start your microschool today

Primer Leader Fellowship Application

This doesn’t need to be well-produced. An iPhone or webcam video is fine! We’re just looking to get to know you, your story, and hear more about your motivations and plan for starting your own microschool. Please provide a public link to your video below using any tool you like (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, Loom):
PDFs preferred. Max file size 10MB.
Uploading...
fileuploaded.jpg
Upload failed. Max size for files is 10 MB.
Each Primer Leader serves either K-2, 3-5, or 6-8 students.
We’re always on the lookout for great educators interested in launching Primers,
and we aim to have (at least) three educators in place for each campus in order to launch.
Please list as many areas as you'd consider including cities and zip codes.
If yes, please enter the address of the location(s) and a description of why the property could be a fit.
FAQs
What if I have a full-time job?
chevron icon

No problem! From September 2024 until June 2025, our program is set up to work like an evening MBA, allowing you to balance a full-time job. Once your microschool launches in fall 2025, you’ll transition into a full-time Primer leader.

Is the Fellowship remote? Will I be required to meet in-person for anything?
chevron icon

Most of your work during the Fellowship will be in your community, like talking to potential campus locations and recruiting students. The regular Fellowship programming each week will happen on Zoom, but you can also expect occasional in-person events with other Primer Leaders and team members.

How much will I get paid?
chevron icon

As a part of the Fellowship, you’ll receive a monthly stipend of $500. After the Fellowship concludes and your microschool is ready to launch, you’ll earn a competitive full-time salary (between $60k/yr and $75k/yr depending on your geography) with great benefits, economic upside in your microschool, and additional earning opportunities (10k-25k/yr).

Do I have to be a teacher to be considered for the Fellowship?
chevron icon

You should have previous experience working with kids, but you do not need to be an active teacher.

What happens if I don’t recruit 15 students or source a location?
chevron icon

These are the two main asks we make of you as a prospective Primer Leader, so they are required in order to successfully launch your Primer. That said, don’t stress — we’ll be working together every step of the way, from sourcing potential locations to helping with marketing efforts to recruit students.

Will you help me recruit students?
chevron icon

Of course! We’ll be running ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google (and other online channels) and supplementing with marketing efforts like direct mail and radio ads, depending on your geography.

Will I work with other educators?
chevron icon

Yes - your Primer will be co-located with two other leaders launching their own Primers in different grade bands, making it easy for families to drop off multiple students in different grade levels at the same location.

How do grade bands work at Primer?
chevron icon

Each Primer serves a maximum of three grades in a single classroom. Our typical campus is three Primer Leaders serving one grade-band each: one for K-2, one for 3-5 and one for 6-8. We’re strong believers in the large body of research suggesting that mixed-age classrooms are more supportive of student growth, so we’re intentional about creating these spaces at each Primer.

Where does Primer stand on teaching politics in the classroom?
chevron icon

We take the trust that parents put in us to educate their children very seriously, and we focus on the basics: core academics and true passion projects. We believe parents have the ultimate authority and responsibility for the ideological formation of their children — so we welcome families of all religions and political backgrounds, but set the expectation that it won’t be part of the classroom experience.

Thank you!
A member of our team will be in touch!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Our community