National Microschooling Center's Thursday Bulletin

Hello Microschooling Community!

In this busy time of the year, what is most important to you? Election time? Halloween and the looming holiday season? Peak fall foliage and sweater weather? Planning out winter breaks and thinking about how to be best prepared to return from them?

It’s one of our movement’s busiest times of year for sure. Changing up learning content. College application deadlines. Events and conferences. And everything else. We hear you. And we’re here for you with a program packed with everything you asked for, from trainings to cohorts to community (are you read for our Member holiday party in December?) and more. We’re helping founders all over the country every day and are using these conversations to build the real-world resources that we get asked for every day. Looking for something specific? Reach out and our team will get you what you need!

So let's jump right in!

In this edition: Two opportunities to connect in person, Microschools in the News and all the events you are looking for!

Microschools in the News

Kudos to Home School Legal Defense Association President Jim Mason for writing about how he, a formidable legal advocate, sees the need for broad access to the new federal scholarship tax credit program. “At HSLDA, we look forward to working alongside our allies in the education community and SGOs to ensure that eligible homeschool and microschool students can benefit from this new opportunity.” You can read his new article, “Yes, Homeschoolers Should Benefit from the FSTC” here.

“The microschool and learning pod sector looks and feels a lot more like the economy we’re training our kids to succeed in than the factory-based model of traditional schools that was built for the educational needs of the economy of the mid-20th century,” our Don Soifer explained to the Next Step Blog by Step Up for Students. While that still works well for many students, “our educational needs have broadly changed, and our system needs to modernize to keep up with it.”

This article by the ever-well-informed Lisa Buie, also describes how Arizona’s Pinal County officials are working to obstruct a popular, arts-infused microschool. In fact, members of the county’s governing board are working behind the scenes to rewrite its zoning rules to regulate microschools. Stay engaged, friends.

What do Texas and Tennessee have in common?

The Center is visiting both in November and we want to see you!

Texas In-Person Meetup

Join our Houston area microschool meet up on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd in Spring! Registration is required!

Tennessee Free Full-Day Workshop

We are holding a free full-day how-to microschool workshop in Nashville on Saturday, Nov 14th! Registration is required!

ICYMI: Senior U.S. Treasury Official To Talk

Microschools and the New Tax Credit Schoarships

We are excited that Greg Dolan, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Treasury in the Office of Tax Policy will join the National Microschooling Center and Andrew Nelms, Student First Technologies Head of Government Affairs & Strategic Partnerships, on November 5th at 4pm PT/7pm ET for our webinar focused on what microschools need to know about the upcoming Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program. There will be a Q&A, so bring your questions!

*We do not record our webinars. We highly encourage you to attend to access the content and get your questions answered.

Save your seat here!

Access Point: 

All the Need-to-Know info about Learning Tools and Providers

Considering learning tools, curriculum or other services for your microschool this year? Then you won’t want to miss the Access Point, the ultimate place for gathering discounts, deals and info!

Considering changes your learning tools and curricular options after the winter break? Take a look at the Access Point for the latest offerings from the Center!

Events You Need to Know About

Take a look for virtual trainings, conferences, local meetups and more!

Register for any event here! 

Center Meetings

New to microschooling? Wondering how the Center can help you in your microschooling journey? Then this is the meeting for you! You won't want to miss this session with the Center's Outreach Coordinator (and Founder of the Hedge School Cooperative), Dr. Erin Flynn. Register here!

Are you interested in a learner driven approach and wondering if a microschool is the right answer? This is the webinar for you!

Join the National Microschooling Center and Jeff Sandefer, entrepreneur, Socratic teacher and cofounder of Acton Academy to learn more about Self-Directed education and to talk about how children are capable of far more than you can ever imagine - but only if adults are willing to lose the tug-of-war of childhood.

This webinar is good for anyone considering a self-directed approach to their microschool, parents looking to learn more and anyone interested!

Register here!

Professional Development

Defined Learning and Defined Careers | Wednesday, Nov 4th|

From Student Needs to Student Impact: Using the Defined Ecosystem with Purpose! This is for current Defined Learning users only. Register in the Member Portal.

Cohorts

Instructional Leadership | Monday, Nov 2nd |

Join Tiffany Blassingame, founder of The Ferguson School and NMC National Ecosystem Cultivator, in exploring and planning the critical components of instructional leadership, strategy innovation, and processes for constructive feedback and coaching teachers. Cohort is full!

Literacy Intervention that Works in a Microschool | Wednesday, Nov 4th | 4pm/7pm

This is a 6-week, members-only cohort facilitated by Redwood Literacy CEO Kait Feriante. This power-packed series will give microschool founders a practical system for spotting, supporting, and writing a plan for the students with dyslexia already sitting in their classrooms. No structured literacy background is required. This cohort is full.

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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