Our Inspiration
Naomi Parker Fraley
Rosie the Riveter is one of the most iconic images in pop culture history. During World War II, women assisted in manufacturing wartime necessities like gas masks, weapons, and aircraft. Before the war, women were in traditionally "female" fields such as nursing and teaching.
After Pearl Harbor, many women entered the armed forces at astonishing rates. In 1943, more than 310,000 women worked in the US aircraft industry, making up 65% of the industry's total workforce. Before the war began, women had made up just 1% of the industry.
History has a way of repeating itself. Federal data shows that men are entering the job market in droves, but women are not.
From February 2020 to January 2022, male workers regained all jobs they had lost due to the public health crisis, according to an analysis by the National Women's Law Center of the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. However, 1.1 million women left the labor force during that span, accounting for 63% of all jobs lost.
Millions of women left the job market to care for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic as schools and daycares closed to prevent the spread of the disease. But this trend isn't new. Women left the workforce at higher rates than men did even before the pandemic, according to research by the management consulting firm McKinsey and Co. Emily Martin, vice president for education and workplace justice at NWLC. "Part of the reason for this is because women still hold the lion's share of caregiver responsibilities." "Women are still the ones that are likely to step in to fill the gap,” Martin said.
As education is clearly evolving in this country like never before, once again, it is the moms who have come together to keep education moving forward. Refusing to settle for the bare minimum provided by public education, moms and dads nationwide have ingeniously reinvented, reimagined, and are reviving education for children in America.
Parker Fraley, aka Rosie the Riveter, reminds us what we are capable of, and together we can build something better.
Driven by a vision to change lives, we offer a tailored learning experience that empowers students. Naomi Parker Fraley Education combines traditional approaches with innovative teaching strategies. Our small class sizes and committed volunteer educators ensure each student gets the personalized attention they need to thrive. We are the Riveters, a grassroots microschool that is transforming education in Kyle, TX, for enthusiastic learners. United, we are unstoppable in reaching our academic goals! As The Riveters, we take pride in paving a new educational path. Our pioneering microschool in Hays County is more than a learning institution – it’s a revolution.