I like this idea. What do you do to get parents aware and started on the transition? Curious especially how to get the notice of parents who don’t aggressively research education options as they would likely be the busy workers who would benefit from the 5:30 end time.
I see similarities between your model and homeschool co-ops, and to a lesser degree, hybrid schools. I’d considered how co-ops in particular could benefit from a guide or docent to help each student put together their mix of co-op classes and individual studies via book or video. Curious if you’d studied them as well.
Thanks so much for your questions. To get started, we are talking to parents who have already opted into an online school or even an online homeschool program. Those families have already made the transition to the learning model; and many of them are looking for greater opportunities for socialization and academic support. When we describe the model to them, they see its value pretty quickly.
As you are pointing out, we do have trouble reaching the parents in a more traditional education who aren't actively seeking out alternative options. Our hope is that as we show the value of our model, the word will spread and more parents will opt in. In the meantime, we are doing whatever we can to lower the effort required for families to transition. Any suggestions are most welcome!
Homeschool co-ops are an excellent comparison. For those who may not know what those are, a co-op is a group of homeschooling families who come together (often on a voluntary basis) to support each other with their kids' education and other needs (e.g., meals, childcare, etc.). They've been around for years and, in the pandemic, they started to get mainstream as 'learning pods.'
In some ways, you can see us as making the concept of 'co-ops' more available to more people.
I see similarities between your model and homeschool co-ops, and to a lesser degree, hybrid schools. I’d considered how co-ops in particular could benefit from a guide or docent to help each student put together their mix of co-op classes and individual studies via book or video. Curious if you’d studied them as well.