Children who attend a Microschool or Education Pod do so as homeschoolers. Microschools are organized by parents, either with parents themselves teaching, or hiring an instructor.  They are based on a family’s needs, so might take place in a variety of places such as a home, community center or library meeting room. Class sizes are usually fewer than 15 students, with the schedules and curriculum tailored to fit the needs of each class.

Pennsylvania Law permits parents to serve as the student’s primary instructor for an at home education. A qualified state evaluator reviews their portfolio annually for compliance.  Many PA based homeschooling organizations are available, and may be themed in various ways, such as religious denominations or special interests.

Public charter schools, cyber charter schools, or charter academies are public schools that operate with a greater degree of independence than traditional district schools. Brick and mortar charter schools are approved by their chartering district (in the case of cyber charters by the PDE).

Pennsylvania has more than 3,000 private schools, which can focus in different ways on how to educate their students; classical academies, and religious schools to name just a few, that come in various sizes, locations and costs.

Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts offer education across the state, and also host many magnet schools that have specific themes such as math, science, technology or the performing arts.

What’s the difference between public district schools, private schools, public charter/cyber charter schools, homeschools and microschools?