Freedom to Learn – Colleen Hroncich

Most adults today attended conventional public schools where teachers and administrators ruled our days and dictated what we were taught. Success meant following the rules, sitting quietly while teachers lectured, and memorizing information that was often forgotten right after the test. We spent most of our time with people the exact same age as us. In short, schooling had very little in common with the real world. 

Given this history, imagining a different education paradigm can be difficult. Kerry McDonald’s newest book, Joyful Learning: How to Find Freedom, Happiness, and Success Beyond Conventional Schooling, paints a vivid picture of what education can look like if we’re willing to follow a different path. 

McDonald believes in the radical idea that learning can—and should—be enjoyable for children. This belief fueled her decision to “unschool” her own four children, embracing a self-directed approach that fosters curiosity, creativity, independence, and a love of learning. Her 2019 book Unschooled introduced the concept of self-directed learning, based on her family’s experiences, stories from around the world, and in-depth research. She has since launched the LiberatED podcast, where she interviews entrepreneurs who are building creative learning options across the United States.

What makes McDonald’s approach particularly compelling is how she grounds her philosophy in tangible outcomes. Throughout Joyful Learning, she shares stories of children who have thrived in these alternative environments—kids who were struggling in typical schools but found their spark again when given the freedom to pursue their interests. These aren’t just feel-good anecdotes; they represent a fundamental shift in how we think about childhood development and academic success.

Joyful Learning was released on August 19, 2025—right as children across the country are heading back to school. Unfortunately, the kind of learning she describes remains out of reach for far too many children. However, that is changing as entrepreneurs create new education spaces, and parents seek out new options after seeing their children’s excitement and curiosity dim in school.

McDonald has packed Joyful Learning full of diverse examples—religious and secular, full-time and hybrid, classical and self-directed, tech-heavy and tech-free. For convenience, I’ll use “microschool” as a catch-all for the alternative education models highlighted in the book. A microschool is a small learning center that often incorporates multi-age classrooms, some degree of child-directed learning, and an individualized approach to math and language arts. Some are full-time public or private schools; others are full- or part-time options for homeschoolers. 

Many of the microschools featured in the book were created by former public school teachers who became disillusioned with the constraints of conventional education. But plenty were started by parents—especially moms—who never dreamed they’d become educators. This diversity is crucial because it demonstrates that there’s no single “right” way to create joyful learning environments. Rather, success comes from matching educational approaches to the specific needs of communities and families.

The book excels at showing how these alternative models address some of the most persistent problems in education. While conventional schools often struggle with rigid scheduling, standardized curriculum, and limited individualization, the microschools McDonald profiles offer flexibility, personalized learning paths, and the ability to adapt quickly to student needs. She documents how these smaller learning environments can provide the kind of mentorship and relationship-building that gets lost in larger institutional settings.

Like Unschooled, Joyful Learning is written in a conversational style that is likely to engage readers from the start. Those new to the concept of unconventional education will find the first section, entitled “Imagine,” especially useful. McDonald sets the stage with an overview of changing attitudes towards education, which were accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here you’ll meet Jill Perez, a former public school teacher from New Jersey who used her yoga training to help her students deal with the aftermath of seeing the World Trade Center in flames on 9/11 and then created a microschool in the wake of the pandemic. Laurel Suarez, another former teacher, shares her story of creating a homeschool tutoring center in Florida that eventually expanded to become a full- and part-time microschool. There are also parents-turned-founders such as Laura George, a homeschooling mom of 11 from Georgia who created a hybrid school where children learn at school some days and at home other days. 

One of the greatest virtues of McDonald’s book is that it doesn’t confine itself to theory; it also includes hands-on tips for creating microschools. Most founders are former teachers or parents, many of whom have little to no background as entrepreneurs. McDonald combines inspirational stories with an eight-step roadmap that walks would-be founders through crafting a strategic vision; deciding what type of business they want to establish; designing an action plan and budget, understanding rules and regulations that will apply to their business; finding advisors, customers, and a location; and thinking about sustainability and scale. She highlights organizations and businesses that have been formed to support education entrepreneurs at every stage. This practical focus—highlighting not just problems, but also solutions—helps the book stand out.

Later chapters discuss founders creating schools to meet specific needs, the many ways to evaluate quality in education, and the challenges founders often face. McDonald’s treatment of quality assessment is particularly valuable, as she helps readers move beyond standardized test scores to consider a wider range of metrics, including student engagement, development of creativity, and long-term life satisfaction.

Compelling examples abound. There’s KaiPod, which Amar Kumar created after the pandemic to launch learning pods where children could meet in person while learning online or working through homeschooling curricula. KaiPod has expanded and now includes a program to help others create their own microschools, which can be structured according to the founder’s vision and do not need to follow Kumar’s original model. Showcasing parents creating solutions, McDonald also tells the story of ARROWS Christian Academy, which was created by Arizona mom Jen Granberry when she couldn’t find the right school for her son, who was born with Down syndrome.

In the book’s final section, McDonald discusses some of the ways microschools can expand and overcome the resulting challenges. She then turns to “intrapreneurs”—teachers and leaders who are trying to innovate education from within the public school system. Finally, she considers important trends, such as increased homeschooling and microschooling, the growth of school choice policies that allow state funding to be used for educational expenses beyond conventional public schools, and new technologies that are impacting education.

An important theme woven through the book is how increased access to school choice programs helps fuel the growth of personalized education. McDonald shares the story of Jack Johnson Pannell, who grew frustrated by red tape while running a successful all-boys charter school in Baltimore. After learning about Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, which allow parents to use state funding for a variety of educational options, Pannell moved to Phoenix and started a microschool for boys.

Each chapter concludes with reflections for parents and founders. For parents, she offers advice on what to keep in mind when looking into new educational options, some pros and cons of participating in school choice programs, and ways to evaluate unconventional learning models. For founders, she helps them think through their motivation, reminds them of the many resources available today, and provides tips to help them strategize at each point of their journey.

McDonald, who is an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute in addition to roles at the Foundation for Economic Education and the State Policy Network, is both a friend and a colleague. We initially connected over our shared experiences of homeschooling four children and working in education policy, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m a fan of her latest book. However, her obvious enthusiasm, wonderful stories, and practical advice make Joyful Learning a book any parent or potential “edupreneur” will appreciate.

With that being said, the book has a few shortcomings. The conversational tone that makes the book so readable sometimes veers towards stream-of-consciousness in a manner that can be a bit jumpy. However, since the book’s overall structure is well organized, this is only a minor issue. As a fellow supporter of educational freedom, I applaud McDonald’s bullishness on these new models. But, having so many options comes with difficulties, such as how to find the time and resources to discover and weigh various options, or how to tell if the problem is with the child—perhaps just being lazy or wanting to take the easy way out—or with the school or teacher. While McDonald touches on some of these challenges throughout the book, some readers may feel she glosses over the difficulties many face as they navigate the changing educational landscape.

Difficult or not, education will continue to change. Fortunately, although there will undoubtedly be hiccups along the way, I think these changes will ultimately be beneficial. Children will have access to educational opportunities that meet their needs and interests. Families will gain independence and flexibility when they aren’t ruled by government-mandated school calendars. Teachers will find greater autonomy and the capacity to create educational spaces that align with their preferences in terms of pedagogy, scheduling, and values. And society will benefit as young adults who were encouraged to value creativity, freedom, and passion make their way into the workforce. 

Joyful Learning is a spirited, optimistic book that challenges conventional schooling—and pushes us to imagine what’s possible when we center learning around freedom and happiness. Its release is well timed, as families increasingly question whether the one-size-fits-all model of schooling serves their children’s unique needs and learning styles. Whether you’re a parent exploring more personalized learning models, a teacher frustrated by the constraints of the school system, or a policymaker tired of standardized sameness, McDonald’s message is clear: joyful learning isn’t idealistic. It’s practical, powerful, and already reshaping lives.