Mary Payne always liked the idea of a one-room schoolhouse. She grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” series and appreciated the concept of various ages learning together and a more practical, hands-on approach to education.
More so, she and her husband Michael weren’t thrilled with their experience with public schools back home in Illinois and had been looking for alternatives for their 5-year-old son after moving to Wyoming.
When they heard about something called a microschool in Campbell County, Homestead Learning, they decided to check it out.
The couple liked what they saw and decided to give it a shot.
“Education is so important,” Payne said, “and we like this different style of learning.”
Back To The Prairie
The Payne’s son is one of eight children in the inaugural class at Homestead Learning, which began this past week in a one-room schoolhouse on the grounds of the Prairie Sky Venue off Highway 50, about 10 miles south of Gillette.
It’s literally a little schoolhouse on the Wyoming prairie.
The school is the brainchild of Alison Brady, a Gillette-based physician’s assistant, and Jenna Walker, who formerly taught sports medicine at Campbell and Converse county high schools.
The pair, both mothers whose children also attend the new school, wanted a different educational approach than offered by the public-school model.
Their vision is based on fostering lifelong learners using a mix of homeschool curriculum with a Montessori approach.
This includes Socratic debate with multi-aged students, hands-on learning and inspiring students through exploration, curiosity and play while emphasizing their individual interests.
Another major factor of their model is to teach students practical life skills such as learning to use a tape measure, balance a checkbook, basic sewing and cooking their own meals in the on-site kitchen.
Playtime is also prioritized as is family time and letting the kids be kids while activating their innate desire to learn.
As part of their curriculum, the students will also produce a product or service to be presented at an annual business fair, where they will be similarly encouraged to seek out mentors in various fields to help foster their real-world business skills.
Another break from the public-school model is that parents are encouraged to have a say in what their children are learning.
“It’s designed to be individualized, so we can meet each child’s needs,” Brady told Cowboy State Daily during an open house barbecue on the rural 4.5-acre property on the open high-desert plains.
Prairie School Experience
It’s easy to see how Payne would be inspired by the setting, which is reminiscent of the little school from the popular books and television series.
The former Bethlehem Church is more than 100 years old and has been turned into a venue for weddings, meetings, dinners and other events. Along with the one-room schoolhouse on the property, students have access to large classrooms and a 5,000-square-foot grand hall for music, arts and theater projects as well as a play space during inclement weather.
The location is also perfect for inspiring a love of nature and Wyoming’s Western heritage, Walker said, which adds to the one-room school experience.
The school is 100% privately funded through donations and tuition, with most of the investment initially coming from Walker and Brady. The school is open to children ages 4 through 10, and tuition is based on the number of days students attend, from one day a week up to four days, beginning at $220 per child per month.
Leading the class is former nurse Erin Beck, who is not required to have a teacher’s license under the homeschool educational requirements.
A mother of three, Beck said she’s passionate about children and encouraging exploration and individual strengths.
Juliana Brady, 6, does an art project in the new one-room school. (Courtesy Allison Brady) 
Homestead Learning teacher, Erin Beck, leads students in a science experiment. (Courtesy Allison Brady) 
Homestead Learning co-founder, Jenna Walker, holds her 4-year-old son, Sayge, as he colors on the whiteboard in the new one-room classroom. (Courtesy Allison Brady) 
Teacher Erin Beck (left) and Homestead Learning cofounders Alison Brady and Jenna Walker. (Courtesy Allison Brady)
What Is A Microschool?
In a nutshell, a microschool is the modern reimagining of the one-room school model that falls under the homeschool educational paradigm.
They’re not a new concept, but are rapidly becoming a popular new form, according to reporting by the trade publication Education Week.
In Wyoming, homeschools fall under two categories, either religious or secular like Homestead Learning.
The Wyoming homeschool statute requires parents or teachers to submit curriculum to their local public school district board of trustees for sign-off and also requires them to teach the core required subjects of reading, writing, math, civics, history, literature and science, according to the national Home School Legal Defense Association.
There are any number of curriculums to choose from that meet these requirements that are designed to fit this model, Walker said.
It’s unclear how many such microschools exist in Wyoming, though there’s at least one other, Compass Micro School in Jackson, and more religious-based microschools throughout the state.
Nothing To Lose
The individualized teaching model appeals to Brittiney and Chance Steinmeyer, who enrolled their 5-year-old son in the program for two days a week.
Like the Paynes, the Steinmeyers were looking for an alternative to the rigid public-school model that is focused more on common core subjects and memorization and testing rather on encouraging individual exploration and learning, they said.
Chance grew up in Nebraska, where he typically attended small, rural schools and always appreciated the small class sizes where kids aren’t “just a number to be pushed to pass tests in order to get funding.”
Their teenage son attends public school, and Chance described his frustration with trying to help his son with common core math class, which he didn’t understand.
He just knew the old-school way of doing math and taught his son accordingly, who then struggled to apply this approach to what he was being taught by his teachers.
They also appreciate the emphasis on playtime and allowing kids to be kids.
“I want to see children playing outside and using their imagination,” Brittiney said.
They figure they have nothing to lose by taking a chance at a new school with eight students.
“If it gets our son a better education, then we’re all for it,” Chance said.
Just The Start
Walker and Brady, who refer to themselves as school leaders, are hoping this is just the start of a school that will continue to grow.
They plan to take a hands-off approach to assist Beck where needed, but otherwise let her lead the students and take charge. They’ve put a lot of time and energy into getting it off the ground, including hiring a private coach in Florida, where microschools are popular.
As mothers, education has become a huge priority, and they wanted to create the type of school that will help their children flourish both in the classroom and in life.
Neither care to count the number of hours it’s taken to get the school off the ground, but they’re excited to finally be holding class. Walker’s 4-year-old son Sayge is attending, as is Brady’s 6-year-old daughter Juliana.
“We’re hoping this is just the start,” Brady said. “We want to see this school succeed and continue to grow.”
Contact Jen Kocher at jen@cowboystatedaily.com
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.
