An experienced teacher turned entrepreneur is turning this lemon of a school year into lemonade. As an AP Physics teacher of 15 years at the top two public schools in South Carolina (Academic Magnet and Charleston County School of the Arts), Kirk Lindgren has a passion for teaching and for students. But as he looked at the future of the classroom, it was hard for him to imagine going back to the traditional model of teaching. Recently finishing his second Master’s degree in education leadership at the Citadel, he’s traded in opportunities to be a principal somewhere for something completely different.
This summer, Lindgren became the CEO and founder of a business called My Online Study Group that recruits highly-trained educators to facilitate small group remote learning for families not attending school in person but who are not in a position to completely “homeschool.”
As their website states, “We know how difficult it is to try and work from home and also monitor the remote learning of your children. Our service takes the burden off of you and puts it in the hands of trained educators.”
But Lindgren was not just thinking about families when he created this education business model. He was also drawing on his desires and aspirations as an educator in this strange cultural moment. In an interview with Effective Education, he described what it feels to be an educator in this way:
I think teachers have been unappreciated for a long time. As teachers, we are always trying to understand all the personalities and needs of our 25-30 students X 6 classes while trying to meet the requirements and demands of the school administration and of parents. Not to mention, we need to create engaging lessons and give effective feedback and grading. It already often feels unmanageable, and the virtual version of this just makes it worse. What many people don’t realize is challenging students is an art. To get students excited about learning while pushing them past their comfort into growth without discouraging them takes practice. It’s not something everyone can do.
Ultimately, Lindgren thinks this education crisis might just push the education system to change in some really powerful ways. In his experience, students thrive when they have more individualized attention and curriculum. Students may even find a renewed vigor for learning when they have the opportunity to follow their interests in this remote setting.
Still, Lindgren acknowledged his concern for students who cannot afford support like My Online Study Group or who may not “sign on” for remote learning even if funding was available through state ESAs or grants. Lindgren explained,
I cannot deny that I cannot serve everyone. It is a difficult reality that a lot of students will be left behind this year. I have already begun conversations with a low-income, after-school literacy program I used to work with through a service-learning program at Charleston County School of the Arts, and I have started researching grant opportunities to serve that student group in particular. But the truth is that teachers need to eat, take care of their children, and feel safe too. Many teachers are struggling because they need a paycheck while also educating their own children at home. Even I spent the last Spring trying to teach classes with a 6-month-old on my shoulder.
Lindgren also acknowledged students like those in the after-school literacy program have more than just financial circumstances and internet connectivity to overcome too. “I’m creating a model to start with, and once it’s up and running I can begin working towards a model that helps those being left behind. But I have to start somewhere.”
But Lindgren is not just interested in building a stop-gap for pandemic times either. He is working towards fundamentally changing the education system. He said,
Right now, we stamp out the same kids. They are funneled through the same courses in middle school and high school curriculum with very little opportunity for variation. There may be a little variety in math classes - Algebra 2 vs. Calculus for example - but we aim to push them all through the same pipeline. But now, we have the opportunity to create a system that is more individualized and that motivates students to learn because their education feels connected to their interests and their future.
Kirk Lindgren is using this moment to find solutions to some of education’s biggest challenges. “Never waste a crisis!” he kept saying. What are you experiencing with Pandemic Pods? What flexible solutions are your communities turning to for education? Do you think families should have more control over their tax dollars to spend on education opportunities like this one? Share with us in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.