🐴 OpenEd Academy: the school that adapts to YOUR child (not the other way around)

We've been proud to offer the OpenEd District Model Program in a growing number of states, but we still get asked all the time: "What can we do if we live in a state that doesn't offer this program?"

Now we're thrilled to announce OpenEd Academy – a nationwide virtual private school that brings the same personalized approach to families everywhere. Starting at just $2,900/year, it's the subject of this week's OpenEd podcast with Teresa King, CEO of the OpenEd Foundation.

Apply now for the 2025-26 school year!

–Isaac

P.S. If you know a family who wants the OpenEd experience but lives in a state without the district program, please share this email with them!

If you enjoy this edition, forward this email to a friend! First time reading? Subscribe and learn more at OpenEd.co.

💡 THOUGHT

BUILDING EDUCATION FROM THE GROUND UP—AROUND YOUR CHILD

After 15 years of helping over 100,000 students, we've learned that parents know their children better than any system or expert. That's why OpenEd Academy operates on a completely different premise than other virtual schools. We start with your child—their strengths, interests, learning style, and goals—and build education from there.

"What we're trying to build is a buffet," explains Teresa King, CEO of the OpenEd Foundation. "In so many settings, you sit down and you're handed a menu with three choices. What we want is for it to be a buffet where you leave what you don't want and take what you do."

This buffet approach changes the game in four key ways:

1. Customized Curriculum Selection - Choose from multiple curriculum options for each subject based on how your child learns best—visual, text-based, interactive, or hands-on approaches.

2. Flexible Scheduling That Fits YOUR Life - "We're never going to say, 'You signed up for school so every day at two o'clock you better be online,'" Teresa emphasizes. "That doesn't meet the needs of every family."

Set your own start and end dates, determine your pace for each subject, and create a schedule that works for YOUR family.

3. Real-World Learning on Their Transcript - When your teen works as a shift leader, masters a skill through independent study, or completes meaningful community service, that learning counts for transcript credit.

4. Education Built on Trust - "Schools don't typically seem to trust parents," Teresa observes. "What does it look like when a school trusts parents to know their child and then works with them to create the education that would work best for them? That's really where we want to start."

The result is education that feels natural, effective, and joyful—because it's actually designed for your unique child.

Watch or read the full announcement →

📊 TREND

THE END OF "SIT STILL AND LISTEN"

Standardized education was designed for a world that no longer exists. Built for assembly line workers, it teaches children to:

• Sit quietly for hours

• Follow directions without question

• Do the same work at the same pace

• Prioritize compliance over creativity

Yet the real world of 2025 rewards the opposite: creative thinking, self-direction, adaptability, and personalized skill development.

The schools that will thrive in this new landscape are those that can adapt to children's diverse needs, rather than demanding children adapt to them. This doesn't mean abandoning structure—it means creating the right structure for each learner.

🔨 TOOL

$100 OUTSCHOOL CREDIT WHEN YOU ENROLL IN OPENED ACADEMY

Every student who enrolls in OpenEd Academy for the 2025-26 school year will receive a $100 credit to use on Outschool's platform, giving your child access to thousands of engaging online classes taught by passionate instructors.

What can your child explore with $100 in Outschool credits?

• Coding and game design workshops

• Creative writing and art classes

• Science experiments and math enrichment

• Foreign language conversation practice

• Music lessons and performance skills

• Special interest clubs and social activities

Use them for enrichment in areas of strength, extra support in challenging subjects, or simply to explore new interests.

OpenEd Academy enrollment slots will fill quickly! To secure your child's place and take advantage of this Outschool bonus, now's the time to complete your enrollment.

Apply now and get your $100 Outschool credit →

Questions about OpenEd Academy? Email [email protected].

That’s all for today!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

P.S. If you’d prefer to just receive the weekly edition, you can change your subscription settings here.