Primer

Something new: the Primer Fellowship. If you've dreamed of launching a microschool, we built this for you. We're opening up the Primer platform — our software, ops engine, academic program, etc. — and giving it to you. Let's launch some schools: www.primer.com/launch

Shoutout to our amazing product team! They don’t just take feedback—they actually fly thousands of miles to get it straight from the source: students, families, and school leaders.?That's how you make great products that meet the needs of users.

Primer is growing. We’re hiring across almost every vertical. Admissions, marketing, education, engineering, and more. Why should you work with us? The traditional education system is failing our kids. We’re relying on them to invent the future, but they won’t be able to solve 2050’s challenges with an educational supply chain built for the 1950’s. We need a new system, one where kids learn how to think instead of what to think — and that’s what we’re building at Primer. World-class schools in underserved communities. Helping teachers fall in love with teaching again. Helping kids love learning again. Come build with us.

Ryan Delk starts every investor update with a reminder: “This is a civilizationally-important problem and we are willing to go to war to solve it.” The problem: K-12 education in the US is falling behind. The war: rebuilding the school system. Three years ago, when I wrote a Deep Dive on Primer, it made software to help kids connect around their interests. Today, it's building schools and taking on the public school system directly. There's a lesson: you need to build the thing you're trying to fix. To fix energy, build nuclear reactors & batteries. To fix air travel, build fast planes. To fix housing, build houses. And to fix K-12 education, build schools. Which is what Primer is doing now. I talked to Ryan Delk about why and how.

Thrilled to see Primer in the #1 spot on this list of #startups on a breakout trajectory. And yes, we are hiring. Come work with a fantastic team that is changing the future of education!

Primer isn’t just a network of brick-and-mortar schools. It’s also an OS that powers and connects them all. This means that when kids have feedback, our engineering team can build and ship things the next day for them. The improvements are almost immediate. That level of responsiveness is unheard of in traditional school systems. Under the old model, enacting change is slow and bureaucratic. Feedback goes to suggestion boxes or PTA meetings. Changes must be discussed and approved by the school board. Software is typically provided through a third-party, which means waiting for updates on their terms. Primer is built on the premise that when we take kids seriously, they’ll thrive. That’s why we take the time to hear their needs — and then respond accordingly.

Some of our favorite moments from 2024: ?? Launched 25 microschools in two states, and kicked off our launch into Alabama. ?? Helped to pass landmark legislation in Florida to free up 50,000 new locations where new schools can open by-right. ???? Inaugurated the Primer Fellowship with 50+ entrepreneurial educators (chosen from hundreds of applicants) who want to launch their own Primers. ?? Won the Yass Prize — the Pulitzer Prize of education. We’re going into the new year with our sights set high — we’re growing, we’re hiring (!!), and we’re just getting started.

Come join us and help build the future of education.

Florida's, and the nation's, fast growing microschools movement is on the move in Tampa. This movement is, "one that's drawing teachers frustrated with the public school system," notes this Tampa Bay Times article that talks with the National Microschooling Center's Don Soifer and Primer's Ryan Delk about how this train keeps gaining speed. https://lnkd.in/gwgWtU8B

I’m continually inspired by the #founders and leaders at Primer - like Monique Bridges and Apryl Shackelford - and their bold vision for an #educational system that meets the needs of every #student. The Miami Herald recently highlighted the incredible work happening at Primer’s Liberty City campus, and it’s a testament to the transformative impact they are making. These leaders are changing lives—not just for their students, but also for their families and communities. By providing a strong foundation for success, they’re helping to break the cycle of poverty and create brighter futures. This is not easy work. But it is the most important work in society today. I encourage you to take a moment to read their story and celebrate their efforts. Let’s support and uplift the work that truly makes a difference. https://lnkd.in/d9FDWVh7