National Microschooling Center's Thursday Bulletin
Hello Microschooling Community!
Attention and excitement around microschools is growing as back to school gets closer. We see it from around the country, in proliferating media coverage, in the calls and emails we receive from founders including from hundreds of new, prelaunch leaders we met in trainings and events this summer, and from all of the new requests coming in daily from organizations everywhere to help explain what all the excitement is about.
Members and leaders coming to the Center for the first time have seen that our team has worked hard to build out robust, in-demand programs to support experienced microschool leaders, newer members of their team, and new founders gearing up to open their doors to serve children for the first time with the coming year. Many of these are discussed below, here and every week.
In this edition: a new Louisiana law takes effect offering microschools protection against regulatory facilities barriers, guidance and insights about offering health insurance coverage to your team, microschools abounding in news coverage and what you can find on the Center’s Access Point and Training Institute to get your team ready for opening day.
Louisiana’s Sensible Approach to Microschool Facilities
Louisiana’s new law, which came into effect this month,is the subject of this week’s article by Don Soifer. The law, the latest version embracing a growing trend of “protection act” state laws already passed in Georgia, Texas and Tennessee, offers a modernization of regulatory and bureaucratic challenges from local officials which can present real barriers to their opening in new communities, as the piece discusses.
Act 885, sponsored by Louisiana Representative Kathy Edmonston, stipulates that If a building has met the occupancy requirements as a home or business, no additional building code requirements or fire safety regulations shall be added, because of the presence of the microschool. Further, the law states that no government entity can restrict or deny a microschool’s use of a building.
“What makes this bill significant to me is that it formally recognizes a growing educational movement, and families need clarity around what that looks like,” observed Dr. Lacrecia Terrance, founder of The EduProject Innovation Academy, a microschool in Baton Rouge.
Microschools in the News
With back-to-school approaching, we are once again starting to see broad coverage of microschools across both national and local media outlets all across the country. Here are some of our favorite highlights - watch this space for more each week.
Indiana CBS tv affiliate WSBT offers this great article about Bridges Academy, a new microschool opening in St. Joseph County. “I really have been seeing how kids learn differently, and different things work for different students, and how I could do it better, and get them where they need to be,” cofounder Amy Zache explains, “a microschool is just like this perfect present for students that just need something different.”
And inSarasota, Florida,The Observer’s coverage of a growing community of microschools in the areaincludes an interview with Star Lab founder Alison Rini, explaining, ““I just thought, there has to be a better way, and I originally thought my path would be to work in the district and try to work my way up to a principal job in the district, but I realized that somebody needs to start this alternative, and maybe it just should be me.”
Interested in what the Center can offer your microschool?
Take a listen to some of the favorite Center resources!
Wondering about Health Insurance?
After our Insuring Innovation series we continued to receive insurance questions, and we received a lot of questions about accessing health insurance (and many were wondering how to offer it to their team)! You asked and we answered!
Join our next Hot Topic Webinar, August 11th at 4pm PT/7pm ET - How to Beat Health Insurance Companies at Their Own Game!
Stop letting traditional health insurance drain your microschool’s budget. Join the National Microschooling Center and Dan Cosgrove, CEO of Better Benefits USA, to learn the smart alternative strategies microschool founders are using to access top-tier healthcare at a fraction of the cost so you can reinvest those savings back into your learners.
As a reminder, we do not record our webinars. We highly encourage you to attend to access the content and get your questions answered!
For microschools with a team - have you checked out the Center’s Training Institute for your team’s professional development? We really recommend Measuring Impact, Flexibilities in Microschooling and Operation Necessities for your team! Even if you’re working through content together, be sure to have each team member sign up for the course in order to receive their certificate of completion!
And PS - Operational Necessities is a great summer refresher course for founders!
Access Point: All the Need-to-Know info about Learning Tools and Providers
This is your go-to place for all the up-to-date information about the Center's Learning Tool and P3 options! Take a look at the catalog here.
Provider Spotlight:
This week, we're featuring Premier ProviderEmpowered. Empowered offers no-cost resources for teachers - they provide tools, activities, and ideas for educators, and they offer a community as well! To sign up,visit Empowered hereand click the "Get Started" button!
Events You Need to Know About
Take a look for virtual trainings, conferences, local meetups and more!
Virtual Office Hours, Prelaunch Founders, focused topic, handbooks: Thursday, July 23rd | 3pm PT/6pm ET
Join us for a monthly session centering on the needs and questions of pre-launch microschools. Whereas our other monthly meetings are open-ended, these meetings will have set topics that will kick off our discussions.
Virtual Office Hours, Currently Operating Founders, focused topic, technology integration: Monday, July 27th | 3pm PT/6pm ET
Join us for a monthly drop in session for currently operating microschools. Whereas our other monthly meetings are open-ended, these meetings will have set topics that will kick off our discussions.
Virtual Texas Microschools Zoom Meetup: Wednesday, July 29th | 3pm PT/6pm ET
Join founders from across Texas to connect, ask Texas-specific questions and share resources. Contact Dr. Erin Flynn at erin@microschoolingcenter.org to learn more.
Learning Tool PD
Defined Learning PD: Thursday, July 2rd | 4pm PT/7pm ET
Please note:
This PD will cover Defined Learning, not Defined Careers. A separate PD for Defined Careers will be on July 30th.
This PD is only for leaders and staff who purchased Defined Learning for the 26-27 SY.
It is highly recommended that you have your student rosters uploaded in time for the PD.
The link to join the meeting was sent via email. If you purchased Defined Learning for the 26-27 SY but did not receive the link, please email Sarah at learningtools@microschoolingcenter.org so she can get it to you.
Have a question? Want to share an idea or resource? We love hearing from you, reach out any time!
Ashley & Don Soifer
and the team of the National Microschooling Center
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