Entrepreneurship & Education Choice in North Carolina: “The state scholarships have been really, really important for opening up accessibility.”
Jan 24, 2025
auto_awesome
Susan Hawes, the founder and Executive Director of Insight Colearning, shares her transformative journey of establishing a learner-centered micro-high school in Durham, North Carolina. She highlights the impact of North Carolina's universal school choice program, emphasizing how state scholarships have enhanced accessibility for families. The discussion covers the challenges of transitioning from homeschooling to a recognized school, the importance of community relationships, and practical advice for aspiring school founders entering the micro-schooling landscape.
Susan Haws' journey to create Insight Co-Learning reflects a response to the limitations of traditional education, emphasizing personalized learning needs.
Recent universal school-choice legislation in North Carolina has significantly increased accessibility to private schooling through state-funded scholarships, benefiting diverse families.
Deep dives
The Journey to Founding Insight Co-Learning
The founder's journey to opening Insight Co-Learning began with her personal experiences as a teacher and a parent recognizing the limitations of traditional schooling. After initially homeschooling her daughter, they encountered a community center that provided classes for homeschoolers, only to see it close down unexpectedly. This prompted the founder to collaborate with educators to create an alternative program in a yoga studio, which eventually evolved into Insight Co-Learning. This early response to a direct need set the foundation for the school's establishment in 2018, as she aimed to create a supportive learning environment tailored for high schoolers who needed a different educational approach.
Transitioning to a Private School
Initially operating under a homeschooling model, Insight Co-Learning aimed to address the recognition that high school students desired a more formal schooling structure to graduate from. As the program grew and demonstrated demand, the founder sought to transition it into a recognized private school, navigating state requirements regarding educational facilities. Securing a suitable building that met educational occupancy standards was a significant challenge; this involved understanding complex zoning laws and necessary amenities, such as bathrooms and accessibility. Ultimately, the school opened as a private institution for the 2019-2020 academic year, fostering a sense of legitimacy and permanence in the community.
Educational Philosophy and Student-Centered Learning
Insight Co-Learning is built on an educational philosophy that emphasizes student voice, choice, and mastery-based learning. The school operates on thematic semesters that encourage deep exploration of subjects, such as the current theme of 'home,' facilitating interdisciplinary connections among courses. Students engage with literature, film, and local ecosystems, enabling them to connect their learning with real-world concepts while fostering critical thinking. The instructional model focuses on seminar-style classes where discussions thrive, allowing students to take ownership of their learning experience and engage meaningfully with content.
Accessibility and Community Impact
The school implements a sliding scale tuition to increase financial accessibility for families, with the lowest tier being $1,000. Recent legislative changes in North Carolina have further enhanced options for families, allowing them to use state-funded scholarships to access private schooling. This approach has helped widen the student demographic, drawing in families who have sought alternative educational solutions for their children. As a result, the school has seen improvements in family relationships and student engagement, with teens reporting transformative experiences and newfound enthusiasm for learning.
Susan Haws is the founder and Executive Director of Insight Colearning, a private learner-centered, micro-high school located in Durham, North Carolina. She began her career as a Teach For America member in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas in 1993. She went on to teach middle school and high school in traditional public schools, until she left the classroom to earn a Ph.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill. Insight Colearning began as a homeschooling collaborative in 2018 and is now a state-recognized private school. In 2022, North Carolina became the ninth state to enact a universal school-choice program enabling education funding to follow students to their preferred educational settings. Insight Colearning participates in the state's school-choice scholarship programs.
***
Sign up for Kerry's free, weekly LiberatED e-newsletter on education trends at fee.org/liberated.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode