Welcome! I have learned that one of the responsibilities of becoming an author includes having a blog to stay in touch with readers. I have committed to a modest start of offering a fresh post at least twice per month on topics related to North Star, Liberated Learners, and education reform in general. I will appreciate your feedback.
If you have already read my book, thank you!
For this first post, I want to give you one more episode—this one from April, 2019—that explains my continued enthusiasm for my work.
Similar to the opening dialogue in the book, a parent called in to discuss the state of her daughter. Michelle, age 15, was at the tail-end of a disastrous 10th grade year. She had done well at a cozy private school through 8th grade, then had moved on to her local public school for 9th grade.
Her initial excitement had led to a decent experience for the first year. Last summer, Michelle participated in a summer writing workshop at the University of Massachusetts. She is planning to do so again this coming summer.
Last fall, though, in 10th grade, Michelle felt escalating stress and anxiety. She stopped attending school and ended up in an outpatient care program. By the time Michelle was ready to focus on school again, she wasn’t feeling eager to re-enter high school. The school made arrangements for her to complete 10th grade through an online program, with the intention that Michelle would be ready to attend school again for 11th grade next year.
Unfortunately familiar, right?
This spring, Michelle hit the wall doing the online program. She finds it boring, and—mostly isolated at home—she is feeling less and less confident about what will happen next.
Michelle’s mother knew about North Star, and had been holding our alternative learning center as an option for Michelle’s younger brother. She never expected that Michelle herself would ever need or want an alternative to high school. Last week, she called me, and I met with Michelle and her mother.
In the conversation, you can predict what I said:
“Michelle, you have two major options here. Option A is to find a way to complete the online program this spring and summer, and then re-enter high school with the proper support to graduate in June, 2021. Your parents and the school people can help you with this path.
“Option B is to spend the next two years on a different path. You can start by focusing on your physical and mental health, and identifying the things that help you feel better. You can join North Star, and come here for writing groups and other classes.
“You might value having an advisory relationship with one of our staff members, and you might enjoy having a social community here. You could come here as much or as little as you wish. You could also consider taking a community college writing course.
“You could get your HiSET, which will address any future needs of having an official diploma. You can also contemplate volunteering for a local organization or applying for a job. You can use the next two years to explore all of these options at your own pace.
“Believe it or not, you will come out ahead of where you would have been, in terms of credentials, compared to Option A. It’s just a matter of whether Option B sounds like a more appealing lifestyle to you than figuring out a way to complete traditional school.”
Michelle smiled and said that Option B sounded better to her. Michelle’s mother declared, “It just sounds too good to be true.”