Source: Wired
by Julia Black
“With Ad Astra, [Elon] Musk became an early pioneer in the emerging microschooling movement. Loosely defined as schools with fewer than 150 students, microschools often operate for profit, and outside the regulatory frameworks that govern traditional public schools. According to a 2024 RAND estimate, somewhere between 750,000 and 2.1 million students in the US are being educated in some form of microschool. Silicon Valley is playing an integral role. … The push for education alternatives appeals to Silicon Valley parents on a number of levels. Many are autodidacts who struggled with the social expectations of a traditional school environment. Others looked over their kids’ shoulders during Covid-era Zoom schooling and didn’t like what they saw. Tech elites who grew increasingly alienated from so-called ‘woke’ culture began seeking fresh options that felt more politically and culturally aligned.” (08/18/25)