MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – There’s a new trend in education following the pandemic and teacher shortages across the state.
“Microschools” have gained popularity. Local 10 got an inside look at one such school in southwest Miami-Dade.
Primer Microschools also has South Florida locations in Miami’s Coconut Grove, Health District and Liberty City neighborhoods, as well as in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Shores.
They have 16 locations in total.
As the name suggests, microschools are small, with each classroom functioning as its own miniature school…with the teacher at the head.
Samantha Sanchez’s classroom has sixth- to eighth-grade students.
“I feel that Primer has allowed me to fall in love with education again,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez has worked in education for nearly a decade in previous roles as a teacher and a school administrator.
She told Local 10 News that her experience at the microschool has been transformative and allows her more autonomy and creativity in instruction.
“It’s allowed me a platform to meet my students where they’re at and make these educational goals with their parents and with other educators that is attainable, but still pushes their envelope,” Sanchez said.
Primer teachers earn more than the average school teacher salary and they’re equity partners in the microschool.
“Primer has allowed me to be the teacher that I think teachers should and could be and I’m not put in a box,” Sanchez said. “On the contrary, they are always asking me, ‘What do you want to do?’”
Sixth-grade student Aryanna said, “I really love the small class because there’s less children than my old school because usually there was more kids in a bigger room.”
Parents like Yessenia Sierra said the small class sizes are a selling point.
“The way that the teachers at Primer work with each student, they implement an individualized plan for each child and whether there’s younger or older kids in the classroom they all get the attention -- the educational attention -- that they need,” she said.
Parents said the contrast between a microschool and a traditional classroom is clear — and they seem to love it.
Alexandra Morales’ son Evan attends the microschool.
“I also really liked how Primer had other subjects, like music production creative writing, where Evan could kind of explore and dabble into those things,” Morales said. “I love that this option is available to us as parents considering where education, unfortunately, has been going. This is a gift.”
Primer staff say they plan to expand.