Entries by Editorial Staff

All of the Above: Nick’s Year of Homeschool, Virtual High, Online College, and KaiPod Microschool

/by

In this week’s episode of Microschooling Journeys, Curious Mike chats with Nick, a 15-year-old homeschooler dual-enrolled at VLACS and Arizona State University online, pursuing a business degree. Nick shares his unconventional education path, why he left traditional school after kindergarten, and how KaiPod Microschool fits into his journey. Will he return next year? What are his future aspirations? Tune in to find out! Plus, stay tuned for next week’s episode with KaiPod CEO Amar Kumar.

Notre Dame Law Assoc. Dean Nicole Stelle Garnett on Catholic Schools & School Choice

/by

In this episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Alisha Searcy interview Nicole Stelle Garnett, Associate Dean and John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School, and a national expert in education law and school choice. Dean Garnett discusses the vital role Catholic education plays in fostering faith, community, and the pursuit of “the true, the good, and the beautiful.” She explores the challenges posed by the decline of Catholic schools in urban areas, as outlined in her book Lost Classroom, Lost Community: Catholic Schools’ Importance in Urban America, and highlights policy solutions such as expanding educational choice options to support Catholic school families.

Alexandra Popoff on Vasily Grossman & Holocaust Remembrance

/by

In this special Holocaust Remembrance Day episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and the Heritage Foundation’s Jason Bedrick interview Alexandra Popoff, a former Moscow journalist and acclaimed biographer. Ms. Popoff delves into the life and legacy of Vasily Grossman, a 20th-century Jewish Soviet writer and journalist. She explores Grossman’s transition from chemical engineering to writing, influenced by his Jewish heritage and the historical context of the time.

Navigating Personalized Learning: Meghan’s Role as a Guide at KaiPod Microschool

/by

In the latest episode of the Microschooling Journeys podcast, Curious Mike interviews Meghan, a dynamic “Guide” at KaiPod Microschool in Nashua, NH. Meghan shares her transition from public school to microschool and how she creates a welcoming, warm environment for her 14 students with individually curated curriculums. Discover Meghan’s unique approach to education and stay tuned for more exciting episodes featuring Nick, a 15-year-old KaiPod student, and KaiPod CEO Amar Kumar.

Microschool First Impressions: Curious Mike & Spencer Blasdale Visit KaiPod

/by

In the premiere episode of Microschooling Journeys, Curious Mike joins his friend Spencer Blasdale, a former school leader and former CEO of SchoolWorks, on a road trip to KaiPod Microschool in Nashua, New Hampshire. With years of experience evaluating schools—public, private, and charter—Spencer brings a sharp, seasoned perspective to his first encounter with a microschool. At Kaipod, they observe a unique setup: 14 students guided by two dedicated adults in a personalized, community-driven learning environment. Spencer’s impressions spark key questions: How does this innovative model compare to traditional schools? Would he have considered it for his two daughters? Join us for this engaging exploration of microschooling! Stay tuned for future episodes that deepen the journey: Episode 2 features Meghan, a KaiPod guide; Episode 3 spotlights Nick, a 15-year-old student at KaiPod; and Episode 4 concludes with CEO Amar Kumar, sharing his vision for revolutionizing education through microschools.

Pioneer Institute Statement on MBTA Funding

/by

It is stunning that neither Governor Healey’s state transportation roadmap nor the report from the Massachusetts Transportation Funding Task Force includes any mention of improving efficiency and productivity at the MBTA.  On the capital side, large investments are needed for the T to achieve a state of good repair, and capital funding has ramped up significantly.  But the Authority’s operating budget, which is projected to have an $800 million deficit next year, is a very different story.  MBTA General Manager Phil Eng deserves credit for eliminating slow zones and improving subway service, but the T is operating at an ever-increasing deficit.  In FY 2018, the MBTA balanced its budget.  Since FY 2020, however, annual fare revenues have fallen from around […]

ExcelinEd’s Dr. Kymyona Burk on Mississippi, Early Literacy, & Reading Science

/by

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dr. Kymyona Burk, Senior Policy Fellow at ExcelinEd and former state literacy director for Mississippi. Dr. Burk shares insights from her remarkable career in K-12 education reform. She discusses her journey from classroom teacher to leading transformative literacy initiatives in Mississippi that resulted in groundbreaking improvements in early literacy and NAEP reading scores.

Video Statement of Frank J. Bailey (Ret. Honorable), President of Pioneer Public Interest Law Center

/by

Frank J. Bailey, President of the Pioneer Public Interest Law Center, shares a video statement on the SJC ruling in Attorney General vs. Town of Milton. Last September, the Pioneer Public Interest Law Center, along with AIM, filed an amicus brief in the case, supporting the Attorney General’s argument that high housing costs in Massachusetts are putting the state’s economy at risk.  

The House Call – January

/by

This issue of The House Call covers the implementation of Boston’s energy efficiency standards for large buildings. It also provides an update on the MBTA Communities Act after a busy fall Town Meeting season featuring rezoning votes, forced referenda, and – more recently – the SJC’s Milton case decision.

Statement on MBTA Communities Law Milton Ruling

/by

Today, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the MBTA Communities law (Section 3A) is constitutional and that AG Andrea Campbell may enforce the letter of the law by litigating against noncompliant municipalities, a major victory for the state’s economy and environment. Allowing more housing to be built in some of the most transit-accessible, amenity-rich parts of the state will help connect more people to job opportunities, limit the carbon footprint of new construction, address the state’s harrowing housing shortage, and help stem the tide of talented young workers leaving Massachusetts for more affordable locales. In September 2024, the Pioneer Public Interest Law Center filed an amicus brief in support of the AG’s case against Milton. Pioneer Institute has also […]

Harvard’s Leo Damrosch on Alexis de Tocqueville & Democracy in America

/by

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Leo Damrosch, the Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature Emeritus at Harvard University and author of “Tocqueville’s Discovery of America”. Prof. Damrosch delves into Alexis de Tocqueville’s historic nine-month journey through the United States in 1831–1832, which inspired his masterpiece, “Democracy in America”.

UK’s John Suchet, OBE, on Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, & Ballets

/by

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Jocelyn Chadwick interview distinguished British television journalist, author, and Classic FM presenter, John Suchet, OBE. Mr. Suchet explores the life and legacy of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, one of Russia’s greatest composers. He shares insights into Tchaikovsky’s upbringing, his late start in composing, and the emotional challenges that shaped his career and music.

U-OK’s Dan Hamlin on Emerging School Models & Learning Loss

/by

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dan Hamlin, an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Prof. Hamlin offers his insights on the state of K-12 education policy and reform. He shares how his academic experiences and research shaped his philosophy on education and informed his work with Harvard PEPG’s “Emerging School Models” conference.

Pioneer Institute Releases Examination of  Metropolitan Housing Markets; Obtains Insights Into Improving Affordability 

/by

Boston, Mass. – A Pioneer Institute review of reforms enacted in metropolitan areas across the country finds that to achieve more affordable housing in the coming decades, Greater Boston should focus on policies such as making it easier to build small multi-family projects, retrofit commercial areas with new housing, and loosen parking and minimum lot size requirements.

NYT #1 Bestseller Dava Sobel on Marie Curie & Women in Science

/by

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Dava Sobel, acclaimed author of The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science. Sobel delves into the life of Marie Curie, the “scientific Joan of Arc,” exploring her extraordinary journey from clandestine education in Tsarist-controlled Poland to becoming the first woman to win two Nobel Prizes in different scientific disciplines.

The Roger Perry Internship Program

/by

Pioneer has established the Roger Perry Internship Program to support college-age students who seek opportunities to enhance their educational experience with practical training in an energetic and creative public policy environment.

Becket Fund’s Eric Rassbach on Loffman v. CA DOE, Religious Liberty, & Schooling

/by

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of DFER and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview Eric Rassbach, Vice President and Senior Counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Mr. Rassbach discusses the Loffman v. California Department of Education case, where Becket successfully secured a unanimous Ninth Circuit decision ensuring equal access to special education funding for religious school students.

Pioneer Institute Statement on Vocational-Technical School Admissions

/by

Advocates seek to require that admission to vocational-technical high schools be done strictly via lottery, but this would only rearrange who gets excluded. Thanks to their strong performance, voc-tech schools in Massachusetts have roughly 8,000 students on waiting lists. There are good reasons why mandated admissions lotteries are not the answer to the problem.  First, Massachusetts voc-tech high school enrollment in the aggregate already generally reflects the demographics of sending districts. There are equally good reasons why the current admission criteria include categories such as discipline, grades, attendance, guidance counselor recommendations and personal interviews.  First, the high-tech equipment voc-tech students use can be dangerous, and precautions must be taken to ensure that students can operate it responsibly.  Second, a voc-tech […]