Starting a School with Support: The Wildflower Advice Process

Wildflower Schools
4 hours ago
3 min read

An image of hands and flowers representing community and support.

Starting a school can feel overwhelming. For teachers who dream of creating a community-based Montessori school, there are countless decisions to make—from vision and leadership to community and facilities. At Wildflower, teachers don’t have to take that journey alone. Through our School Startup Journey, educators move step by step from idea to reality, supported by peers, mentors, and community partners.

One of the most pivotal moments is the Visioning Advice Process, where emerging Teacher Leaders share their ideas with trusted community members and receive thoughtful feedback. This step doesn’t just refine a plan—it can shift perspectives, strengthen community connections, and equip teachers to start schools that are resilient and rooted.

As one Educator from Delaware put it:

“The Advice Process helped me see that finding a co-school leader may take time—and that approaching it with intentionality is key to building a healthy, aligned partnership for the school.”

And another from Massachusetts reflected:

“The advice to explore mutual support with local non-profits aligned to my vision opened a whole new awareness for me.”

A Key Step in Starting a School: The Visioning Advice Process

The Wildflower School Startup Journey is a phased program that supports educators from their earliest idea to opening day, offering both structure and flexibility along the way.

During the first phase, Visioning—often completed as part of the Blooms Cohort, which runs twice a year—emerging Teacher Leaders create a Visioning Album. This living document gathers their personal story, school vision, community research, and initial plans. The Visioning Album sets the stage for the Advice Process, where Teacher Leaders share their vision and invite feedback before stepping into the Planning phase.

The Advice Process is a structured, collaborative step designed to:

Gather input from community stakeholders
Elevate potential tensions or challenges early
Strengthen alignment between the emerging school and Wildflower’s principles, values, and norms

Stakeholders—such as current Wildflower Teacher Leaders, foundation partners, community members, or potential families—are chosen intentionally for their diverse perspectives and relevant expertise. Their role is to be both supportive and candid, offering perspectives on everything from partnership readiness to community fit.

As one of our norms reminds us:

Autonomy with Support – We foster independence in ourselves and each other, and we help each other non-coercively.

How It Works

Select – Choose a diverse group of advice givers who are affected by or connected to the school’s success, and bring relevant experiences and expertise.
Prepare – Share your Visioning Album, including a short pitch that introduces your story, your “why,” and your school vision.
Engage – Facilitate a dialogue with advice givers to explore areas such as readiness, community engagement, program design, facilities, and sustainability.
Close the loop – Summarize the advice received, share it back with advice givers, and resolve any open questions before moving forward. This shared reflection reinforces that you’re not building alone.

Why This Matters

The Advice Process is not about approval—it’s about alignment, readiness, and community-rooted decision-making. It ensures that:

Emerging schools are grounded in their communities
Teacher Leaders have a clear-eyed view of both opportunities and challenges
Network stakeholders have a voice in shaping the future of Wildflower

For some Teacher Leaders, the process can provide both affirmation and a set of practical next steps. For others, it might surface tensions that need more work before proceeding. Either way, the Visioning Advice Process strengthens the school’s foundation, ensures that teachers move into Planning with clarity, alignment, and community support.

Interested in starting your own Wildflower school? Join the upcoming Wildflower Blooms Cohort Information Session on November 20 at 6:30PM CST to learn more about being part of our next cohort kicking off in January 2026. Register HERE

Explore the Wildflower School Startup Journey to see how our phased, self-paced program—rooted in equity and Montessori for Adults—guides educators on how to start a school, from vision to reality.