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Microschool Founders Grove
58 members • Free
3 contributions to Microschool Founders Grove
23d •
How to enroll your first families without feeling salesy
If the word “marketing” makes you cringe, you’re normal. Most great microschools start because someone cares, not because they love selling. Here’s what actually works: 1. Be clear, not convincing. Say who your pod is for and who it’s not. The right families lean in when they recognize themselves. 2. Share the why, not the pitch. Talk about what you noticed in kids, what wasn’t working in classrooms, and what you’re building instead. Story builds trust. 3. Start local and relational. Facebook groups, friends of friends, former families, park conversations. One yes often leads to three more. 4. Price simply. Monthly tuition, clear schedule, no complicated packages. Parents want transparency more than “deals.” 5. Invite, don’t chase. End posts with “Happy to answer questions” or “Message me if you want details.” Calm confidence converts. You don’t need a full school to start. You need 3–5 aligned families. Drop your program idea below and I’ll help you soften and clarify it
1 like • 16d
I'll echo #1. The clearer you can embody and project what you're about (who your program will serve and how you will serve them) the easier it is to not attract THE RIGHT fits for your program. Yes, when you're new you need new students to get going but enrolling too many of the wrong families/students that are looking for something different than your vision will cause you 10x more work later than if you had never enrolled them. Enrolling the right fit can bring energy, momentum, and more word-of-mouth marketing to other high-signal candidates.
18d •
Where are you located + how many kids do you have or hope to have if not open yet?
Plus, drop a 🧠 if you’re a teacher, 💛 if you’re a parent, 🌱 if both
1 like • 16d
Charlotte, NC. We have 80 this year. We've been between 75 and 85 pretty steadily for the last few years.
0 likes • 16d
My wife founded this (ALC Mosaic) microschool while I had started the first ALC in NYC at the same time (we had not yet met at that point, but met and started working together a couple months into the school year). Mosaic started 12 students in an Educational trailer in the back lot of church. I got involved mid-year, consulting and helping on structures, culture, and operations. We had 24 at the end of that first year. Nancy (my wife) was a public school teacher and then private school teacher before starting Mosaic. In the six months before she started the school she worked with a small group of kids who were homeschooled and the core families grew from those relationships. If you're first starting out, even in the planning stages, it's worth networking with existing homeschooling groups and families and offering trips or classes or mini camps to those families that can then become the first folks who enroll in a larger program. After the first year, we had to get a second rental location across town because we outgrew the educational trailer and for the next three years, we had two campuses, one with the youngest kids and one with older kids until we were able to purchase a property at the end of 2016 and move everyone together the following year. Once we had that larger campus and everyone together, it was pretty easy to go from 35/40 to 60.
18d •
What stage are you in?
Would love to know where everyone is at! Please comment your biggest “stuck” point too if you feel comfortable to share! We would love to help you get unstuck!
Poll
9 members have voted
1 like • 16d
12.5 years into it and still learning and evolving things each year :)
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@tomis-parker-3173
Creator and Founder of Prism: Learning Made Visible (prism.guide). Co-founded Agile Learning Centers, Director of Operations at ALC Mosaic
Active 15d ago
Joined Jan 16, 2026