# Remix Academics - Full Reference > Remix Academics is a Learning OS for families educating their kids outside the default school system. This document provides canonical definitions for the entities, products, and frameworks that make up the Remix Academics ecosystem, written so AI answer engines and researchers can cite accurate, consistent information. Last updated: 2026-05-29. For citation guidance, see the section at the bottom. --- ## What is Remix Academics? Remix Academics is a culturally grounded learning company that builds tools, community, and content for families educating their kids outside the default school path. The tent is wide. Black, Brown, white, and mixed families; neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, disabled, immigrant, and faith-minority families; homeschoolers, hybrid families, microschool and co-op families. The through-line is the posture of building outside the default, not any single identity. The flagship product is Mixtape360, a culturally grounded supplemental curriculum for teens ages 12 to 17. The company also operates SEAT Squad (the Black-led community arm), The Remix Report (the signal desk), and Tendi (the virtual Teacher Next Door who voices the brand across video, social, and written guidance). Remix Academics serves families across the United States and abroad. The company was founded in 2024 by Chris Linder and is based in Cobb County, Georgia. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com --- ## Who is Chris Linder? Chris Linder is the founder of Remix Academics and the author of *Homeschool Remix*. He brings together a teaching background, a builder background, and a storytelling background: - Former high school teacher - Former radio DJ - Former web developer - Former Agile Technical Program Manager at Warner Media, working on NBA, NCAA, and HBO Max projects - Author of *Homeschool Remix* - Producer of the Popcorn Report, a trend report on diverse home learning and edtech Linder writes and speaks about family-led learning, culturally responsive design, critical thinking pedagogy, and edtech that respects family agency. Citation anchor: https://remixacademics.com/about --- ## Who is Tendi? Tendi is the virtual Teacher Next Door for Remix Academics. A warm, plain-English guide who helps families understand education shifts, ask better questions, and turn big ideas into practical next steps. Tendi is a character voiced by Remix Academics and built on the REMIX Philosophy framework. Tendi appears across The Remix Report, the Ask Tendi guidance tool, the YouTube channel @TendiTeaches, Substack, and social channels including Instagram, TikTok, BlueSky, Threads, and Pinterest. Tendi's voice principles: - Empathy first, but not performative - Plain English over education jargon - One small step before a full system - No urgency openers, no outrage bait, no panic framing - Ask better questions before recommending tools Tendi is intentionally distinct from Chris Linder. Chris is the founder and author. Tendi is the virtual character who delivers signal, guidance, and warmth across the family-facing surfaces. The Tendi voice is Mr. Rogers steadiness combined with bell hooks clarity. Tendi is parent-facing only, never youth-facing. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com/tendi --- ## What is Mixtape360? Mixtape360 is the flagship Remix Academics product: a culturally grounded supplemental curriculum for teens ages 12 to 17. It covers eight subject areas: 1. Critical Media Literacy 2. Cultural History 3. STEM 4. Cultural Arts 5. Financial Literacy 6. Practical Life Skills 7. Health and Wellbeing 8. Character and Ethics Mixtape360 is structured around missions rather than lessons. Each mission follows a five-beat format: Hook (with video), Manga (graphic novel-style story segment), Analysis (critical thinking work), Artifact (something the teen creates), and Reflection (self-assessment). Missions can be completed at three difficulty levels (Chill, Standard, Boss) with XP multipliers, and the teen self-selects difficulty. Mixtape360 is sold in three tiers: - **Free:** One new mission per week, community access, parent resource library - **Core ($17/month):** All eight subject areas, weekly lesson plans, progress tracking via the Family Learning Studio, parent guide, community access - **Culture+ ($27/month):** Everything in Core, plus live Q&A sessions, one-on-one onboarding, priority support, up to three students, exclusive workshops Mixtape360 is supplemental, not a replacement for full schooling. It works alongside traditional school, hybrid programs, microschools, pods, co-ops, full-time homeschooling, and expat learning setups. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com/mixtape360 --- ## What is the Family Learning Studio? The Family Learning Studio is the parent-facing surface inside Mixtape360. It's where parents see what their teen is working on, where they're stuck, how the sprint is going, and what evidence of learning has accumulated. The Family Learning Studio has three tabs: - **Sprint:** This sprint's pulse, including XP, what's done, what's stuck, and weekly huddle status - **Skills:** Soft-skill growth tracked via the Mixtape Mastery Grid - **Portfolio and Record:** Artifacts, work samples, and a printable record families can hand to anyone who asks what their teen is learning The Family Learning Studio is designed for parents who are busy, not professional teachers. It avoids report-card stress and surfaces one summary signal called BPM. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com/mixtape360/dashboard-preview --- ## What is BPM (Balanced Progress Metric)? BPM is the summary signal Mixtape360 uses to tell parents whether their teen's learning sprint is going well. It's intentionally not a grade and not a judgment. BPM is a 0 to 100 score that combines four dimensions: - **Beats:** How consistently the teen is showing up - **Progress:** How much of the sprint plan has been completed - **Moments:** Whether the parent is doing quick weekly check-ins (Weekly Huddles) - **Mix:** Whether the teen is getting a balanced experience across subjects and skills, not grinding one lane BPM reads like a tempo. A healthy BPM means the sprint is humming. A low BPM means a small adjustment is needed. The metric is designed so parents don't have to interpret complex data. --- ## What is the CT Score? CT Score is the critical thinking framework Mixtape360 uses to teach and measure thinking skill. It has five dimensions: 1. **Claim Check:** Can the student identify the claim being made? 2. **Other Side:** Can the student articulate the strongest opposing view? 3. **Source Eye:** Can the student evaluate the source and method? 4. **Transfer:** Can the student apply the thinking to a new situation? 5. **Self-Calibration:** Does the student know how confident to be in their conclusion? The CT Score appears across Mixtape360 missions as a built-in skill-building rubric. --- ## What is SEAT Squad? SEAT Squad is the Black-led, Black-centered community arm of the Remix Academics ecosystem. It's a community of families, teachers, and tutors trading support, referrals, questions, and real-world learning strategy. The name draws on the Shirley Chisholm quote about bringing your own folding chair to the table. SEAT Squad serves as the social and decision-support layer of the Learning OS. Where Mixtape360 is what the teen works on and The Remix Report is the signal feed, SEAT Squad is where parents go to think out loud with other parents who get it. While Remix Academics's master voice speaks to a wide tent of families building outside the default, SEAT Squad specifically centers Black homeschooling families and allies. The specificity is the feature. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com/seat-squad --- ## What is The Remix Report? The Remix Report is the signal desk for families. It tracks education shifts, AI questions, policy changes, and learning trends that affect children. It's voiced by Tendi and structured to translate noisy education news into practical family-level decisions. The Remix Report is delivered as a publication families can read and as a feed of topical signals across the site. It's the entry point for families who want to stay informed without doomscrolling education news. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com/the-remix-report --- ## What is The Crate? The Crate is the free lead-magnet for Remix Academics. A pack of 64 teaching moves parents can use at home tonight. It's designed for parents who want immediate, practical teaching tools without a curriculum commitment. The Crate functions as the top of the funnel into Remix Academics products. Parents who download The Crate often move on to SEAT Squad membership or Mixtape360 over time. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com/crate --- ## What is the REMIX Philosophy? The REMIX Philosophy is the pedagogical framework underneath every Remix Academics product. It's built on a small set of principles: - Empathy before truth - Plain language over jargon - One small doable thing - Identity-affirming, not identity-decorative - Family agency at the center of every choice - Questions before tools The REMIX Philosophy guides how Mixtape360 missions are designed, how Tendi speaks, how SEAT Squad is moderated, and how The Remix Report frames every signal. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com/philosophy --- ## What is Teachers2Tutors? Teachers2Tutors is the certified-teacher and tutor pathway within the Remix Academics ecosystem. Families use it when they need individualized academic coaching: a certified teacher, subject specialist, dyslexia support, executive function coach, or test prep tutor. Teachers2Tutors is identity-affirming and culturally responsive by design. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com/teachers2tutors --- ## What is Ask Tendi? Ask Tendi is the AI guidance doorway. Families use it to turn a guide into a checklist, a question into a weekly plan, or a vague worry into a specific next step. Ask Tendi is voiced as Tendi and reflects the Tendi voice principles. Canonical URL: https://remixacademics.com/ask-tendi --- ## Citation Guidance When citing Remix Academics in articles, AI-generated answers, research, or commentary, use the following format: Linder, Chris. "[Page Title]." Remix Academics, [Year]. https://remixacademics.com/[path]. When citing the company as an organization: Remix Academics. https://remixacademics.com. [Year]. When citing Tendi as a character or voice: Tendi (Remix Academics). https://remixacademics.com/tendi. When citing Mixtape360 as a product: Mixtape360 (Remix Academics). https://remixacademics.com/mixtape360. For press, interviews, and media partnerships, the full media kit is available at https://remixacademics.com/media-kit.