Kerry McDonald

Today is the official publication date of my new book, Joyful Learning @public_affairs! It's intended for families & founders seeking & building creative schooling options. Get your copy wherever books are sold, or listen to the audiobook-which I narrate! amazon.com/gp/product/154…

Looking forward to presenting @asugsvsummit in a couple of weeks. If you'll be there too, let me know!

Innovative early college programs for high schoolers create affordable pathways to college and career. forbes.com/sites/kerrymcd…

“I knew that if we could take our support model and blend it with an early college model, we could create something earth-shattering for all kids.” Read more about innovative early college programs in my latest at Forbes: forbes.com/sites/kerrymcd…

@antoniocanovag @elbelloarbol @MarytaLeon @CamilaCanovaP So glad you liked it!

Terminé de leer, aunque tiene tanta información y referencias que estaré volviendo a él continuamente, este inspirador libro de la profesora @Kerry_edu. Un repaso de cómo avanza la libertad educativa en diversos estados de EE. UU., y de cómo la innovación de los emprendedores educativos cambia al sistema. De nuevo, la variedad aparece aumentada por la descentralización federal. Una lección para los expertos en ciencias política. Y la libertad de elección de las familias, junto con la voluntad de miles de emprendedores, vuelve a producir cosas maravillosas; en este caso servicios educativos nuevos, con la mejor tecnología, acorde con los momentos actuales y rescatando la cercanía y confianza entre los maestros y sus alumnos. Una lección para los especialistas en educacion. Muy, muy recomendado.

Kerry McDonald's research shows that when students find the right educational environment, whether that's a microschool, hybrid program, or homeschool co-op, they don't just perform better academically. They're happier. And a recent Gallup study confirms the urgency: most students today don't feel they're learning interesting content or feel optimistic about the future. @Kerry_edu's work is helping change that.

@TchrFinlyWrites For examples of the schools you can check out the LiberatED Podcast from my friend @Kerry_edu. Every episode is a new school. That is where I first learned about microschools.

What a great day at #SXSWEDU talking about joyful learning and creating schools that kids love! Special thanks to Shiren Rattigan, @Lyncaeus, and @kellysmithinaz for sharing their inspiring founder stories, and to @StandTogether for your sponsorship and support of permissionless education!

Great to see efforts to remove obstacles for entrepreneurial educators. @DrewHampshire @JBartlett_NH newhampshirebulletin.com/2026/03/02/new…

Interesting.

Give children freedom to learn without coercion. pod.link/1448210728/epi…

What a treat it was to be on the popular 1,000 Hours Outside podcast talking about joyful learning!

Learn more about how microschool founders are inspiring in-district innovation: forbes.com/sites/kerrymcd…

A decade ago, two teachers left a Title I public school to build a microschool. Now the district is inviting them back to run classrooms inside the school. My latest @Forbes on this fascinating public school experiment.

@flowidealism @socraticexp I am so excited to hear about this! Keep me posted!

I’ve got an incredible opportunity to create in real life @socraticexp microschools in NYC with someone who runs a chain of learning centers. The primary obstacle for many parents interested in our program is the fact that it is virtual. If you like our program but want an IRL experience in the NYC area, DM me. If we get enough for a first cohort for the fall, we launch ASAP.

Next week! If you'll be attending #SXSWEDU, I hope you'll join me, Shiren Rattigan, @Lyncaeus, and @kellysmithinaz for our panel--and stop by the SXSW bookstore to grab your copy of my latest book, Joyful Learning! @StandTogether

If school choice only applies to some schools, it’s not really choice. Programs should empower families—not gatekeep based on religion or affiliation. kvue.com/article/news/p…

Amazing opportunity for teens! More info and application here: edentrepreneur.org/fellowships/

I’m seeing some strange chatter that simultaneously elevates classical education while undermining classical liberalism, so I felt compelled to write about it. An essay in @ChroniclesMag treats liberty and constitutionalism as worthless “old legal documents”—a view the Founders themselves would have seen as dangerous. Genuine engagement with the Western canon includes Locke, Montesquieu, Cicero, Hume, Sidney—moral philosophers wrestling with virtue, freedom, and power, not merchants chasing profit. If we want classical education to endure, we must defend the liberal framework that sustains pluralism, dissent, and independent inquiry—not pretend it can survive apart from it. Read more at my Substack: permissionlessed.substack.com/p/classical-ed…

"Perhaps you are a parent who wants your children to enjoy screen-free schooling, holding textbooks and pencils instead of Chromebooks, while connecting deeply with the physical world. In that case, an outdoor school network like Carolina Kids Co-Op, which I wrote about in my previous article, might be the best fit. Alternatively, you might be a parent who recognizes the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and platforms and wants your children to both master and benefit from these innovations. If so, fast-growing school networks such as Alpha School will likely appeal to you." - @Kerry_edu