Microschools Offer Montana Families Creative, Learner-Centered Education Options


credit: From Wikipedia

When Christa Hayes' kids shut down their public schools in 2020, the Montana math professor started hearing from parents seeking help for their children's schoolwork and wanting to find a way for them to meet in person while working through their remote public school curriculum.

So Hayes, who had been a mathematics professor at Montana State University for more than a decade, resigned her job and founded Peak Academy in 2021 as a nonprofit private school.

"My life is so much happier and richer now," Hayes tells Education Week, which visited Peak Academy earlier this week.

Peak Academy is a microschool, or small school that's typically less expensive and more individualized than a traditional private school.

It's currently home to 16 middle school students who spend their days learning academics, doing projects, and enjoying frequent field study with two full-time teachers, in addition to Hayes and other part-time instructors from the community.

Many of Peak Academy's students attend the nearby Bozeman Field School, one of the area's first schools to focus on project-based, outside experiential learning along with high-quality academic instruction.

"When we came here, I knew we weren't going to go to public school, and there were no outdoor, nature-based, academic-focused, academic

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