Shared Expectations

How Participation at Kidsteader School Works

  • Kidsteader School is a small, private homeschool community with a clear structure, shared values, and limited participation.

    • Participation is by invitation only.
    • This page explains how participation works, what commitment looks like, and the boundaries that protect the rhythm of the school.
    • Please read this page carefully before requesting consideration.

What “Request Consideration” Means

    • Kidsteader School is not open to the public.
    • This is a private learning community hosted on our family’s homestead. Because this is where we live—and because culture matters—we are careful about who we invite in.
    • Requesting consideration means you are asking to be evaluated for fit.
    • Not all families who request consideration will be invited.

If You Are Invited

    • Families who are invited begin participation on a trial basis.
    • This is not a customer relationship.
    • It is a shared agreement to follow clear expectations that protect the learning environment, the children, and the community.

One-Time Entry Commitment

  • Participation begins with a one-time $1,000 entry commitment, per child, paid upfront.

    This entry commitment:

    • Covers setup, preparation, and onboarding costs
    • Confirms seriousness before entering the community
    • Protects the time, energy, and rhythm of Kidsteader School

    This $1,000 amount applies only at entry.

    • It is not tuition.
    • It is not payment for outcomes.
    • It is a commitment to participate fully.

Your First 4-Weeks

  • The first four weeks are a two-way culture fit period for both the family and the community.

    To be eligible for a 100% refund of the entry commitment, families must meet all of the expectations below:

    • Attend all 8 scheduled school days
    • Arrive on time and leave on time each day
    • Answer one brief written survey response each week
    • Submit an unbiased review at the end of the four weeks.

    Missing any day, arriving late, leaving early, or failing to complete any requirement means the refund condition is not met.

    Families who do not meet all expectations will not receive a refund.

    To keep it simple, there are no exceptions.

    This structure rewards families who respect time, rhythm, and shared responsibility.

Ongoing Participation

  • After the four-week entry period, continued participation is $500 every four weeks per child.


    When spread across the scheduled days and hours, this works out to approximately $10 per hour, per child, of shared learning time.

    This ongoing amount is separate from the one-time entry commitment. Continued participation is conditional and reviewed regularly.

    Ongoing participation requires:

    • Attending all scheduled days
    • Arriving on time and leaving on time
    • Respecting classroom and community boundaries
    • Supporting a calm, focused learning environment

    Participation guidelines may evolve as the community develops.

    Participation may be paused or ended by either party if the fit is no longer right

Parent Presence

  • Parents are part of the community but are not present in the classroom during the school day.

    Parents may:

    • Remain on-site in a designated indoor parent space
    • Work remotely, read, or rest quietly
    • Walk the 78-acre farm
    • Drop off and return later

    Parents may not:

    • Sit in the classroom
    • Interrupt lessons
    • Address learning issues during the school day

    Questions or concerns are discussed outside of school hours.

What This Is (and What It Is Not)

  • This Is:

    • Invitation-only
    • Intentionally small
    • Calm and structured
    • Built on trust and responsibility

    This Is Not:

    • Drop-off childcare
    • A traditional school
    • A paid program with guarantees
    • A flexible or casual commitment
    • A fit for every family

Before You Request Consideration

  • Before requesting consideration, please make sure you:

    • Understand the time commitment
    • Are comfortable with clear boundaries
    • Respect that this is a private community, not a service
    • Are willing to show up fully and consistently

    Requesting consideration means you have read this page carefully and believe these expectations are reasonable for your family.

Request Consideration

*Requests are reviewed within 48 business hours*

  • STEP 1

    Request Consideration

    This helps us learn about your family and determine whether there may be a good fit.

    **Submitting a request does not guarantee an invitation.***

  • STEP 2

    Culture Fit Call

    Meet virtually with Mike to talk through expectations, answer questions, and explore alignment.

  • STEP 3

    School & Farm Invite

    Visit the school and walk the farm if an invitation is extended.

Tell Us About Your Family

There are 22 questions. It will take you less than 15 minutes. Are you ready to begin?

FAQ

Is Kidsteader School a full-time school?

No. Kidsteader School operates as a guided homeschool cooperative. Children attend on-farm learning days twice per week. Families remain responsible for learning outside of those days.

How many days per week does the program meet?

Children attend on-farm learning days twice per week.

Is this a drop-off program?

Families may walk the farm, run errands, or work remotely in our designated parent area; parents are not present in the classroom during the school day.

Who is responsible for my child’s education?

Families retain responsibility for their child’s education. Kidsteader School provides a shared learning environment, adult guidance, structure, and support—not full educational coverage.

What ages can attend?

Children learn in a mixed-age environment between 6 and 12 years old.

Is there a curriculum?

Yes. We use a simple, flexible curriculum.

Core skills are supported with IXL.com, Reading.com, Khan Academy, and similar apps. STEM learning happens through hands-on, on-farm activities and guided projects. There is no fixed, published curriculum because tools and resources change as children grow and the environment evolves.



What is STEM learning?

STEM learning at Kidsteader School is hands-on and practical.

Children learn science, technology, engineering, and math by building, testing, fixing, and solving real problems on the farm through guided projects and experiments.



What is the Hero’s Journey theme?

Upon arrival, children embark on an epic adventure.

Children draw names from a hat to find their accountability partner for the day. Partners support one another during morning core skills and work together during the afternoon STEM activity.




Are there grades or assessments?

No traditional grades or standardized assessments are used. Progress is observed developmentally through participation, effort, and growth over time.

We believe in skill mastery over grades. Parents can monitor their child’s mastered skills through our chosen AI adaptive learning apps dashboard. It sounds more fancy than it is.

Are you a Montessori school?

We are not a licensed Montessori School. However, we are inspired by Maria Montessori's methods. We simulate the real world by using a mixed-age group.

Who is NOT a fit for Kidsteader School?

Kidsteader School is not a fit for families seeking to fully outsource their child’s education.

This environment works best when families remain actively involved and see learning as a shared responsibility between home and the learning environment.

Families looking for a fully delegated school model may be better served by a traditional public, private, or charter school.

Is Kidsteader School religious or political?

We're guided by values rooted in personal responsibility, freedom, and care for others. These are informed by Christian and libertarian traditions, but the school is not affiliated with a church, denomination, political party, or formal movement.


Families should expect an environment shaped by these values in practice—through expectations, culture, and how responsibility is held—rather than through formal instruction or advocacy.