There was a time when I thought the idea for Lucas Literacy Lab was crazy. I had never heard of a micro-school; I didn't even know there was a name for it. All I knew was that my students and my own children needed and deserved an educational overhaul. Like all worthy ideas, the thought of creating a school left me feeling isolated and small. But once I started looking for my people, the ones who'd get it, boy oh boy. Perhaps it was silly to be afraid to raise my hand and pronounce that school wasn't working. After all, I'd always encouraged my students to speak up because someone else was most likely thinking the same thing. Our community, the one made up of rebel parents and out-of-the-box thinkers, educators who have a problem with authority, and families who know the world changes at our dining room table, this community had already been up to something, and they quickly armored me up for the revolution.
Last weekend, I was lucky enough to fly to Atlanta and speak on the Microschools of the Future panel at the National Hybrid Schools Conference. It was an experience like nothing I'd ever seen. It was a conference full of guardians; moms, dads, educators, and educational entrepreneurs whose life assignment is to see about God's children. We were all given the same marching orders. Although we have different specialties, live in various parts of the country, and may serve different age groups, the mission is the same: protect and preserve childhood through micro-school creation.
I met microschool founders who were creating survival skills programs, all-boys microschools, and microschools for gifted and talented students. There were programs for neurodivergent students, stem preschools, and youthpreneur high schools. Among all of these incredible founders and all of their innovative ideas, two things stood out to me most. One was the founders' overwhelming love and passion for the families they were serving. Listening to the beautiful stories of students and parents who were finally supported and seeing all of the hard work and dedication school founders are putting into creating these safe spaces was soul-affirming. It was a representation of all that is right in the world.
The other thing that stood out was the presence of God in the room. Almost every interaction I had at the conference was punctuated with a word about the Lord. Founders said things like, "The Lord is positioning you," "God is good," and "I am honored to be chosen by Him for this purpose." Even founders whose schools are not teaching religion or centering faith had words of encouragement from scripture to share or praise to give. What I felt at that conference was an overwhelming peace, knowing I was exactly where I was meant to be, a joy to be living in my purpose, and love from everyone around me who, like Christ, dedicated their lives to the service of others.
My prayer for the families that I serve comes from Isaiah 11:2-3: The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
Starting a school may seem crazy and isolating. It may be considered too big of a dream. Some people may not understand it at all. But the peace beyond understanding that comes from being rooted in the Lord and the knowledge that there is an army out there, through whom the Lord is moving to preserve childhood and support families under His guidance, paves the way for a thrilling future. We are dedicating our lives and doing so in love, rejoicing with the truth, always protecting, always trusting, always hoping, always persevering. - 1 Corinthians 13:6-7.
Join us for a Zoom info session with founder Amanda Lucas this Thursday from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Enrollment is now open.
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