Microschool Alumni Interview

Chances are you don't know someone that went to a microschool, much less someone that graduated from one. As a relatively new education option, graduates are few and far between. It is my pleasure to know one and know another that is graduating this year. It is my pleasure to have seen them thrive and move on to great things. So I am going to share the wealth and do an interview so you can know them too.

I'd like to introduce you to Karinna. She graduated in 2023 before moving on to Worcester State University.

So tell us, did you always attend a microschool?

I started in public school, then attended The Macomber Center for a couple years and then transitioned back to public school. That didn't last long. I went back to homeschooling and then in the Fall of 2021, I started attending the microschool, KaiPod, in Newton. I graduated from KaiPod 2 years later.

Did you want to attend a microschool?

I didn't even know that word at first; once my siblings were a part of it and reported back, it sounded like an ideal place for activities and a place to get my work done. There were very few sacrifices to be had. Microschools just looked like an interesting opportunity.

How was a microschool different from homeschooling, public school, and unschooling?

KaiPod was the best version of homeschooling for me. We worked as a small group of students of multiple grades and ages with one teacher in an all-purpose classroom. My peers were working in parallel with me; we would generally all do academic work at the same time and take breaks at the same time. It was like homeschooling because all my classes were the same as before I transitioned to the microschool environment, and my siblings were also part of the group, but it just wasn't at home. It was like public school because we had a general schedule we followed and we used the public school calendar. Gratefully, didn't have bells or teachers giving lectures like my traditionally schooled peers.

Do you have any special memories of your microschool time?

I liked SDLP (Self Directed Learning Project) presentation days. These were our longer term projects that we worked on throughout the year. We would zoom in our parents and the Founder of KaiPod, Mr. Kumar, and present our projects. The ability to have downtime together and be social in a small group.

Is there anything microschool-specific that you credit having made a big difference in preparing you for college?

• The Public Speaking skills! We did a lot of practice with public speaking and that's a skill that a lot of college students struggle with. There was less inside-the-box thinking; I believe more paths are open for me in life because of the way I was encouraged to explore my interests and was challenged.

• I limit myself less; I'll say things like "I'm looking into courses in the consortium" or inquire with a professor to do an independent study. My college peers seem to limit themselves more and not see those opportunities as something they could do. I see more things as being possible.

• Self-directedness, self-efficacy. I think these are helped by my un-schooling background: in spaces where I wouldn't normally feel challenged, I know how to seek out or create challenges for myself.

• I am very rarely complacent. I'm used to having more power over my education. When I'm in an environment that doesn't work well, my instinct is to change it. Like an internship I did; I saw what could be improved and then worked to improve the tutoring services available at Worcester State University. I have campaigned for leadership roles on issues that affect students and advocate for things that benefit students as a whole by providing more flexibility and autonomy over our education.

How do you feel about microschooling now that you have been away for a couple years?

I miss it! I miss it so much. I am shocked at all the subtle differences between microschools and traditional schooling. We aren't encouraged in the traditional setting to try to go out and do crazy, challenging things. There is very little flexibility for efficiency: I can't skip a class if I already know the material, or test out. For example, I was required to let my college advisor pick my classes my first semester; even when I could demonstrate that I knew how to pick my own courses, I still don't have that flexibility. In a microschool I had a lot of experience choosing my own coursework and having more autonomy over my education, so it's been a transition.

What would you say to anyone considering a microschool or Kalexedy specifically?

Do it! At minimum, try it. Don't be too quick to judge that it's not going to work for you. With such a high ability to customize it and change it to fit you, there aren't many people it wouldn't work well with the right circumstances. I still consider that if I had to do high school again... would I still graduate early or would I choose to stay at Kalexedy? Be prepared to not want to leave.