What is a micro-school?
It's a term that's become more popular since the pandemic to describe small learning programs that are often set up in a home. Our WEEKDAYS programs are generally between 2-8 children, most commonly groups are 6-8 children with a micro-school guide or teacher. This can be a wonderful way to learn because each child gets more personalized attention for their learning style. They also benefit from a teacher that supplements the curriculum with their own interests and passions.
What kind of programs exist?
Some teachers have a background in music, gardening, art, cooking or even architecture. One of our most popular type of programs focuses on outdoor learning with teachers who love to encourage children to explore, be curious, and get some exercise outside. Micro-schools can take many shapes--some are focused on one age range and some are a mix of ages. Often, they are hosted within the micro-school leader's home but they can also be hosted in a parent's home and in some cases, the classrooms rotate between homes. We support some micro-schools within businesses as well.
What's the story of WEEKDAYS?
The organization was founded on three principals: parents finding wonderful neighborhood options for childcare and schooling. teachers being paid a fair wage, and children in personalized environments where they can thrive. The early days of the company go back to Madrona Venture Labs in 2019. Shauna, who was a Partner at the startup studio, decided to help solve her own problem as a parent when she couldn't find a daycare or preschool spot in her neighborhood with an opening.
What ages do WEEKDAYS programs serve?
We are obsessed with offering the very best programs in early childhood education. Our micro-schools range from infant to preschool age.
What makes these programs different?
We serve the largest overall network of teachers, parents and supporters of micro-schools. Our micro-school leaders are vetted, background checked and meet specific criteria in order to be a fit to start a program through us. In the past, there hasn't been a quality bar for home-based childcare and school support. We're changing that. We aim to make every program safe and be among the highest quality programs in the neighborhood. Thousands of teachers have inquired about starting WEEKDAYS programs and we only end up working with 10-15% of teachers. We support people with formal teaching backgrounds, tutors, and nannies who want to transition into having their own program, and parents with experience who want to lead a micro-school.
Where are WEEKDAYS programs?
We are supporting programs across the country. Now, recent hotspots are: Seattle, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
How does it work for parents?
Enter your zip code in the form on the homepage. You'll immediately see micro-school options in your neighborhood. If there aren't any programs, parents can be a 'founding family' and help kickstart one by signing up. We'll follow up with all the parents, get the micro-school going, vet and background check the teachers. There's a bonus for you if you help start a local micro-school too! If you help get a program going in your neighborhood and spread the word, once the program is going, you'll get a special perk.
How does it work if I'm interested in being a micro-school lead or teacher?
We'd love to chat with you! Fill out the "provide care" form or email your resume or LinkedIn profile to team@joinweekdays.com to get the process started. If a micro-school lead makes it through our background check and vetting, we work fast. We can get new micro-school leaders up and running within a few days (vetted, background checked, and onboarded through WEEKDAYS).
What experience do you look for in your micro-school leaders and teachers?
At the most basic level, we look at three areas: safety, experience, and a passion to work with children. Safety is our top priority. All micro-school leaders and teachers are background checked. Experience working with children in some capacity or teaching experience is important. Motivation for starting a program is important. Many of our teachers describe working with children as 'a calling.'
Does WEEKDAYS partner with businesses?
Yes! We have customizable options for businesses. Some businesses are working with us to offer childcare and schooling support for their team members. We can match employees with personalized programs near them, we can work with you to offer a subsidy for your employees or we can partner on a customized option. Contact team@joinweekdays.com to kick off a conversation about a business partnership to help your employees.
How do you recoup costs for WEEKDAYS? Are there upfront costs?
There are no upfront costs for parents or micro-school leads / teachers. We invest in getting teachers and micro-school leaders set up by providing the structure and all the support for your program ongoing. We only cover our costs when you successfully start a program with children enrolled. We charge a service fee of 10% to recoup the costs that go into supporting a program. For anyone who has a scholarship spot, we offer our services at no cost.