Logo for the Home Guides membership program

Raising happy, high-achieving learners

Supporting families in nontraditional schools

Is your child in a homeschool, microschool, virtual school, alt school, learning pod, or other nontraditional classroom? We help you sweet the experience . . . and the results.

Our monthly membership program for parents delivers five benefits:

  • Community — Connection with parents on a similar journey
  • Strategies — Research-backed techniques and methods to solve common problems
  • Timesavers — Avoid problems and skip ahead to success with our tested methods

Price: $59 per month / $600 annually
(group-priced site licenses also available)

TELL ME MORE
Heather Clayton Staker with a laptop displaying Microsoft Education tools
 

Hello! I'll serve as your Lead Guide

My name is Heather Clayton Staker, and I hope you'll let me guide you through the bright promises and potential pitfalls of parenting children in nontraditional schools, microschools, or homeschools.

As a Harvard-educated mother of five, I'll share the research I've found helpful as I've guided my children through software-based academics and mixed-age classrooms. I'll also introduce you to a community of loving support and encouragement for your critical role.

LEARN MORE

Home Guides Program Details

A year of friendship and learning

We invite you to enjoy five fun and enriching opportunities in the Home Guide membership and coaching program specifically for parents of children in nontraditional schools.

This table lists five features: on-demand courses, group coaching, personal portfolios, facilitated peer feedback, and exclusive masterclasses.
JOIN

Testimonial

“Joining this coaching program has significantly improved the peacefulness and productivity of my home. I've learned helpful techniques to engage my son in his learning software, and the community support has been helpful. If you're serious about elevating your student's success in a self-directed learning model with no traditional teachers, this program is a must!”

JOIN

Sample Monthly Schedule 

How the membership works

week 1

Day 1: Course Kickoff
Day 3: Group Coaching Call
green line

week 2

Day 1: Community Discussion
Day 4: Masterclass
green line

week 3

Day 3: Group Coaching Call
Day 4: Facilitated Feedback Session
green line

week 4

Day 1: Office Hours
Day 4: Celebration of Portfolios
green line
JOIN

Explore our library of courses

Members get a new course each month

Our Strange New School
Motivating for Mastery
Pathways to Peace
The Socrates Legacy
Calming Your Own Sea
Real-World Discovery
JOIN

Tap into niche expertise

Learn new strategies and gain confidence by learning from researchers who specialize in nontraditional school models that use personalized-learning software for academics. Discover simple ways to help your children thrive.

Harvard logo

EXPERTISE

Founded by thought leaders

Two Harvard graduates who have worked in K-12 education for 15 years co-founded Guide School.

Alpha School logo

LEARNING SCIENCE

Partnered with state-of-the-art pedagogy

Guide School has partnered with 2 Hr Learning to connect our members to tools based on the latest learning science.

Headshot of Clayton Christensen

DISRUPTION

Backed by theory

Theories of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation form the foundation of Guide School’s methodology.

The Blended Workbook

RESEARCH

Influencing the K-12 sector

Heather Clayton Staker, co-author of the bestseller Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools, leads Guide School.

the planet earth

PILOT STUDIES

Tested internationally

Guide School has tested its methodologies in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, United States, and Rwanda.

a child making a craft

EXPERIENCE

Coaching with Empathy

With their children having been in different micro- and homeschools, Guide School’s founders understand the experience.

JOIN

Meet your lead guide

Heather Clayton Staker will serve as the lead guide on your Path from Parent to Guide. She’s spent her career helping leaders and teachers be disruptive innovators to create happier, higher-performing K-12 schools. She’s coached educators in the Middle East, Canada, Russia, China, Brazil, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Rwanda, the U.K., and the U.S.

She is the co-author of the Amazon bestseller Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools (San Francisco: Wiley, 2015); The Blended Workbook (San Francisco, Wiley, 2017); and numerous research papers for the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.

As the founder of Guide School, Heather equips parents and guides to support their learners in Flex blended-learning environments. These environments combine in-person learning with personalized, adaptive software and high-quality coaching to accelerate student achievement.

Before this role, Heather was a strategy consultant for McKinsey & Company. She served for one year as the California State Board of Education student member during Governor Pete Wilson’s administration, taught U.S. history as a teaching fellow at Harvard College, founded a co-op preschool, and marketed Oil of Olay for Proctor & Gamble. 

She holds a B.A. magna cum laude in government from Harvard University and an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Business School. She is the mother of five children and lives in Austin, Texas.

JOIN

Frequently asked questions

ENROLL NOW

Join the new generation of families

Enroll in the Home Guide program. We're looking for parent guides who want to get inspired and equipped to be the best at your game.

You belong here.

  • On-Demand Courses
  • Group Coaching Calls
  • Portfolio Development
  • Facilitated Peer Feedback
  • Exclusive Masterclasses
ENROLL NOW