Top o’ the mornin’ to you!

Since yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day, it seemed like a good week to check out Clonlara School, which is based in Michigan but named for a small village in Ireland.

Clonlara was founded in 1967 by Pat Montgomery, a former public and private school teacher who wanted a different educational environment for her children. She wanted to create “a school where children of all ages, ethnicities, and beliefs could learn and grow in an unhurried, relaxed atmosphere; where enrollment would be limited so that the children, staff, and parents would all get to know one another; and where families would have an active role in school life and in the education of their children.”

The original location still houses the on‐​campus program, although it was on hiatus this year due to COVID-19 challenges. In 1979, the off‐​campus program brought the Clonlara approach to homes around the country.

Trusting families and empowering them to take ownership and control of their learning is a hallmark of Clonlara. The off‐​campus program helps families build their own curriculum and partners with them to monitor their students’ progress, provide guidance, and suggest materials and learning tools along the way.

The school uses a “full circle learning” approach that encourages and supports students through things like project planning, finding mentors and resources to assist with projects, field work, developing a portfolio, and presentation. When students are considering college, advisors help with course planning, college counseling, navigating the application process, and writing recommendations. Students who graduate from Clonlara receive an accredited private school diploma.

Clonlara is now led by Pat’s daughter, Chandra Montgomery Nicol. She’s amazed by what her mom started. “As Clonlara’s first student, I realize how lucky I was to have such an enriching education,” says Chandra. “My mom was clearly a visionary, and more and more families are now catching up to her. Today, Clonlara serves more than 2,000 students in more than 70 countries and provides assistance in eight languages.”

Pat’s vision has helped countless families, many of whom have never heard of Clonlara and have no idea they’re indebted to Pat Montgomery. In 1985, she filed a lawsuit in Michigan arguing that state officials couldn’t enforce public school policies against homeschooling parents as if those policies were law. In 1993, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in Clonlara’s favor. According to Clonlara’s website, “This precedent‐​setting victory would prove instrumental in making homeschooling a legal and acceptable educational option for families across the United States.”

Programs like Clonlara blend the support of a school with the flexibility of homeschooling. This can be the perfect solution for the many new families who are turning to homeschooling in the aftermath of COVID-19 and related school closures—or any parent looking for a more personalized way to educate their children.