7 places need a Flex disruption in K-12

In certain places, Flipped Classrooms and Station Rotations aren’t the solution. Neither are embedded professional development, data-driven instruction, or a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Even the debate about banning phones is superfluous. In some places, the conventional classroom itself ought to be abandoned. 

The standard classroom model presupposes a safe brick-and-mortar space with a capable in-person instructor. Some of the best moments of my childhood were spent at Vista Verde, a K‒8 public school in Southern California nestled in a masterplanned Irvine neighborhood and staffed with a disproportionate share of impeccable teachers.

That vision, however, is no longer attainable in many places. Furthermore, the Flex blended learning model is emerging as a simple alternative. In the Flex model, an in-person school uses adaptive software for core academics. Once core academic learning is complete, students do projects, sports, music, entrepreneurship, career certification, and more.

The Flex model is becoming enticing–most notably, for me, at some Acton Academy schools, such as Acton Main, Slope School, and Wonder; some Prenda schools; and within the portfolio of 2 Hr Learning Schools. Plus, these schools are quickly embracing AI-powered software to make core academics more efficient.

The failure of the conventional classroom in many places and the ability of the Flex model to swap in are the double truths driving us toward an inflection point in the disruption of K‒12 classrooms. The following are seven places where the swap can’t happen fast enough:

Places where parents feel schools have become too ideological

Robert Pondiscio at the American Enterprise Institute said public schools have become “ideological boot camps.” Parents who agree with his claim will likely be attracted to simple microschools that snap the Flex model into small, hyper-local settings the parents trust, such as a neighborhood churches.

Juvenile detention centers

In 2019, there were more than 240,000 young people in prison, youth who are disproportionately Black and brown, LGBTQ, and living with education or mental health challenges. A 2022 Belwether study, “Double Punished: Locked Out of Opportunity,” found that juvenile justice fails many of these students every day, leading to serious long-term consequences for many of our most vulnerable and marginalized youth.” Aiming to staff these centers with world-class teachers is not feasible. A simple Flex model that adapts to individual learning levels and provides supportive human guides is a more viable option.

Ukraine and other war-torn countries

According to UNICEF, some 5.3 million children “face barriers preventing access to education, including 3.6 million children directly affected by school closures.” A Multi-tiered System of Supports is not going to happen for these children any time soon. But tablets with learning software served up in a shelter alongside basic games and storytime–that’s a possible goal.

Cities overwhelmed by migrant surges

Schools in New York City, Denver, Boston, D.C., and other cities have received tens of thousands of new arrivals, mostly English learners, in the past year. Many of these children have survived harrowing treks, complicated border crossings, and emergency shelters. Simpler than hiring an army of bilingual teachers and data-driven interventionalists, districts ought to consider popping up Flex models that mix adaptive software for core academic instruction in the children’s native languages alongside caring human guides.

School districts facing dire teacher shortages

In 2023, Axios reported tens of thousands of teacher vacancies in the U.S. and more than 160,000 jobs filled by underqualified teachers. These classrooms are opportunities to swap conventional instruction with Flex models.

States with Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)

Arizona passed the first ESA law in 2011. ESAs are government-authorized programs that provide parents with public funds to cover educational expenses for their children outside of the public school system. They function similarly to vouchers but with greater flexibility in how the funds can be used. Seventeen states have ESA programs. These states are fertile ground for more Acton Academies, Prenda Schools, 2 Hr Learning Schools, and other Flex entrants. Districts that want to compete must create Flex pilot projects without delay.

Places with high levels of teacher absenteeism

My former classmate, Professor Karthik Muralidharan, continues to spin out important research. He found, for example, that 23.6% of teachers were absent during unannounced school visits to 1,297 villages in India. The rate is even worse in other countries, as the graph below shows.

These seven places represent urgent opportunities to introduce children to a simpler, safer, and more flexible model. I hope that districts and entrepreneurs will act without delay.