Blog #444: Public Schools vs. Microschools
- Jeffrey Snyder
- Jun 6, 2024
- 3 min read
If you are a novice for Greek Mythology, then you know of the rivalry between Athena the God of Wisdom and Ares the God of War. In fact, you might say that there is a lot of rivalries going on nowadays ranging from the Kansas City Chiefs vs the entire National Football League; to all the junk that is going on capitol hill in Washington or even classic rivalries like the Seekonk Warriors and Dighton Rehoboth Falcons at Thanksgiving.
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But there is another rivalry that is often overlooked and something that can make neurodivergent families choose against their will. I am, of course, talking about the constant war between public schools and microschools. Sure there are other educational rivalries such as public vs. private schools and public schools vs. homeschools.
But, ever since I started training with Infinite Learning Academy one year ago this month, I couldn’t help but think of the fact that public schools simply aren’t what they used to be for neurodivergent/special education students. That’s not to say if the student’s only option is to attend public school, but the problem is that while public schools are public schools where the public students must go to, there really shouldn’t be just public school as the main option.
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Ever since I graduated from Seekonk High School 17 years ago, I have been looking at Public Schools as a whole and they really aren’t the same anymore from when I was there. For one thing, the culture of a public school just isn’t what it used to be. Sure, there are plenty of technological advancements with chromebooks and such, but when I went to public school in the 1990’s, you didn’t have all that where as for while there were a few bad apples in the barrel, you didn’t have students talking back to teachers and there was no such thing as social media.
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The truth of the matter is that special education students do deserve at least an option when it comes to their education. If the student is struggling in public school, then there needs to be an option for the student and microschools are the better choice. For one thing, its essentially a one room schoolhouse and the student can go beyond the classroom in terms of education.
But most importantly, whereas public schools ban books and movies to show students, microschools can have their students learn about the true facts of something such as why something like “Song of the South” (1946) is about what life was like after the civil war? There, they can also talk about why the movie should or should not be banned.
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Plus, I feel that when it comes to microschooling, special education students are getting the education that they deserve in an environment that is controlling to them. There are no large class sizes and they will get all the attention they need from the teacher or teacher’s aide. In a public school setting, special education students who struggle are struggling because they can’t keep up with their neurotypical peers or have learning differences that are swept under the rug.
When I was in middle school, I was in a microschool like setting within a public school and I thrived greatly. I believe that if public schools want to do a similar approach, by all means, they should and thus, they can avoid the conflict between them and the parent for the child’s education.
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That is to say that whether its microschool full on or microschool within a public school, the one who is really going to benefit in the end is the student and the student alone. If the student in a public school thrives in a microschool like setting, then the public school can adapt something similar. Otherwise, there are thousands of microschools out there waiting to take the child in as a student.
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Catch you all later!!
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