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The Rise of Micro schools: How Educators Are Reimagining Learning with David Richards

Shifting Schools: Conversations for K12 Educators

Release Date: 11/24/2025

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More Episodes

Are micro schools the future of personalized learning? In this high-impact episode of Shifting Schools, Jeff Utecht sits down with David K. Richards, CEO of ChangeMaker Education, to break down one of the fastest-growing movements in the education ecosystem: microschools.

With over 125,000 micro schools and 1.5 million students already learning in small, relationship-centered environments across the U.S., this episode delivers a deeply practical and future-focused look at why educators, parents, and policymakers are paying attention.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • What a micro school really is — and why its flexible size (5–150 learners) unlocks personalization 

  • How the pandemic accelerated the movement, doubling homeschooling rates and driving families to seek community-based alternatives.

  • Why micro schools are not new—they’re the modern reimagining of the one-room schoolhouse.

  • How micro schools fit across sectors: private, charter, district-partnered, and homeschool learning centers.

  • The regulatory landscape educators must understand—voucher programs, ESAs, accreditation, and state-by-state flexibility.

    Key Insight From David Richards

    Teachers often underestimate how many entrepreneurial skills they already have—project management, relationship-building, instructional design, crisis navigation, and creative problem-solving. Micro schools simply give them a pathway to use those skills with autonomy, community connection, and purpose.

    Featured Guest

    David K. Richards
    CEO, ChangeMaker Education
    Charter school founder • Former Chief of Schools • Micro school accelerator • Host of Changemaker EDU Podcast

    Learn more or apply to launch a micro school at: changemakereducation.com

 

Huge thank you to our show sponsor, learn more about Poll Everywhere:

https://www.polleverywhere.com/plans/education?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=shiftingschools&utm_campaign=shiftingschools