💡 THOUGHT

Yes, you are qualified to teach your kids

They want you to think you need a master's degree to teach your 6-year-old basic addition and subtraction.

The biggest predictor of academic success is the level of parents' involvement. And there are no parents more involved in their kid's education than homeschooling parents.

— Foundation Father | M.A. Franklin (@FoundationDads) October 30, 2024

Homeschooling dad M.A. Franklin has a good reminder not to let anyone make you feel inadequate about your ability to teach your children.

His insight touches on something we see often at OpenEd: Parents doubting their ability to guide their children’s education, despite having unique insights into how their kids learn best.

Here’s what we know from thousands of families:

• The most important qualification is caring deeply about your child’s development
• Enthusiasm for learning is contagious
• You don’t need to know everything – you just need to know how to find resources

The question isn’t whether you’re qualified. It’s about finding the right mix of tools and approaches that work for your family.

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📊 TREND

Career-Connected Learning (the numbers don’t lie)

A program in Guilford County, NC is showing what’s possible when we break down walls between education and real-world experience. Their “Signature Career Academies” let students earn industry credentials while still in high school. The results:

• 2020-21: 2,966 credentials earned
• 2021-22: 7,118 credentials earned
• 2022-23: 10,766 credentials earned

At the same time, the district’s graduation rate hit 92.2% – an all-time high.

Why? Because when learning feels relevant, students show up. When students see the direct connection between their education and their future, they engage.

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⚒️ TOOL

Code.org: Where Computer Science Meets Real Learning

Looking to add some tech skills to your educational mix? Code.org is a complete computer science education platform used by over 80 million students worldwide.

• Zero cost, forever
• Available in 67+ languages (that’s spoken languages, not programming languages)
• Self-paced courses for every skill level

That last point means you can start exactly where you are. Whether your child is a tech wizard or has never written a line of code, Code.org meets them at their level.

Ready to explore? Start with the Hour of Code (perfect for ages 4 through 104!).

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(MEME) OF THE DAY

Both are valid reasons.

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That’s all for today!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)