Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling
From the bestselling author of Unschooled, an exploration of new, low-cost K-12 learning models that favor individualized, learner-centered education

Across the United States, parents, teachers, administrators, policymakers, and ordinary citizens are increasingly frustrated by the rigidity and standardization of modern schooling, and they are seeking alternatives. Openness to different learning models reached new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to accelerate.

Entrepreneurial parents and teachers are responding to the growing demand for learning models that challenge the status quo. They are creating micro schools, learning pods, homeschooling collaboratives, online learning networks, and other flexible educational models that provide specialized, individualized education, often at a lower cost than traditional private schools. Joyful Learning shares the experiences of these everyday entrepreneurs who are reimagining learning in their communities, showing parents what is possible for their children and encouraging aspiring school founders to take their own enterprising leaps. Blending fresh storytelling with straightforward advice, Joyful Learning is an inspiring, relevant, and timely book for parents looking for different education options for their children, as well as would-be education entrepreneurs hoping to launch their own creative learning solutions.

1146621021
Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling
From the bestselling author of Unschooled, an exploration of new, low-cost K-12 learning models that favor individualized, learner-centered education

Across the United States, parents, teachers, administrators, policymakers, and ordinary citizens are increasingly frustrated by the rigidity and standardization of modern schooling, and they are seeking alternatives. Openness to different learning models reached new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to accelerate.

Entrepreneurial parents and teachers are responding to the growing demand for learning models that challenge the status quo. They are creating micro schools, learning pods, homeschooling collaboratives, online learning networks, and other flexible educational models that provide specialized, individualized education, often at a lower cost than traditional private schools. Joyful Learning shares the experiences of these everyday entrepreneurs who are reimagining learning in their communities, showing parents what is possible for their children and encouraging aspiring school founders to take their own enterprising leaps. Blending fresh storytelling with straightforward advice, Joyful Learning is an inspiring, relevant, and timely book for parents looking for different education options for their children, as well as would-be education entrepreneurs hoping to launch their own creative learning solutions.

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Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling

Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling

by Kerry McDonald

Narrated by Kerry McDonald

Unabridged — 10 hours, 0 minutes

Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling

Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling

by Kerry McDonald

Narrated by Kerry McDonald

Unabridged — 10 hours, 0 minutes

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Overview

From the bestselling author of Unschooled, an exploration of new, low-cost K-12 learning models that favor individualized, learner-centered education

Across the United States, parents, teachers, administrators, policymakers, and ordinary citizens are increasingly frustrated by the rigidity and standardization of modern schooling, and they are seeking alternatives. Openness to different learning models reached new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to accelerate.

Entrepreneurial parents and teachers are responding to the growing demand for learning models that challenge the status quo. They are creating micro schools, learning pods, homeschooling collaboratives, online learning networks, and other flexible educational models that provide specialized, individualized education, often at a lower cost than traditional private schools. Joyful Learning shares the experiences of these everyday entrepreneurs who are reimagining learning in their communities, showing parents what is possible for their children and encouraging aspiring school founders to take their own enterprising leaps. Blending fresh storytelling with straightforward advice, Joyful Learning is an inspiring, relevant, and timely book for parents looking for different education options for their children, as well as would-be education entrepreneurs hoping to launch their own creative learning solutions.


Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

McDonald cheerleads microschools in this upbeat survey…[and] offers rich pedagogical insights, even for educators dead set against privatization.”—Publishers Weekly

“Written with zeal… A welcome if controversial call for parents to take control of their children’s education.”—Kirkus

“Kerry McDonald’s vision for education entrepreneurship is both inspiring and urgent. This book is the roadmap for anyone tired of the status quo and ready to make a difference in how we teach the next generation.”—John Mackey, cofounder of Whole Foods Market and New York Times–bestselling author of Conscious Capitalism

“With her rich background in economics and education policy, and her experience as a mother of four, Kerry McDonald is the perfect person to document today’s schooling revolution. I recommend Joyful Learning to all parents seeking the best educational opportunities for their children, to all enterprising souls who want to help provide those opportunities, and to anyone interested in understanding the future of American education.”—Peter Gray, author of Free to Learn

“It’s hard not to feel like we’re at the dawn of a new era when you read this book, pulsing with ideas, makers, dreamers and plenty of plain old fed-up parents who decided it was time to change the world by changing the way kids get educated. Want to be amazed and inspired and hopeful? Want to see just how wide the word 'school' can stretch? Want to nurse that glimmer of 'I can do it, too,' flickering in your heart of hearts? Dig in!”—Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids

“The way we teach our kids is stuck in the past. Illuminating and deeply reported, Joyful Learning thoughtfully considers the innovative educational models being pioneered by parents and teachers frustrated with one-size-fits-all schooling, and offers helpful advice to parents seeking outside-the-box learning opportunities for their children.”—Todd Rose, author of Collective Illusions

Joyful Learning reveals the possibilities that arise when we break free from traditional educational constraints and champion a future where every child can thrive on their terms, shining a particular spotlight on Black school founders whose resilience and commitment to education reform are both inspiring and instructive.”—Denisha Allen, founder of Black Minds Matter

“A fair-minded exploration of how fed-up parents, despondent teachers, and other concerned citizens are reimagining what schooling looks like in today’s America—and how you can get involved in the ongoing education revolution.”—Corey DeAngelis, author of The Parent Revolution

Kirkus Reviews

2025-05-02
A manifesto for parents.

This is a book about “education entrepreneurship”—the development of models for teaching and learning that go outside the traditional schoolroom and innovate in the cognitive and social development of children. Written with zeal, the book encourages parents to play a larger role in their children’s education. The author lays out learning outcomes as socially driven: “I want a happier, more joyful learning environment for my child.…I want a more customized, personalized academic experience.…I want my child to be respected as an individual.” Through a series of case studies, the book traces the success of several educational entrepreneurs. Some are home-schoolers. Some are technologists of learning. Some are teachers who have set up their own institutions. “To shatter the collective illusions surrounding education, parents should be honest and upfront about their desire for difference in education.” Some may question the premises and motives of this book. Is education like a Silicon Valley startup? Are schools “small businesses?” Are students “stakeholders?” Should parents “market” their success? Anyone who cares about public education and content-based curricula will be impatient with this book. But parents who have found local schools lacking in support may be inspired to take teaching into their own hands. It may be easy to parody this book’s narratives: “Jen’s story of building a school that intentionally integrates neurodiverse and neurotypical students is one example of how entrepreneurial parents and teachers are taking the initiative to create community-based learning solutions for children whose identities, experiences, or educational needs are not being met in traditional schools.” What’s harder is to ask ourselves, what is school for these days?

A welcome if controversial call for parents to take control of their children’s education.

Product Details

BN ID: 2940193418245
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Publication date: 08/19/2025
Edition description: Unabridged
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