5 Books for Families Who Are Rethinking School

For many families the pandemic brought school home giving them a birds eye view into what their children are learning. While some parents are seeing their children thrive, others are frustrated by what they see. They find it hard for their children to sit all day working on screens. They are discovering a lot of what their children are doing is having information fed to them that they could have easily learned by watching YouTube videos. When they see what kids are learning, they're wondering if this is really that useful for their 21st century lives. They are also realizing that this is not just a pandemic problem. It is likely equally hard for their children to sit all day being fed information in class too. 

Fix the School, Not the Child

Many parents are doing everything they can to help their children succeed. But perhaps it is not the child that needs help, but the school that can teach and support learning in a way that better meet the needs of children. 

To help with that parents can read “Fix the School, Not the Child.” The book provides parents with 20 concrete actions they can take to advocate for the rights of their child in school today. 

Supporting Student Personal Learning Networks

Some working parents are having a particularly difficult time having to support their children at home while also doing their jobs. However, it doesn't have to be that way. Parents can support their children in developing Personal Learning Networks (PLNs). These are connections individual learners make to suit their specific perceived learning needs. 

We know that there is value found not only in what you know, but also who you know and how to make the most of those connections. This holds true for youth as well. Supporting Student Personal Learning Networks walks parents through how to help their children build their own personal learning network with first-hand accounts and advice from students and their parents.

The Working Home Educator's Guide to Success

For working parents who find their children are thriving at home and considering making a change to homeschool but are not sure just how that can work, there is The Working Home Educators Guide to Success. The book has advice and stories from parents who homeschooled their children while also working.

Parents will learn that homeschooling does not have to look like school at home for their children to thrive. They'll also find there are numerous creative and unique ways to do scheduling and learning so children and parents will succeed and maybe even have more time then when their children were in school.

How to Opt Out, Not Dropout, of School

For parents with teens who are considering continuing to learn from home there is How to Opt Out, Not Dropout, of School. This book will help parents on a path to empowering their child to take control of their own learning and discovering their own path to pursuing their passions.

The book provides the information and encouragement young people need to determine their best education option to meet their goals and be prepared for the present and future college and/or career.

The Uncomfortable History of American Schooling in America

While many families are eager to get back to the normal life they're used to, the pandemic provides an opportunity to reexamine how children spend their days. Many parents and children are enjoying the family time. The time to pursue hobbies and interests. The time to spend more time outdoors and active.

The Uncomfortable History of American Schooling takes a look at why we do what we do when it comes to school. Then it challenges us to consider if back to normal is really what we want or if it’s just what we know. It helps us grapple with the question: Could there be something better? For answers to that we look at the through-line from our past starting in the 1500s until today. We consider what our Prussian model of compulsory government schooling is designed to do: turn out well-disciplined students who would move by bells and follow orders without questioning authority. Then we look at alternatives that worked in the past, and could work in the present, and future to see if there is something better.