Growth & Community · August 14, 2026
When to Grow (and When to Stay Small on Purpose)
Growth is optional. The honest framework for deciding between a second cohort, a second location, or staying at ten students forever.
Articles
Practical writing on laws, funding, and the daily work of running a small school. Subscribe by RSS or use the newsletter form below.
Getting Started · August 11, 2026
Founder Burnout: Building a Year One You Can Sustain
You are the teacher, principal, janitor, and bookkeeper. How microschool founders structure year one so the school still has a founder in year two.
Curriculum & Teaching · August 8, 2026
Field Trips as Curriculum: Learning That Leaves the Building
Small schools can leave the building weekly, cheaply, and legally. How to make field trips a curriculum layer instead of a treat.
Funding & ESAs · August 5, 2026
Utah Fits All: Using the Scholarship for a Microschool
How Utah families put the Utah Fits All Scholarship toward microschool education, in the state writing the friendliest microschool laws in America.
Growth & Community · August 2, 2026
From Waitlist to Second Cohort: Managing Demand Without Breaking
Your microschool is full and families keep calling. How to run a waitlist that keeps trust, and when demand justifies a second room.
Legal & Operations · July 30, 2026
Zoning 101 for Home-Based Microschools
The one phone call that protects your home-based school, what home occupation rules allow, and what to do if the city says no.
Curriculum & Teaching · July 27, 2026
Teaching Reading Across Ages: One Room, Five Levels
The skill-group system for microschool reading: placement, 20-minute groups, independent work that is not busywork, and what to do about the outliers.
Funding & ESAs · July 24, 2026
Florida PEP and Microschools: A Family Walkthrough
How Florida families use PEP and Family Empowerment Scholarships with microschools, through Step Up For Students and MyScholarShop.
Legal & Operations · July 21, 2026
Hiring Your Second Guide: When and How to Grow Your Team
The signals it is time to hire, what to pay, employee vs. contractor, and the interview that predicts whether someone can run a mixed-age room.
Getting Started · July 18, 2026
The Microschool Business Model: Tuition Math That Keeps You Open
Set tuition from costs, not vibes. The simple model: expenses, target salary, seats, and the price that makes year two possible.
Curriculum & Teaching · July 15, 2026
Assessment Without the Anxiety: Progress Parents Can Trust
How microschools measure learning without test-prep culture: MAP growth data, portfolios, and narratives that say something real.
Funding & ESAs · July 12, 2026
Texas ESA Is Coming: What Microschool Founders Should Do Now
Texas is rolling out education savings accounts. The founders who prepare now will be ready when family funding arrives. Here is the checklist.
Getting Started · June 29, 2026
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Microschool (Real Numbers)
Home-based launches commonly cost $3,000 to $8,000. Leased space runs $25,000 or more. Here is the line-item budget founders actually face.
Funding & ESAs · June 22, 2026
Can You Use ESA Money for a Microschool? State-by-State Answer
In many states, yes. ESA funds can pay microschool tuition or buy curriculum, if the program and your school's structure line up. Here is how.
Growth & Community · June 18, 2026
What Parents Ask on Tours (and How Strong Founders Answer)
The eight questions every prospective microschool family asks, and honest answers that build trust: socialization, rigor, safety, and you.
Getting Started · June 15, 2026
How to Start a Microschool: The 90-Day Checklist
A week-by-week checklist from decision to first day: legal pathway, LLC, insurance, space, curriculum, ESA vendor registration, and enrollment.
Legal & Operations · June 11, 2026
Records, Report Cards, and Transcripts in a Microschool
What records a small school must keep, what parents expect, and how to handle transcripts when a student transfers out.
Legal & Operations · June 8, 2026
Microschool vs. Homeschool Co-op vs. Learning Pod: What's the Legal Difference?
The words are marketing. The legal structure is what matters. Here is how each model works and how to pick the right one for your state.
Growth & Community · June 4, 2026
How to Run an Open House That Actually Enrolls Families
The open house formula: what to show, what to say about money, and the follow-up within 48 hours that converts interest into enrollment.
Getting Started · June 1, 2026
What Is a Microschool? The 2026 Plain-English Guide
A microschool is a small school, usually 5 to 15 students, run by one guide. Here is how they work, what they cost, and how families pay.
Curriculum & Teaching · May 25, 2026
The Mixed-Age Morning: What a Microschool Day Actually Looks Like
A real hour-by-hour microschool schedule: self-paced math, skill-group reading, shared science, and why afternoons look nothing like school.
Legal & Operations · May 18, 2026
Writing Your Family Handbook: The Policies That Prevent Problems
The 10 policies every microschool handbook needs, from tuition and refunds to sick kids and pickup rules. Settle it in writing before day one.
Funding & ESAs · May 11, 2026
West Virginia Hope Scholarship for Microschool Families
How WV families use the Hope Scholarship for microschools and learning pods, and why West Virginia law is unusually friendly to both.
Growth & Community · May 4, 2026
Marketing Your Microschool: Filling 10 Seats Without Ads
Ten seats fill through relationships, not ad spend. The founder playbook: open houses, co-op networks, and the one referral that matters.
Legal & Operations · April 27, 2026
Finding Space: Churches, Storefronts, and Home-Based Rules
The three spaces microschools actually use, what each costs, and the zoning and licensing questions to ask before you sign anything.
Curriculum & Teaching · April 20, 2026
How Microschools Handle Science (Labs Without a Lab Room)
No lab room, no lab tech, no problem. How one guide runs real hands-on science for mixed ages in a living room or church classroom.
Funding & ESAs · April 13, 2026
Arizona ESA + Microschools: The Complete Funding Walkthrough
How Arizona families use Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to pay for microschool tuition and curriculum, step by step through ClassWallet.
Legal & Operations · April 6, 2026
Insurance for Microschools: What Founders Actually Need
General liability, abuse coverage, and the questions insurers will ask. What microschool insurance costs and where to start.
Curriculum & Teaching · April 2, 2026
Choosing Curriculum for a Mixed-Age Microschool
One guide, ten students, five grade levels. Here is how to pick curriculum that actually works in one room, subject by subject.