Microschool, Hybrid school, Cooperative, Homeschool…Which do you choose?

As educational choices have gained more traction since 2020 (and even before), more and more people have become aware of options they didn’t even know existed for schooling their kids. Most people have heard of homeschooling, but not everyone knows how many approaches that word can include. Some people use online private classes or entire programs, others ‘unschool’ , others use traditional textbooks while others use only ‘real’ books. Some love co-ops and attend classes practically every day of the week while others are content to stay home most of the time.

Co-ops (cooperatives) have been around for decades. Often started by a homeschool parent or two, these groups often meet once a week, every other week, or once a month. Parents are usually required to stay with their kids and volunteer in some capacity. Fees are usually quite low and help cover the cost of facilities and supplies.

Hybrid schooling is newer on the scene and became somewhat of a misnomer during the Pandemic when it was used to describe an online/on-campus hybrid. The college I teach for used to offer hybrid courses that were a hybrid of online and on-campus attendance. The term has been used for this combination for quite a few years.

Hybrid schooling, as I and an increasing number of entrepreneurs use the term, is a hybrid of on-campus and homeschooling. Kids are home a few days and at school a few days. Home could, I suppose, include online learning, but that is not at all definitional to the model. On the contrary, the model is specifically geared toward making the most of the customization and freedom of home education and the community and structure of private schooling.

Unlike cooperatives, parents pay tuition and drop their kids off …just like school - just not every day (which makes tuition considerably less than private schools’ tuition). These programs are usually made up of multiple classes with a whole staff of teachers aides and administration (average size around 200 according to Kennesaw State University research).

Microschools are small as the name implies. Usually just one classroom of 12-15 kids and one teacher. These usually meet 4 or 5 days a week and come much closer to full-time school. Parents again pay tuition, but get in return a very personalized experience.

All of these models can further specialize by offering any number of pedagogical approaches. The combinations multiply rapidly when we think of Classical, Mason, Waldorf, Montessori, a form of unschool/child-led, or traditional.

One of the things most of us appreciate about free markets is that there are options. What works best for your kid, family, personality, budget? The more choices we have, the more likely we are to each find what fits us best.

Thinking of becoming an Educational Entrepreneur?

I’ve been doing a good deal of research lately into what is available to help educational entrepreneurs start new programs. Starting a new business is pretty much always overwhelming, and I’ve come across quite a range of models and options that help those on the search for support.

I knew about Classical Conversations, which has been around for more than 20 years, has thousands of communities, and offers a very specific curriculum and model geared specifically to homeschoolers. Groups meet once a week for a shortened school year (24 weeks, I believe) and parents can serve as the ‘tutors’ or teachers and the model seems to be a cooperative (parents do not drop the kids off but volunteer in some capacity). Directors are ‘licensed’ and CC is an LLC. As nearly as I can tell, tuition runs between $400 and $800 per year, plus curriculum, and tutors and directors are paid enough to cover the costs of their own children’s tuition plus sometimes a little more.

Many people love the classical aspect, others do not, and its biggest draw seems to be the social community and the fact that parents know exactly what they are getting academically.

On the other end of the spectrum are multiple newer networks and businesses specifically geared toward the founding of microschools. KaiPod, Acton, and Prenda seem to be the businesses with the most traction. They often appeal to teachers looking to continue teaching, but in their own business and on their own terms. Costs to founders range from nothing (families pay fees), to a percentage per child once launched, to an up-front cost and a percentage per child. In exchange, teachers receive training, resources, and other support ranging from curriculum to infrastructure platforms.

The only option I know of specific to the hybrid school model is National Association of University Model Schools. This network has also been around for a couple of decades and specifically is geared toward 2 and 3 day programs. Application and accreditation are required to belong, and the network provides resources and trainings.

When I first started this site in 2023, my goal was to put together some guidance on things I learned along the journey of starting as a lone grassroots program with no network or resources (or money!). I put together stuff I wish I’d known. What would I tell my younger self in 2016 that would have eased the path?

It’s not too shabby for general guidance, but I have learned a lot about course creation since! The new course will be much more robust and will walk users step by step through a 9 month process from 0 to launch day.

am looking for a group to join the Beta launch this summer and fall. I’d love to get 10-20 people willing to walk through launching their program for fall of 2026. Make sure you get on the mailing list for more updates!

Teaching History in the Hybrid School

As a Charlotte Mason enthusiast, I am a big fan of living books. Living books are delightfully written and set the reader up for a relationship with the people and places and events of the story. History and literature are stories, and when presented as such, feed the ideas that nurture an understanding of humanity and culture.

In the hybrid model, this type of reading can be split between home and school with few problems by having books read at school and books read at home. This allows freedom at home and prevents some of the troubles that can come with the expectation that reading be done at home in order to stay on pace at school. This, of course, is not necessary, but it is simpler! One method that works well is to have a few history books for each class set in a particular time period. Biographies, historical fiction, or well-written nonfiction is read by the teacher for several weeks or months (with younger kids, short books can be finished in a day or two). At home, a ‘spine’ history that is written chronologically and follows the same time period often works very well. A few more books at home, and a well-rounded history course is complete. In a Mason school, reading would be narrated. In other methodologies, tests or quizzes or other assessments and exercises can be used.

Teaching Math in the Hybrid School

Ah Math! Everyone’s favorite subject, right?! I actually love math, but, in my experience, math is probably the single most challenging subject to teach in the hybrid model. Parents…and students…and teachers! all have opinions on math. They love it, they hate it, they tolerate it.

Strong leadership can allay some of the problems that can come with math. As a leader, you want to do your research well, choose a curriculum that straddles the home and school schedule well, and give it a solid and dedicated try before reassessing or changing.

A curriculum that works well for hybrids, in my experience, is usually a mastery program. Rather than having multiple topics covered and reviewed in each lesson, a mastery program will focus clearly on one skill for a while and keep the review sections tidy and predictable (such as one lesson per week or a review at the end of the chapter).

If the school days focus on primary teaching and application/practice, home days can then practice, and review can be assigned periodically. This way the school teacher knows that all the students are being introduced to the topic at the same time and the same pace. If the school chooses to be the review-er, the parent must be teaching and the school may have kids learning topics at different paces or even from different curricula. This can still work if the school days focus on arithmetic fluency only.

Not trying to do or cover too much is key! Following are some ideas:

• Use a program like Math U See that is laid out by week and focuses on one new concept per week. This makes it clear what home and school will be working on each week and the school can then take either the review or primary teaching end of the week. This curriculum divides nicely between home and school.

• Let parents use what they choose, but lay out a scope and sequence for the year and keep school focused on the arithmetic concept mastery of that year. Use the group to your advantage in the form of games. Stay focused!

Either way, lead confidently and communicate clearly to parents and teachers what their respective responsibilities are. Keep communication open through a survey at the end of the year and assessments often enough to catch any major problems.