Kerry McDonald
FEE
Cambridge, MA, United States
Contact Kerry
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Past articles by Kerry:
How a Former Football Star Is Trying to Break the School-To-Prison Pipeline
The coercive, command-and-control environment that characterizes much of today’s standard schooling subjects young people to far more restrictions on their freedom than most adults would ever tolerate. → Read More
Microschools Are Proving to Be a Winning Option in Las Vegas
There are approximately 25 microschools operating within a 10-mile radius of the Las Vegas Strip, serving approximately 300 students. That number is expected to more than double over the next 18 months. → Read More
More School Districts Ban ChatGPT. Here’s Why That’s A Bad Idea
Rather than blocking new technologies for young people, and surveilling them even more, let’s instead err on the side of freedom. → Read More
Advice From 13 Successful Education Entrepreneurs on How to Take the Plunge Into Non-Traditional Schooling
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that public schools lost more than one million students during the pandemic, and many are not returning to a conventional classroom. → Read More
New Study Shows the Striking Correlation Between School Attendance and Youth Suicides
The new NBER study echoes earlier findings from Vanderbilt University researchers who discovered a similar link between school attendance and youth suicidal ideation and attempts. → Read More
5 Surprising Facts About Microschooling
#4: Microschools are surprisingly inexpensive. → Read More
To Fight the Youth Anxiety Crisis, Look to Alternative Education Models
It’s understandable to want to help hurting children and teenagers, but funneling more money and resources into school systems that could themselves be the source of youth anxiety and depression may be counterproductive. → Read More
How Microschool Networks Are Activating Education Entrepreneurs
“When we first learned about Acton, my instinct as an entrepreneur was to think, we can figure it out. Why follow someone else’s lead?” said Tobin Slaven of Acton Academy Fort Lauderdale. “But what I didn’t realize until we were on the inside and accessing the Network multiple times each day, was the velocity of learning from shared experiments and optimization that is taking place behind the… → Read More
Why Former School Teachers Are Earning More Money As Education Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship is inherently risky, and many startup businesses fail, but the demand for personalized educational services is high and the financial reward can be significant. → Read More
Why Microschools Can Be an Ideal Learning Environment for Neurodiverse Kids
After experiencing the benefit of small-scale, personalized learning first-hand with their own children, the Stephensons wanted to support more children in their community with a similar educational model. → Read More
‘100 Schools in 10 Years’, Award-Winning Microschool Founder Shares Her Vision
“As many children as possible should have access to something like this," said Iman Alleyne, founder of Kind Academy microschool. "It has to be an option. I want them to have opportunities to feel loved, valued, smart, capable and that they can do what they enjoy. They need it.” → Read More
How Microschools Are Reshaping K-12 Education in South Florida
“Teachers in traditional schools were stifled. They had no time to be creative,” said Suarez, who had begun tutoring homeschoolers in 2014 before opening her microschool a few years later. “I took my leap of faith in wanting to try something different. My kids were grown and once I had the chance, I wanted to do my own thing. I wanted to create.” → Read More
Will the Microschool Movement Last? Lessons from the 1960s “Free Schools”
It’s worth revisiting an earlier time of cultural disruption and educational experimentation that led to a flurry of new, small schools that looked a lot like the microschools of today. They mostly failed. Will today's microschools succeed? → Read More
Make it easier for education entrepreneurs to thrive
When it comes to the current state of education, there is a lot to be upset about. Widespread education disruption over the past 30 months has led to significant learning loss among K-12 students and a growing youth mental health crisis. → Read More
Are Innovative K-12 Education Models Coming To Your Community? It Depends On Where You Live
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. → Read More
Hybrid Homeschooling and the Benefits of a Decentralized Education System
A free market of education options is based on voluntary association and exchange. It is characterized by consent, not coercion. By allowing families greater choice over their children’s education, the cultural temperature will go down. → Read More
What Can Parents Do When School Isn't Working for Their Child?
Fortunately, parents now have an abundance of options to explore. → Read More
Microschools Remain A Popular Back-To-School Option This Year
Microschools might be more affordable than you think ... → Read More
Pandemic “Learning Loss” Actually Reveals More About Schooling Than Learning
Billions of dollars in federal COVID relief funds are being funneled into more schooling and school-like activities, including intensive tutoring, extended-day learning programs, and more summer school. These efforts could raise test scores, but do they really reflect true learning? → Read More
Three Reasons Why Mandating Kindergarten Is a Bad Idea
Kindergarten may be valuable for some children, but it shouldn’t be compulsory. Here are several reasons why. → Read More