Charter Pathways
Wildflower is transforming public education by growing an ecosystem of connected community-embedded, small, teacher-led charter schools that expand access to Montessori, an approach evidenced to improve academic and social emotional development outcomes.
Wildflower Schools is a Charter Management Organization that supports local communities that want to establish a network of tuition-free Montessori microschools. We currently have 12 primary and elementary charter school sites in six charters in five states serving over 400 students.
The Sunflower School
Aurora, CO
Primary, Elementary
The Bronx Chrysalis Montessori School
Bronx, NY
Primary
Meadow Rue Montessori
Aurora, CO
Elementary
Cosmos Montessori
Minneapolis, MN
Primary
Water Lily Montessori
Saint Paul, MN
Primary
Mountain Juniper Montessori
Aurora, CO
Primary
Grove Montessori
Grand Rapids, MI
Elementary
Cactus Bloom Community School
Grand Valley, CO
Primary, Elementary
The Riverseed School
Washington, D.C.
Primary, Elementary
Lirio Montessori
Minneapolis, MN
Primary
Gloria Alston Children's Learning Center
Bronx, NY
Primary
Blue Montessori
Washington, D.C.
Primary
Frequently Asked Questions
What are charter schools?
A charter school is a tuition-free school of choice that is publicly funded but independently run.
Can I open a charter school anywhere?
Not all states have charter school pathway. These include Nebraska, South Dakota, Vermont, and Kentucky. If you are interested in starting a Wildflower charter school, it is important to deeply understand your local context and if your district or state authorizer is planning to approve future charter schools.
How do I get started with Wildflower's charter pathway?
You can either apply with your authorizer to open a charter school by partnering with Wildflower or join an existing Wildflower charter as a Teacher Leader which can include founding a school site within the charter. Complete the Get Involved Form to get started. You can also apply for open Wildflower charter roles at Educator Career Opportunities page.
Do I need to be Montessori trained?
Yes, all Wildflower Teacher Leaders are Montessori trained ahead of joining or starting a school. There are also opportunities for non-trained Administrative Partners to work alongside the Teacher Leaders.
How do micro charter schools work?
At fully build-out, the charter includes multiple micro-school sites, each with its own address and 1-2 classrooms. Since micro-school sites don't benefit from scale, they share "back office" and specialized student supports. Below is an example of what a Wildflower charter school might look like at full build out. Notice the 5 micro-schools (in green) and the shared centralized charter supports (in blue):
Charter School Grant (CSP) Recipients
We are proud to share that Wildflower Schools was a recipient of the 2023-24 Charter School Program grant for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools. Over the next 5 years, we plan to grow into 7 charter schools and expand into 1 high school site. Here is the link to the FY 2023 CMO Seeds to Flower Federal Grant, and the Award Number is S282M23005.
Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado (WMPSC) Aurora
Address: 1330 S. Potomac Street #104, Aurora, CO 80012
Grades served: PK-6
About the School: Serving students grades PK-6, the WMPSC Aurora charter school’s mission is to provide families with child-centered, authentic Montessori education that bridges academic outcomes and social-emotional development through intimate learning communities deeply rooted in place, equity, and belonging. We nurture each child’s unique academic and social needs by providing high-quality Montessori learning environments that:
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Offer identity-affirming, differentiated learning opportunities for all students;
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Meet or exceed Colorado state performance management framework standards;
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Partner with Colorado Charter School Institute’s (CSI) vision for hyper-local charter schools that meet the needs of their communities;
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Understand Aurora Public Schools (APS) 2026 Strategic Plan and APS Blueprint, and how these plans affect educational and community planning in Aurora;
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Consider Aurora’s diversity as one of the area’s greatest strengths and embrace Aurora’s 2020-2030 Immigrant Integration Plan
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Funding:
Year 1 (2023-2024) $417,693.50
Year 2 (2024-2025) $379,092.82
Year 3 (2025-2026) $275,694.54
Total Funding $1,072,480.86
Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado (WMPSC) Grand Valley
Address: 631 26 1/2 Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506
Grades served: PK-6
About the School:The WMPSC Grand Valley charter school is creating an ecosystem of four intentionally small, teacher-led charter sites in the Grand Valley where students, grades PK-6, families, and teachers connect deeply and grow together through their school journey. Our mission is to provide families with child-centered, authentic Montessori education that bridges academic outcomes and social-emotional development through intimate learning communities deeply rooted in place, equity, and belonging. We nurture each child’s unique academic and social needs by providing high quality Montessori learning environments that:
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Offer identity-affirming, differentiated learning opportunities for all students;
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Align with Mesa County Valley School District D51’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan;
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Meet or exceed Colorado state performance management framework standards;
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Consider education to be integral to community health, supporting the transformative solutions outlined in the Mesa County Health Needs Assessment.
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CSP Seeds to Flowers Funding
Year 1 (2023-2024) $222,480.00
Year 2 (2024-2025) $333,332.77
Year 3 (2025-2026) $268,843.18
Year 4 (2026-2027) $194,332.09
Total Funding $1,018,988.04
Grove Montessori, A Wildflower Public School
Address: 1575 Jefferson Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49507
Anticipated Opening Date: 9/2/2025
Grades Served: K-6
About the School: Everbloom Community School is a public Montessori micro-school focused on equity, belonging, and student preparedness for self-directed learning and collaborative leadership. Building from a solid early childhood program, this authentic Montessori school will prioritize best practices in social-emotional learning paired with a proven curriculum that is both cutting-edge and time-tested.
Funding:
Year 1 (2025- 2026) $126,809
Year 2 (2026-2027) $64,144
Year 3 (2027-2028) $190,953
Total Funding $381,906
Rainbow Montessori Community School, A Wildflower Public School
Address: 818 Rose Ave, Columbus, OH 43219
Anticipated Opening Date: 8/25/2025
Grades Served: K-8
About the School: Our mission is to offer a tuition-free Montessori education that cultivates every child's intellectual, social, emotional, and ethical development in our diverse community. Rainbow Montessori nurtures curious minds, develops a lifelong love for learning, and empowers students with the confidence to pursue their passions and succeed in reaching their full potential in a diverse global society.
Funding:
Year 1 (2025-2026) $162,342.94
Year 2 (2026-2027) $139,845
Year 3 (2027-2028) $114,755
Total Funding $416,942
