Has anyone here ever started a school or know of someone who started a school?

[gandpsmommy]

I know it's a pipe dream, but wouldn't it be grand to start your own school? I would love for my children to have a positive, meaningful environment in which they could interact with other kids and with intelligent, caring, vibrant adults who have a passion for something in particular in life and would love to share it with others. I wish for them that they could find other people in life who share some of their interests and would like to explore them together. I dream of a school where tuition is affordable, teachers are knowledageable and infectiously interested (as well as interesting); learning experiences are varied, deep, and purposeful; learning environments are welcoming, comfortable, and stimulating; and students are encouraged to treat each other with respect, kindness, and care.

 

I love choosing curriculum, and I believe that I am rather adept at choosing excellent materials. I think that I could teach a few subjects which really hold my interest and energize me. But, where would I find all of the other teachers? And where would I find a building? And how could I really make it all come together? And how could I make it affordable? We live in an area where educational choices are limited, the public schools aren't stellar, and there are no secular private schools. Some families just send their children to religious private schools because they don't like the public schools, even though they are not religious themselves. I don't think finding students would be a problem.

 

Does anyone know what it actually takes to start a school? I know it has to be do-able because there are several churches around here who have done it. But, I just don't even know where I would start? Any advice?

 

I doubt that this would ever actually happen, but it's worth exploring. Thanks for any information you can share.

[amy g.]

I started a preschool when my oldest was 2. I have an early childhood education degree, and firmly believed that it keeping her at home would be in her best interest.

 

However, I started seeing that Dd was "different". She could sound out words at 2, but socially, she was very "off". I decided that she would be best served in a special school situation that I could control.

 

I first decided that I would not make profit a goal. I would just focus on creating an ideal environment for children. I was director, and pre-k teacher, but I did not take a salary. I kept student/teacher ratios at 5 to one. I paid teachers for their planning and clean up time, and was able to keep from having any turn over there.

 

My church offered us a space and paid for electricity and printing. h "donated" to the school for snacks. My dad had a fundraiser for play ground equipment. I offered scholarship spots to children from a near by low income apartment building.

 

My husband was transferred right before Dd entered Kindergarten. We decided to put her in a private school when we moved. I consider my little school a success because Dd had to test into the private school. Even though she has an August birthday, and has multiple learning disabilities, she scored higher on her entrance exams that any student that year. The teachers had a hard time believing that she had spent most of her school time singing song, decorating cookies, and making doll houses out of shoe boxes.

 

It was a nice confirmation for me that children can excel without a lot of strife and pressure if their emotional needs are met, and they have responsive adults and a stimulating environment.

 

The school only lasted 2 years after I moved, but when I started homeschooling, I taught preschool in my home to pay for piano, and gymnastics and horse backriding lessons.

[Guest]

I have been visiting schools in the past year to try to find somewhere my daughter, who has Asperger's, would fit. Several were brand new: a few were around ten years old. I too had been thinking how wonderful it would be to start a school until I talked at length with so many directors and founders and realized how much of their time was spent dealing with finances: raising money is a job and a half. The schools who rent - or are loaned space in -- buildings are in windowless, office-type environments with bad air circulation. It was clear to me that the financial aspect of things was very difficult and that they lived close to the edge.

 

The ones who raised money to build new buildings spent SO MUCH TIME with parties and such to raise the cash. Then they also had marketing campaigns. I hadn't thought of all that side of things too much, and I realized I would need to.

 

If you don't mind or are good at the financial aspects as well as the curricular ones, I'd say you're perfect for the job. Or maybe you know someone who would like to help you start out and would focus on the money aspects while you do the rest.

[Ferdie]

This school was started by some families in our communities a few years ago. It was very successful. Students attend classes twice a week, (3 times for high schoolers). They work at home the other days.

 

There is a start a school link under the "campuses" button.

 

http://www.coramdeoacademy.org/

[laughing lioness]

Have you looked at the NAUMS web-site? We started a UMS this fall with 14 students. It was great- a real hot-house effect. But then my family got hit with a house fire, the death of my sister, pneumonia, relocation, etc and we didnt' have the critical mass of people needed to continue the 3 days, so we are doing a modified 1-day a week program through the end of this spring. The UMS seems to me (after 19 yrs of homeschooling and a couple of grad degrees, teaching, etc) to be the best combo of people/home. The couple days at school are intense enough to cause an increase in productivity and the days at home are home with fam, doing all that families do best. Winning combo imho.

My dh and I are really commited to starting a classical UMS in the near future. We are not sure that we have the people mass to support a classical UMS in the area and are talking about options.

There is lots of awesome resources at the NAUMS site, as well as at the LOGOS site (they have tons of school start-up helps) and ACCS. Franklin Academy (George Grants school) is doing a training this summer.

Happy researching. I'd love to know if you go for it. :001_smile:

[Ellie]

I did that. I started a school at my church, a multi-grade, one-room school.

 

What is required differs from state to state. In California, private schools are not regulated so it was very easy; it may differ in other states.

 

"Marva Collins' Way" might give you some good ideas on starting a school. I think hers began in her house.

[TXMary2]

I've often thought it would be fun to start a school. I am considering starting a pre-school in my home, perhaps in the fall. I am still doing the research.

[KC in KS]

I know someone who was hired as the principal for a new school/academy for homeschoolers - they got so bogged down in the management and rules that she ended up leaving. It's a lot more work than it sounds.

[AndyJoy]

My mom founded a school for me when I was in 7th grade because she wanted a Christian alternative to the public school with more rigorous academics. Looking back on it, she says she probably would have homeschooled had it been on her radar!

 

We started with 8 students in grades 7-8. Our classes were all combined except for math, in which we each worked on our own level. My mom taught all the subjects except Bible, which was team-taught by two local pastors. Each year we added a grade and added new teachers as needed. In our peak year, we had about 25 students in grades 7-12.

 

Due to our small size, classes had 2-6 grades each. Math was the first period of the day, so you could be in whatever level you needed.

 

Juniors and seniors were allowed to dual enroll in the PS for courses we couldn't offer. I took Trig/Pre-Calc & Chemistry my jr. year and Calculus, AP Chemistry, and accounting my sr. year.

 

 

The school never really got off the ground in the sense that the teachers always worked for peanuts. Most of the teachers were parents of children in the school, however, so having free tuition was their main motivation. A few years ago after my mom retired, they couldn't afford to have classroom teachers anymore, so they expanded to K-12 and switched to ABEKA video with 2 facilitator/teachers. They are down to 5 students and probably will be unable to reopen next year.

It was a huge amount of work and burned my mother out big time. Our family (and especially my sister) suffered because of the long hours it involved.

 

Though we're sad that the school is fading, it served its original purpose, and then some. I have fond memories of my school days there, but it was tough on our family as well. Though it seems counter intuitive, because we were so small we had many opportunities that PS kids didn't. We went on LOTS of field trips--off the top of my head I can remember the planetarium, a ballet, 3 plays, state capitol building, a national park, several museums, overnight camping trip, bakery, and I know there were more. We had interesting guest speakers and were able to spend real time questioning them as the school subjects were rearranged to accommodate it. One girl's grandfather was a WWII veteran who spent 3 hours talking with us and answering our questions. His family says it was the first time they heard much of what he shared. We did tons of service projects in the community as well.

 

Unlike PS teens, we got a real recess time that allowed us to actually exercise. We played touch football, "giant killer 4-square", basketball, capture the flag, etc. for about 40 min. every day.

 

Since the PS took off so many teacher in-service days, we took off 6 Friday skiing days in Jan. and Feb.! The ski resort offered an amazing deal to the local homeschool association, and extended it to us as well. Those who didn't ski just took the day off.

 

I now joke that it was kind of like homeschooling with lots of siblings in a lot of ways. The classes had 2-8 students most of the time, so your teacher knew you very well and was a lot like another mom. Also, if you had a problem with another student, it was nearly impossible to aviod them. Things usually got worked out somehow instead of being ignored.

Edited March 10, 2010 by AndyJoy

[laughing lioness]

One way to get connected with others interested in a UMS, at least, is to go to the NAUMS web and call/email those under "developing" or "national inquiry." I did that last week and ended up talking with a gal for 3 hours. What we found in the past couple years of developing/starting several co-ops, and then the UMS was to have a decently sized BASE to start from. More than just you and your fam or you'll definitly get burned out.

 

And make sure that they are all reading off the same sheet of music. We stated clearly from the get-go classical was in our blood, but after the fire, there was a fam with a special needs kids who pushed for something different than academics. I was told a couple times by different people that I was "re-inventing the wheel" Oh, the irony. :lol:.

[Crimson Wife]

My parents were involved in the founding of a private school back in the early '80's. I was in the very first kindergarten class. My mom served as treasurer in exchange for a break in the tuition.

 

The school still exists but it is unrecognizable from what it was like when I attended K-3. It started out being very hippie-ish but now is your standard chi-chi private school. The full tuition when I went was about $3500 in today's dollars but today the school charges $17.5k :svengo:

 

My parents are very disappointed at the direction the school took after they and the other founders moved on :(

[laughing lioness]

How do you find that base?

 

Pray. Classical is a niche market. So is a UMS. To a lesser degree a Christian school is. It's a niche, niche, niche. We are coming to the conclusion that where we currently live there is probably not the critical mass of people needed to start a classical UMS.

(I've been reading "Where's Your City" by Richard Florida. It has put words to my frustration about the location of where we are location wise).

Edited March 10, 2010 by laughing lioness

[helena]

My mom has owned a Montessori school for 30ish years. All of my aunts, and both of my moms best friends do or have owned Montessori schools over the last 20 years.

My moms place is like a well oiled machine, but it still requires a massive amount of time and energy. I don't think most people understand what they're getting into when they want to "start a school", curriculum is just the tip of the iceberg. It's an insane amount of codes, cleaning, teaching, dealing with parents, paper work, bills, etc.

I believe my mom has created her life masterpiece, she's touched so many peoples lives. I remember when she'd been around long enough when high school and college kids were coming in to thank her, some even telling her they were going into education in part because of the wonderful memories they had of her and the school.

For all the sacrifices we made as a family for the school, (and there were many) knowing that she truly changes lives for the better makes it all worth it (for the most part :)).

One of my aunts runs a Montessori home day care. She lives in a big ranch style home, with lots of yard. I've seen many women start this way. Slowly they work on their numbers, gathering materials (which are especially expensive in a Montessori classroom), and waiting for the right spot. I think it can be a good way to get your feet wet, without spending every last cent on a building and paying teachers. But sometimes it tends to be more taxing on the whole family because it's in everyones personal space.

For me personally with my health issues, I don't believe I could run a school. I wonder what will happen when my mom gets to old to keep it all up. I tell my girls that when grandma gets old they'll have to take turns driving her out there.. maybe one of them will fall in love with it and take over. She owns the building which makes a big difference.

I grew up in a world of women owning their own schools. It started with Mrs. Smith, she walked with a cane and was hard as nails. The school was in a beautiful old house, in fact it's still there and her daughter I believe is still running it. I remember going to her funeral, looking around and tripping out on how lucky I am to have grown up surrounded by so many strong women. They all have had their share of problems, but they all "brought home the bacon, and fried it in a pan" :D.

 

And they all worked/work for a greater good.

 

ETA

My mom started first day no kids, second day 1 kid..like that. She rented a room from a public school that had closed. She had a very humble beginning. She stuck with it, and had guidance from older women who had already been there done that.

Edited March 10, 2010 by helena

[Crimson Wife]

I've been reading "Where's Your City" by Richard Florida. It has put words to my frustration about the location of where we are location wise.

 

Thanks for the book rec, it looks interesting.

 

I want to know where all the folks are whom Rod Dreher calls "Crunchy Cons". I don't feel at home politically & religiously among blue state yuppies and I don't feel at home culturally among red state Joe & Jane Six-Pack.

[Ellie]

I know someone who was hired as the principal for a new school/academy for homeschoolers - they got so bogged down in the management and rules that she ended up leaving. It's a lot more work than it sounds.

That's because it was for homeschoolers. Whoever it was who was actually in charge--I take it that your friend was not--asked for too much input from the homeschoolers themselves. You may have noticed that we hsers are terribly opinionated.:tongue_smilie:

[laughing lioness]

Thanks for the book rec, it looks interesting.

 

I want to know where all the folks are whom Rod Dreher calls "Crunchy Cons". I don't feel at home politically & religiously among blue state yuppies and I don't feel at home culturally among red state Joe & Jane Six-Pack.

Well, some of us are here. Irl, we've had an awful hard time finding like-minded folks. Part of our yearning for a UMS is for a group of like-minded, excellent comrades for our kids.

Florida does address where certain groups of poeple are. In fact, there are many graphs in his book(s) with detailed demographics.

[gandpsmommy]

Thanks for all of the replies, everyone. I don't think I am the one to undertake such an endeavor since I am not an organizer/planner/manager/fundraiser kind of person. All of the details would overwhelm me. I don't think I would make a good administrator or teacher, but I would love to be a curriculum planner!

[helena]

Thanks for all of the replies, everyone. I don't think I am the one to undertake such an endeavor since I am not an organizer/planner/manager/fundraiser kind of person. All of the details would overwhelm me. I don't think I would make a good administrator or teacher, but I would love to be a curriculum planner!

 

I understand 100% :)

Family and friend are always asking me when I'll get back into that whole world. They don't understand why I would homeschool for years but not take my place at my moms or start a school of my own. I'm beyond romanticizing that one! :D

I've been thinking about putting together a whole poetry study for my moms K and 1st grade class. I wonder if it would annoy her teachers if I started to bring "ideas" to the school. I feel like I've discovered some easy and fulfilling things her school could benefit from.

 

I know my mom over the years has had a lot of fun building units. She's bought and made so much work. We like to go antiquing to find inspiring pieces. For example she scored on some beautiful old saddles and a stand, she brought out all of her horse stuff and built a new unit. Her school is like a prop room for the theater. What ever you want to teach, there will be loads of stuff to draw from.

I wish I could get paid to throw those units together for her teachers. :001_smile:

[Guest]

I don't know why this didn't occur to me before when I posted a reply; but there may be ways of gathering and selling a curriculum you invent that have nothing to do with a bricks-and-mortar school. I'm thinking of the Ellen McHenry chemistry units people seem to like; of Aurora Lipper's homeschool science kits; and of course Susan Wise Bauer's virtual classical industry. Maybe you want to think in those terms: of putting together something in writing or a collection of materials for people to purchase?