Everything you need to know before you decide anything.
New to homeschooling or microschooling? Are you curious, but have questions? We'll explain what we are, how it works legally, whether your child is a good fit, what a real day looks like, and what to do next.
No pressure. Just clarity.
What is Freedom Thinkers?
Freedom Thinkers is a small learning community in Oviedo/East Orlando where K–12 children learn at their own pace, four days a week, alongside children and teens of mixed ages. They are guided by a mentor, not a classroom teacher.
You remain your child's official homeschool parent. We provide the daily learning environment Monday through Thursday. Fridays are yours.
It's sometimes called a “microschool”, but we call it a village.
Is this legal? How does it work in Florida?
Yes, and here's exactly how it works.
In Florida, homeschooling is a well established legal right. Here's how the Freedom Thinkers model works within that framework:
1) You register as a homeschool family with your county school district, or an umbrella school, or with Step Up for Students (PEP).
For the county, it’s a simple ‘letter of intent’. Florida law (F.S. 1002.41) requires you to notify your district superintendent within 30 days of beginning homeschooling. No approval needed, just a notification.
Umbrella schools are plentiful and each have their own requirements.
Step Up for Students just requires that you apply for their PEP scholarship. Once you’re accepted, that’s your official avenue of registration in FL.
2) Your child attends Freedom Thinkers Mon–Thurs as their learning environment.
We are not an accredited school, but we will have the option to use accredited curriculum.
K-8th parents can choose between Isabel’s method of homeschooling (that we’ll be working on gaining accreditation for once the academic year begins) or Prenda Microschools - which is accredited via Middle States.
9-12th is accredited via WonderED & Cognia using Isabel’s homeschool curriculum with dual enrollment options that we can use via the Florida University/College system or Arizona State University.
Technically, we are a private learning community that supports your homeschool. Think of us as the village that does the daily work alongside you.
3) Each year you complete a simple annual evaluation.
Florida requires homeschool families to keep a portfolio of work and have it reviewed annually by a certified teacher, umbrella schools have their own methods, or PEP requires their child takes a standardized test. We help families understand this requirement and stay on track.
4) High schoolers have two diploma options.
In Florida, homeschool parents issue their own diplomas. Since we’ll be partnering with WonderED for our high schoolers, you have the option to either issue a homeschool diploma or receive a high school diploma from an accredited group.
We'll guide you through this process as your child approaches graduation. Have questions about college admissions for homeschoolers? We'll address these in our info call.
We're honest about who thrives here, and who doesn't.
Not every family is right for every microschool. Here's a candid look at what we've seen work well and what hasn't.
Families who tend to thrive here
Children who are curious, self-motivated, or would be with the right environment.
Children who can work through a multi-step task with some independence, even if they need help getting started.
Children who can sit with a hard problem for a few minutes before looking for another solution.
Parents willing to be active partners in the community, not just drop-off families.
Families who value real-world skills, critical thinking, and character alongside academics.
Children who have struggled socially or academically in traditional school.
Parents who tried homeschooling but need a community to make it sustainable.
Families who want freedom - in schedule, pace, and thinking.
You need a fully accredited high school diploma program without a boring school to attend.
This may not be the right fit if…
Your child needs intensive one-on-one therapeutic or special needs support we aren't equipped to provide.
Your child currently needs near constant one-on-one adult attention to stay on task, safe, or regulated.
Your child needs a dedicated aide, therapist, or specialized instructional support we don't have on staff (OT, PT, speech, behavioral).
You're looking for a traditional structured classroom with homework and grades.
Your family isn't open to reading and engaging with the community philosophy.
You want a "drop off and hands off" experience with no parent involvement.
Not sure? That's what the free info call is for. We'd rather have an honest conversation early than a poor fit later.
Words we use that might be new to you.
Our community has its own language. Here's the decoder ring.
Microschool
A small, intentional learning community - usually 150 students or less - that operates outside the traditional public school model. Microschools often use project based learning, mixed ages, and mastery based progression. Freedom Thinkers is a microschool that operates as a homeschool based microschool
Homeschool Based Microschool
A model where parents are the official homeschool educators (legally responsible) and a learning community like ours provides the daily environment. You get the legal flexibility of homeschooling and the community, structure, and mentorship of a school.
Workshop
Our name for a mixed age learning group. Rather than sorting children into grade based classrooms, workshops group children across ages (typically a 3–4 year span) around shared learning and mentorship. Think of it as your child's base camp community within the micro school.
Quest
A 5–6 week real-world project that forms the centerpiece of learning. Quests weave together multiple subjects (history, writing, math, science, social skills) through a single challenge or theme. Every Quest ends with a presentation to the whole micro school - parents included.
Socratic Circle
A structured group discussion where children learn to form a position, listen to others, respectfully disagree, and arrive at shared conclusions. Named after the ancient Greek method of learning through questioning; this is how we build critical thinking, communication, and respect… not through worksheets.
Badge system/The Trail Keeper’s Journey
Our alternative to grades. Badges represent genuine mastery of a skill or concept - not a score on a test, but demonstrated understanding. Children & teens earn badges at their own pace. The system makes progress visible and personal rather than comparative.
Life’s Story
The framework we use to understand each child's time at Freedom Thinkers. Borrowed from storytelling: every great story has a hero who faces challenges, finds mentors, and grows through the experience. At Freedom Thinkers, your child is the hero. We are the mentors. Each Quest is a chapter. Their graduation is a transformation.
Mentor
What we call our educators. Not teachers in the traditional sense - mentors guide from alongside rather than lecture from above. Their job is to ask great questions, notice each child's needs, and create conditions for real learning to happen.
Tuition at a glance.
We believe cost shouldn't be the last thing you find out. Here are the numbers, and the ways families make it work.
Kindergarten: $4,000/year, plus a $500 registration fee
Elementary & Middle (grades 1–8): $8,000/year, plus a $500 registration fee
High school (grades 9–12): $9,000/year, plus a $500 registration fee
Sibling discount: $500 off the yearly tuition for each additional sibling
Step Up Scholarship
Florida's Step Up for Students scholarship may cover a significant portion of tuition. We'll walk you through eligibility on your info call.
Three books. One shared language.
We ask every family to read these before their child's first day, not as a test, but because families who understand these ideas become better partners in the village.
The first two are available as audiobooks.
A scientist embeds herself with indigenous cultures around the world to study how they raise cooperative, capable, joyful children… without power struggles. This book is the foundation of our village philosophy.
A researcher applies the science of high performing teams to family life. The practical rituals he uncovers for building strong, resilient family culture map directly onto how we run our community here.
The case for a mentor led, classics inspired education that produces free thinkers, not just diploma holders. This is a portion of the academic philosophy behind our Quests, Socratic Circles, and the whole Trail Keepers badge framework.
One low-pressure way to find out if we're right for you.
Fill out our interest form and we'll send you the info pack - which includes the reading list, tuition details, our current Quest calendar, and an invitation to a free 20-minute call with Isabel. No commitment. Just a real conversation.
1) Fill out the interest form
Takes about 2 minutes. Tells us a little about your child and what you're looking for.
2) We send you the info pack
Reading list, tuition breakdown, Quest calendar, and answers to the most common questions we get.
3) Schedule a free 20-minute call
Talk directly with Isabel. Ask anything. She'll be honest about whether this is a good fit for your family.
4) Apply when you're ready
Founding family spots are limited. If it's the right fit, we'll walk you through the application together.
Still not sure? That's okay. Sit with it. Share this site with your spouse. Come back when you're ready. We'll be here.
