🐴 It's here 🎉

Get your copy of Open Education for 99 cents (launch day only)

Author

Charlie Deist
May 13, 2025

Open Education: How to Reimagine Learning, Ignite Curiosity, and Prepare Your Kids for Success is LIVE! It’s still not too late to register for the live 45-minute Q&A at 12:30pm MT with Matt & Isaac.

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💡 THOUGHT

LeBRON JAMES IS A FAILURE?

At least, he would be if we graded him like we grade our kids:

  • Field Goal %: 50% (F)

  • 3-point Field Goal %: 35% (F)

  • Free Throw %: 73% (D+)

  • Regular Season Winning %: 66% (D-)

  • Playoff Winning %: 65% (D-)

  • Finals Winning %: 40% (F)

By academic standards, one of history's greatest basketball players would be on academic probation.

Roger Federer won only 54% of the points he played (barely a passing grade). Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast ever, has won medals in only 61% of her Olympic events.

Yet every day, we label children as sub-par for scoring less than 90% on standardized tests.

What if, instead of expecting perfection, we celebrated progress? What if mastery wasn't about never failing, but about how you respond to failure?

In our new book, we explain how a "mastered or not yet" approach transforms learning from a series of pass/fail moments to a journey of continual growth.

— Matt & Isaac

📊 TREND

THE GREAT EDUCATION UNBUNDLING

For decades, we've been trapped in a false binary when it comes to education. You either send your kid to the local public school, or if you can afford it, the local private school. Maybe you homeschool, but that means taking on everything yourself.

But when COVID hit, something changed. Parents watched their second grader breeze through math in 20 minutes but struggle for hours with writing. They noticed their teenager come alive during hands-on projects but zone out during lectures.

In our research for Open Education, we discovered that the most successful families aren't choosing between "school" or "not school"—they're creating a third path that takes the best of multiple approaches.

🔨 TOOL

FIVE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR OPENING EDUCATION

Today's book launch introduces the five key building blocks we've identified from working with thousands of families:

  1. Embrace your child's uniqueness: Recognize that each child develops at their own pace and in their own way. This isn't just philosophy—it's biology.

  2. Put your kids before your reputation: Focus on what actually works for your child, not what looks impressive to other parents or fits society's expectations.

  3. Map the learning landscape: Identify your child's interests, needs, and available resources to create a personalized foundation.

  4. Give your child a voice: When children help shape their education, they develop agency and take ownership of their learning.

  5. Celebrate learner-driven sprints: Create focused periods of exploration followed by reflection to build momentum without burnout.

That’s all for today!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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