enabling new models of learning
The role of universal school choice policies in catalyzing innovation
Challenges and opportunities in the micro-school movement
Ways to sustain innovation and avoid bureaucratization
Key quotes from Kerry McDonald:
"What the pandemic did was just put a spotlight on other ways of approaching teaching and learning."
"The main pattern or the main trait across all of these models...is joy. These are joyful learning environments for children, for teachers, for staff, for learners, for families."
"We don't have to require all eight year olds to be learning the exact same thing at the exact same time the exact same way like they might have in previous generations with a static textbook."
Where to find Kerry McDonald:
Website: fee.org/kerry
Podcast: liberatedpodcast.com
Social media: X (formerly Twitter) @Kerry_edu
Forbes column: forbes.com/sites/kerrymcdonald/
Key resources mentioned:
Book: "Unschooled" by Kerry McDonald
Vela Education Fund: velaedfund.org
EdChoice: edchoice.org
Yes Every Kid: yeseverykid.com
National Microschooling Center: microschooling.org
Microschool Solutions: microschoolsolutions.com
KaiPod Learning: kaipodlearning.com
nnovative Educators Network (South Florida): innovativeeducatorsfl.com