Microschools have been around for many years, but many more people enrolled in them during the pandemic.

In this conversation, I chatted with Tiffany Dudley, an educator who helped cofound a microschool to help her son during the pandemic. She’s also the co-leader of the Black Mothers Forum’s Economic Development Team.

The Black Mothers Forum strives to give students of color opportunities that have eluded them through mainstream education channels. Arizona awarded the Black Mothers Forum micro school $3.5 million in 2021 to develop up to 50 additional microschools throughout Arizona.

What’s the secret? “It’s the autonomy that their children have, where they’re more of a participant in their education instead of just a bystander in the background,” Dudley said. “At the microschools they had a lot more freedom; they’re able to learn through project-based; to take the things that interest them.”