Welcome to my essay series on “loving school” vs. “loving to learn.” For the next three weeks, I’ll publish an essay diving deep into the differences between the two. This is essay 1/3. (If you want to follow along, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a post!)

We’re quick to romanticize “love of learning,” but I’d argue that “love of school” is even more important.

What’s the difference, you ask? It’s similar to the difference between “loving” and “being in love.” Have you ever thought about that? Falling in love is all warm and fuzzy, all fireworks and butterflies. But loving is something more than that, something solid and unshakeable, like bedrock. Not an emotion, but a choice.

The theologian C.S. Lewis paints a lovely picture of this. He says:

“Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be ‘in love’ need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense — love as distinct from ‘being in love’ — is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God….

“They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be ‘in love’ with someone else. ‘Being in love’ first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. it is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.”

Now, let’s apply to this school.

MacKenzie Price, co-founder of Alpha Schools, discusses the positive impacts of artificial intelligence on education.

I can’t tell you how many people I see online who think Alpha School is a gimmick, who assume “learning 2X in two hours per day” is nothing but flashy marketing jargon, like pretty wrapping paper for an empty box.

To be honest, I don’t blame them. I appreciate that parents are thinking critically about their kids’ education. (And at one point in my life, I probably would have been one of those skeptics, as well.) But here I am, shouting from the rooftops about “learning 2X in two hours per day.” Because it’s not a gimmicky marketing ploy, not in the slightest.

And I want to give you the full picture.

Recently, I spoke at the Social Innovation Summit on what it means to redefine school in the 21st century. You can watch my talk here, or if you’re an essay enthusiast (I’m assuming you are since you’re reading this!), feel free to keep on scrolling.

Saturday morning in Austin. You’re standing in the lobby of a car dealership (not necessarily your first choice on a weekend morning) when you look outside and see a food truck in the parking lot. Amazing, you think. Some breakfast sounds great.

Outside, a line forms in the Texas sun. You smell sizzling bacon and something else, something doughy and nostalgic. Pancakes. At the cash register, a young boy (Ten? Twelve?) takes orders. When it’s your turn, he gives you a smile: “What can I get started for you today?” And that’s when you realize. This isn’t someone’s dutiful son or nephew helping out with the family business. The entire kitchen crew is ten, eleven, twelve years-old. You can see them flipping pancakes, frying bacon, printing tickets, serving food. And now, the line is 20 people deep. Orders are flying in faster than the tickets can print.

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. No, this isn’t child labor. This is the Lil’ Dippers food truck, proudly owned and operated by fifth and sixth graders at Alpha School.

A few feet away, their teacher. Bryan. He watches and observes, mostly keeping an eye on the hot griddles and ovens. (The kids are handling the customers like pros.) When your food is ready — “order up! ” — you march over to Bryan, pancakes in hand.

“You have to tell me the story of this food truck.”

What happens when kids have time to pursue their passions at school?

Dreams chased, businesses built, limiting beliefs broken — things many adults never get around to doing. This is the AlphaX Project: our four year, Olympic-level project for Alpha’s high-schoolers. (If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you to read about it here.)

In the meantime, take a look at what one of our high schoolers is building.

This isn’t the 1950s dating scene anymore. Dating culture is no longer share-a-milkshake-at-the-soda-shop-and-have-her-home-by-nine type of vibe. Most teen interactions happen over Snapchat. Through a screen. In DMs. And there’s a dark side to this. Not only can it be wildly unsafe (with little to no parental supervision), it can negatively impact how teens interact in person.

Academics (and, more generally, knowledge) has earned a rather lackluster reputation over the last several decades — mostly because of the low-impact, boring way it is pursued in schools. It feels stuffy and irrelevant. As a result, there’s been a significant decrease in the cultural interest of high academics. (“High academics” as challenging, rigorous academic work.)

For instance, I meet a lot of thoughtful, intentional parents who, at first glance, don’t understand why we place so much emphasis on academics. “Why do you care so much about learning 2X in two hours a day?” They ask. “Why does performing academically in the top 1-2% in the nation even matter? We want our kids in Alpha for the life skills!”

But here’s the truth. Great academics is rocket fuel for kids. The incredible Alpha experience (life skills included) wouldn’t exist without the rigorous academics. And here’s why.

Seven ways “high academics” will transform your kid’s future

At this time of year, there’s a question on the minds of parents and teachers: what did you learn this year? Students at a school in Austin, Texas had a chance to hone their financial and leadership skills by running a food truck. Bryan Gordon, the teacher who worked with the students on this project, joins Ali Rogin to discuss.

Ever heard a sixteen-year-old say, “Sorry, can’t hang today, I’m meeting with the cosmetic chemist for my new skincare line”?

Meet Ella. She’s a sophomore at Alpha High, and a rising founder in the beauty industry. “I’m building Club Studios,” she says, “A skincare line for sporty girls.” This isn’t an arbitrary decision. At just sixteen, Ella has already put in years of research. What she found is this: aesthetic skincare brands aren’t functional, and functional skincare brands aren’t aesthetic. And this is actually really important.

“Beauty is a lifestyle, not a product,” Ella says. “There are sporty, rich girls who want products that match their lifestyle. And the girls who aspire to that lifestyle want products that make them feel like that girl.”