Education Series Part 5 | How to Homeschool, Start a Microschool, and Build What Doesn’t Exist with Candace Lehenbauer

How do you homeschool six kids, start a microschool, and build something that doesn’t exist yet? Candace Lehenbauer has done all three, and she’s sharing the real, unpolished story of how to start a microschool. In Part 5 of our Education Series, recorded live at an education conference, I sit down with my friend Candace for her fourth visit to the show. After nearly two decades of homeschooling her six kids, Candace founded Tapestry Academy, a microschool in Boca Raton, and has worked as a Prenda microschool guide. She also runs Microschool Florida, a free directory that helps families across the state, from Miami to Tampa, find microschools and microschool programs near them. What is a microschool? A microschool is a small learning community, often just a handful of mixed-age students, built around personalized learning. Microschools are one of the fastest-growing education options in America, and Florida is at the center of that growth. The Florida scholarship through Step Up for Students is, partially, fueling that growth. We spent the conference talking about what students need and what teachers need. This conversation is for the founders: the moms, educators, and dreamers building something with their own hands, often alone. Candace pulls back the curtain on what founding really looks like. She talks about the 1099 she didn’t know she had to file, the first teacher who left a month in, and the hard move from free homeschool co-op classes to a microschool with tuition. Through all of it, she couldn’t stop thinking about the school she wanted to build. She saw it, and she couldn’t unsee it. In this episode, we explore: How to start a microschool, and what no one tells you Moving from homeschool co-op classes to paid microschool tuition Hiring your first teacher, contracts, and the paperwork side of microschool jobs Choosing and changing microschool curriculum, and why freedom is the best part Building a sustainable microschool: co-op days, enrichment programs, online resources, and memberships Why “nobody trusts the polished anything,” and why your story beats a flyer Our tiny founders’ walking club, and why you don’t need to pay anyone to find your people Your “six-pack”: the people who believe in you no matter what How Candace used The Secrets of Happy Families to shape her microschool’s culture Her magic-wand wish for education, including more funding and grants for microschool founders What she’d tell herself on day one Memorable moments: “Nobody trusts the polished anything.” When you’re your own worst critic, picture your six-pack around a boardroom table and ask what they’d tell you. Failure isn’t a detour. It’s how you find out what works. Looking for a microschool near you? Start with Candace’s Microschool Florida directory. Connect with Candace: Microschool Florida | Tapestry Academy If you’re homeschooling, dreaming about a microschool, or building anything from scratch, share this with someone who needs to hear it’s gonna be okay. #microschool #homeschool #microschoolflorida 🎧Yoto Player | Screen Free Fun for Kids The audio player that makes screen free time easier. Choose from 1000+ cards, music or podcasts. +Follow the Raising Wild Hearts Podcast: https://raisingwildhearts.buzzsprout.com/585529/follow ⭐️Write a Review for Raising Wild Hearts on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-wild-hearts-with-ryann-watkin/id1480064322  Support the show 🛍️ Thank you to our incredible affiliates. To get any of the products or services mentioned on the Raising Wild Hearts podcast, head to: https://www.raisingwildhearts.com/market 🙏Follow + Subscribe + Review:   🍎Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-wild-hearts-with-ryann-watkin/id1480064322 🎶Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KmzkkszG99W2dkBtRUJm6 📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@raisingwildhearts 🎙️Want to be a guest on Raising Wild Hearts? Send me a message on PodMatch, here:https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/raisingwildhearts 💰 I only share what I truly love — some some links may be affiliate links.