Ashley Soifer
There’s something about stepping out of our day-to-day routines and into a shared space of purpose that resets the entire trajectory of the work ahead. Coming home from the Center’s team retreat, where every member of our team that supports microschools is a microschool founder, I keep thinking about how rare it is to gather a group of people who not only understand the vision of the National Microschooling Center, but live it daily. Every conversation, every moment of reflection, every spark of an idea reminded me that this is a team aligned with the vision of the Center in a way that feels deeper, truer, and more forward-facing than ever before.
We carved out intentional time to look closely at who we are, what we stand for, and where we’re going next. What became crystal clear is our team isn’t just committed to microschooling, they’re committed to building a movement that outlasts any one of us. They’re committed to the founders and leaders who show up every day to build something extraordinary for their communities. They’re committed to ensuring that families everywhere have access to learning environments that honor curiosity, agency, belonging, and possibility.
It’s one thing to have a vision. It’s another to have a team that wakes up every day ready to carry it forward together.
Throughout the retreat, we revisited our shared vision and values, not as a check-the-box exercise, but as a grounding compass. Our team showed up ready to name opportunities and barriers honestly, reflect on them openly, and push one another to think bigger about what’s possible. There was a collective understanding that our work is bigger than any one role or title. It’s about the movement, the founders we serve, and the families whose lives are changed because a microschool exists in their community.
I left with a renewed sense of pride in this extraordinary team, we are aligned. We are focused. And we are ready.
Looking ahead to next year, our team is already deep into developing new supports and resources that will elevate and strengthen microschools across the country. We’re talking tools that make founders feel less alone and more equipped. Supports that streamline the work. Guidance that removes guesswork and builds confidence. Clarity where there has been confusion. And community where founders have felt isolated.
I won’t spoil anything yet but I can promise this: what we are building next will raise the bar for what microschool founders and leaders can expect from a national support organization. These resources are thoughtful, research-driven, innovative and, most importantly, shaped by the voices and realities of the microschool founders we work with every single day. They come from listening to what founders need most, studying where the field is heading, and honoring the diverse and creative nature of the movement itself.
This retreat wasn’t just about inspiration, it was about alignment and execution. The team worked through tough questions, clarified roles, strengthened systems, and committed to the kind of collaboration that will carry us through the next phase of growth. We dug into data, mapped out goals, surfaced challenges, and talked through the areas where we can, and will, do better.
What stood out most was the trust and respect in the room. Our team knows one another’s strengths. They know how to support, challenge, and celebrate one another. They know how to show up for the work and for each other. That kind of culture does not happen by accident. It’s what allows us to serve microschools with consistency, integrity, and real heart.
We are stepping into this next year with a team that feels more connected, more capable, and more energized than any I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. They are problem-solvers, innovators, truth-tellers, bridge-builders, and fierce advocates for the founders we serve.
If this retreat taught me anything, it’s that the movement is in good hands. The work is strong because the people doing it are strong. We are united around a shared belief, that microschooling is a transformative force for families and communities, and the Center has an essential role to play in shaping its future.
We left the retreat carrying new ideas, clearer direction, and the kind of grounded motivation that only comes from being fully aligned with a vision that matters. I can’t wait for you to see what comes next.
There’s so much on the horizon. And we’re just getting started.