Closing the Chapter on Our Microschool

There are big box stores, and there are boutiques. Big box stores offer the undeniable advantages of buying power, market share, and convenience. But sometimes, we want something smaller and more personalized. That is part of the reason many parents and teachers across the country have launched or joined microschools.

Like a boutique compared to a big box store, a microschool offers a more tailored experience than a traditional, factory-style school. Its small scale is both its biggest strength and its greatest limitation.

So, when is a microschool the right choice?

Microschools are nimble. They offer more personalized attention and flexibility. In the one we ran, learners could advance more than one grade level per year—and most did. 

This brings up an important reality about resources. Most private schools—unless they are large or explicitly focused on learning differences—do not have the specialists on staff to fully support students with certain challenges. If you need help with a child who would benefit from specialized support, be it academic, social or emotional, a public school or a school designed for their challenge will by far be your best option. Public schools are required to provide these services at no cost, while private schools, if they offer them at all, often charge additional fees.

For students without those needs, microschools can be incredibly effective. Not only could our learners move ahead when they were ready, we could also quickly identify and address gaps in their understanding. That level of responsiveness was only possible because of the small size. But that same small size has trade-offs. Fewer students mean fewer sports teams, clubs, and extracurricular options. The number of students to the number of options is directly related. A microschool won’t be a one-stop shop.

Still, we loved our years of microschooling. And if you’re drawn to the idea of personalization and allowing learners to move at their own pace—rather than keeping in step with a whole class—homeschooling offers those same benefits, but amplified.

In our next post, we’ll take a closer look at homeschooling—how it can be leveraged to create a curated educational experience, and the pros and cons of various homeschool structures.