National Microschooling Center's Thursday Bulletin
Hello Microschooling Community!
This week’s edition is short, sharp, and packed into a carry-on because around here, summer microschooling road show travel season is officially underway. From new tour stops and fresh policy updates to a brand-new video drop featuring some of our favorite resources for microschools, this newsletter is what you need right now. Consider this your quick backstage pass before the Center team hits the road again, coffee in hand, chargers tangled, and calendars absolutely packed, we’re coming to a city near you just in time for your summer break!
In this edition: Federal policy changes with microschools in mind, new Center video highlights resources, and the great roadshow of 2026! Plus a new cohort and other upcoming events!
Federal Policy Update
Don just returned from Washington, DC where he held numerous meetings and briefings connecting federal decisionmakers with the microschooling movement. While this Congress’ likelihood of making major progress on substantive K-12 education issues is not great during this election year, two topics he discussed of interest to microschools and worth being aware of are:
First, readers of this column will be well aware that the Center has raised the issue repeatedly that while certain types of microschools in certain states will be eligible to participate in the new federal tax credit scholarship program when it begins next year, not all be able to participate.The issues are discussed in this public document we filed last year. The most immediate action is to continue to stay engaged with the US Treasury Department as it prepares its forthcoming rulemaking for the program, and subsequently to track different state policies likely to ensue in states joining the program. Don’s update here is that some lawmakers who were involved with passing the law are willing to work with us to track these developments, and are open to potentially intervening next year to help should the program seem in danger of excluding microschools from participating. Stay tuned.
Also, Congress will likely revisit aspects of federal legislation around special education. For those microschools which have been able to serve children with special needs with out- of-district placement arrangements with local public school districts, we appreciate that this option has proven popular with families and can work well for everybody. If your microschool has been involved with such arrangements, serving children who officially have remained part of their school district, and have interest in discussing, Don would love to hear from you at don@microschoolingcenter.org as he will be engaging further with Congressional decisionmakers seeking friendly solutions to help expand opportunities like these.
Which Center Resource is Your Favorite?
Take a listen as Center team members share out about their favorite Center resources and then send us an email letting us know what resource is your favorite!
Marketing Your Microschool
Have you enrolled in the Center’s latest course available in theTraining Institute? Marketing your Microschoolis officially live in the Training Institute! Now is the time to jump into branding, vision, media platforms and so much more!
PS...Wondering what other microschools are saying about the Training Institute?
“The videos are a great help. Many of us work better with seeing and not only reading items. Thank you for taking the time to do this for all of us.
Your Summer Tour Dates Are Here
Florida
Sunday, June 7th: Florida Founder meetup in Orlando with Tonya Kipe and Katie Elliott, email tonya@microschoolingcenter.org for the info!
Monday June 8th-Tuesday June 9th: Navigating New Horizons Conference in Orlando! Catch Ashley Soifer, Katie Elliott and Tonya Kipe at our booth! Plus…don’t miss Tonya and Ashlery’s presentation on Tuesday, June 9th at 11:15am, The Microschool Movement: 2026 Trends Shaping the Next Era of Education!
Hint: Stop by the booth for a chance to win a $250 Southwest Airlines Gift Card!
Every microschool starts with a spark—a deeply personal conviction about what education can be. But turning individual vision into shared vision requires intention.
Join Lisa McClanahan of Wendworks for this free cohort for Center members guiding leaders and their teams through a proven framework to examine their current reality, work through the tensions of growth, and arrive at a Shared Vision Framework that is clear, owned, and actionable. Because it all begins with a vision - and vision changes everything.
This cohort will meet virtually on Thursdays at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET for four weeks starting June 4, 2026 at 4:00 pm PT/7:00 pm ET. Space is limited, sign up in the member portal!
The Can't Miss of the Season!
Take a look for virtual trainings, conferences, local meetups and more!