Let’s Get Some Things Straight

Notes on how to approach this newsletter

Before I dive any deeper into the rich world of micro-schools here, it’s important to note that I’m an educator with an unusual work history in education. I worked in a public elementary school for one year, as a reading assistant to its resource room in beautiful Anacortes, WA. Outside of that year, I’ve worked entirely in alternative, private education environments—yet the tuition of everywhere I worked cost less than the local, average preschool tuition. For teachers, we know there’s no financial benefit to working in private schools; it’s well known that private school teachers are paid much less than public school teachers. Instead, the number one benefit to working as a private school educator? Pedagogical freedom. 

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed a lot of freedom to teach the way my students needed. I’ve had the spaciousness to experiment and develop my craft in a way that worked for me. This has been a real privilege. If you’re a public or charter school teacher reading this newsletter, I believe that you’ll find what I share here useful, even if you’re not able to apply it all due to institutional constraints. Full disclosure: I hope you are from a public or charter school, and I hope what I offer here inspires you to realize that you’re capable and strong enough to leave that institution behind and lead your own micro-school.

I also want to note that I generally speak about a very specific type of student, the twice-exceptional. Awareness of twice-exceptional children is growing worldwide. In this newsletter, I’ll go into great detail about who they are and what they need from a learning environment. I’ll also explain why they’re the key to designing a learning environment that works for all children. 

Finally, a word on the vocabulary choices I make here: I swap “traditional education” for “conventional education” whenever discussing public, charter, and private schools that follow the current, popular way of delivering education. Given that research into education only began around 130 years ago, and that compulsory school laws are not even 200 years old, I’d argue there’s not much that is “traditional” about school. Humans have been on this earth learning, creating, and communicating for much, much longer—about 190,800 years longer!   

If you’re here, it’s probably because you are done. You’re done carrying a system that’s failing those who need it most. You feel overwhelmed in the face of insurmountable obstacles that keep you from doing your job with integrity. You want to do what you set out to do in the first place: nurture joy, discovery, and learning in your students’ lives. 

Welcome! It’s my hope that this space will nurture a little joy, discovery, and learning in your life.

Thank you for being here,

Jade