Kerry McDonald

More School Districts Ban ChatGPT. Here’s Why That’s A Bad Idea

Humans have a complicated relationship with new technologies. We generally appreciate the ways in which they improve our lives in…

3 years ago

The (Further) Case for the Free Market in Education

In 1964, Leonard Read wrote a powerful essay celebrating the free market in education. Read, who founded FEE nearly two…

3 years ago

New Study Shows the Striking Correlation Between School Attendance and Youth Suicides

A lot of us likely remember the glee we felt as children at the onset of summer vacation, followed by…

3 years ago

5 Surprising Facts About Microschooling

One of the most popular and fastest-growing educational trends today is microschooling. Microschools are intentionally small, mixed-age, K-12 learning communities…

3 years ago

To Fight the Youth Anxiety Crisis, Look to Alternative Education Models

High rates of youth anxiety and depression have been a concern for years, and the problem has only worsened. The…

3 years ago

Why Microschools Can Be an Ideal Learning Environment for Neurodiverse Kids

A common criticism regarding microschools, learning pods, unschooling approaches and other non-traditional educational models is that they don’t work well…

3 years ago

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

Over the past couple of years, there has been a surge in the number of microschools spreading across the country.…

3 years ago

Hybrid Homeschooling and the Benefits of a Decentralized Education System

I presented at a conference last week hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School on emerging school models. I talked about…

3 years ago

What Can Parents Do When School Isn’t Working for Their Child?

Now is often the time of year when parents begin looking into other learning options and schooling alternatives for their…

3 years ago

Pandemic “Learning Loss” Actually Reveals More About Schooling Than Learning

There are mounting concerns over profound learning loss due to prolonged school closures and remote learning. New data released last…

4 years ago

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

When Ben Ashfield and Tammy Tiranasar couldn’t find their preferred educational environment for their two younger children, they decided to…

4 years ago

More States Are Mandating Kindergarten. Here Are 3 Reasons Why That’s A Bad Idea.

This back-to-school season, many parents are eager to drop-off their kindergarteners to begin the 13-year journey toward high school graduation.…

4 years ago

Teen Empowerment Can Help Combat the Youth Mental Health Crisis

Many children and teenagers were struggling emotionally before 2020, but the lockdowns, school closures, and overall societal disruption over the…

4 years ago

How Disruptive Innovation Is Accelerating the Growth of Alternative Learning Models

Disruptive innovation usually begins on the margins, with a few, intrepid users embracing a new product or service. Abetted by…

4 years ago

From Hillsdale’s Classical Charter Schools to Wildflower’s Montessori Ones, Educational Diversity Is Good

Since 2020, parents have been motivated to act upon their educational preferences. They have removed their children from district schools…

4 years ago