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TEFA Microschool Founder Quiz - Product Spec

Date: December 22, 2025

Purpose: A simple quiz/wizard for entrepreneurial parents considering launching a TEFA-subsidized microschool in Texas. The quiz helps them envision what their microschool could look like and generates a personalized roadmap with key milestones.

Context: Why Time Is Of The Essence​

  • December 9, 2025 - Portal opened for accredited private schools to enroll in TEFA
  • February 4, 2026 - Family TEFA applications open
  • February–March 2026 - Primary family application window
  • Spring 2026 - Award decisions issued to families
  • Fall 2026 - First year TEFA funds can be used

Parents making school decisions will finalize by late spring/early summer 2026. Aspiring microschool founders need to move NOW to capture this wave.

Quiz Flow​

Section 1: Your "Why"​

Q1: What's driving you to consider starting a microschool?

  • Unhappy with current school options for my own kids
  • Want to serve my community with better education
  • See a business opportunity with TEFA funding
  • Called by God to create something faith-based
  • All of the above

Q2: What kind of students do you want to serve? (select all that apply)

  • General population (all kids welcome)
  • Gifted/advanced learners
  • Kids who struggle in traditional settings
  • Kids with special needs
  • Faith-focused families specifically
  • Sports-focused kids
  • Arts/creative kids
  • Specific demographic or community

Section 2: Your Resources & Network​

Q3: Do you have access to space? (select best option)

  • Yes - I have ties to a church with available space
  • Yes - I know someone with access to a community center or library
  • Yes - I have access to a sports facility
  • Yes - I have a friend with vacant commercial space (cheap/free)
  • Yes - I own or can afford to rent space
  • No - I'd need to figure this out

Q4: Do you have connections that could help? (select all that apply)

  • Church leader who could provide pastoral covering
  • Someone with government/regulatory knowledge
  • Library or community center director
  • Local business owners who might sponsor or partner
  • Wealthy individuals who might fund/donate
  • Other parents who'd enroll their kids immediately
  • None of the above

Q5: How many families could you realistically recruit in your first year?

  • 5-10 families
  • 10-20 families
  • 20-30 families
  • 30+ families
  • Not sure yet

Section 3: Your Educational Philosophy​

Q6: What's your POV on faith in education?

  • Strong faith focus - Christ-centered environment is non-negotiable; daily worship, prayer, Scripture integration
  • Faith-friendly - Christian values welcomed but not central to curriculum
  • Secular - No religious component; focus on academics and character
  • Undecided - Open to different approaches

Q7: What's your POV on academics?

  • AI-forward - Leverage adaptive learning technology, 2-hour core academics
  • Classical - Great Books, Socratic discussion, traditional methods
  • Project-based - Real-world projects, entrepreneurship, hands-on learning
  • Hybrid - Mix of approaches
  • Undecided

Q8: What's your POV on sports/physical activity?

  • Central - Sports-focused microschool (training + academics)
  • Important - Daily physical activity built into schedule
  • Standard - PE a few times a week
  • Minimal - Focus is elsewhere

Section 4: Leadership & Staffing​

Q9: Are YOU the right person to lead this?

  • Yes - I want to be the primary guide/teacher
  • Yes - I want to be the founder/operator but hire guides
  • Maybe - I'd co-lead with someone else
  • No - I want to fund/support but not lead day-to-day
  • Not sure

Q10: What's your educational background?

  • Certified teacher / educational credentials
  • Some teaching experience (homeschool, tutoring, etc.)
  • No formal education background but willing to learn
  • I'd hire someone with credentials

Q11: Do you plan to hire assistants or additional staff in Year 1?

  • Yes - 1 assistant/aide
  • Yes - 2+ staff members
  • No - I'll run it solo
  • Depends on enrollment numbers

Section 5: Financial Reality Check​

Q12: What do you expect/need to earn personally per year from this?

  • $0-30K (side project, supplemental income)
  • $30-50K (modest full-time income)
  • $50-70K (solid full-time income)
  • $70-100K (professional salary)
  • $100K+ (premium compensation)

Q13: What's your startup budget situation?

  • I have savings to invest ($10K+)
  • I have some funds but limited ($2-10K)
  • I'm bootstrapping - need to be cash-flow positive quickly
  • I have access to donors/investors
  • I'd need to fundraise first

Q14: Are you aware of TEFA funding levels?

  • Yes - I know it's ~$10K per student per year
  • Somewhat - I've heard about it but don't know details
  • No - Tell me more

Q15: Do you want access to TEFA funds (~$10K/student/year)?

  • Yes - This is essential to my model
  • Yes - Would be helpful but not required
  • No - I'll operate without government funds
  • Not sure

If YES: We strongly recommend partnering with Prenda. Prenda has negotiated a relationship with the State of Texas that allows microschools using their platform to qualify for TEFA money. This is the fastest path to TEFA eligibility for new microschool founders. Their school OS already powers 200+ microschools nationwide.

Quiz Output: Personalized Roadmap​

Based on answers, the LLM generates a personalized 1-2 page roadmap.

Important: Pass current date into generation process so the LLM can calculate exact days/weeks until each milestone and create urgency-appropriate recommendations.

Roadmap includes:

1. Your Microschool Profile Summary​

  • Type: [Faith-based / Secular / Sports-focused / etc.]
  • Target students: [Gifted / General / Special needs / etc.]
  • Estimated Year 1 size: [X families, Y students]
  • Space strategy: [Church partnership / Rented space / etc.]

2. Financial Model Preview​

Revenue Projection (Year 1)

  • Students: [X] × $10,000 TEFA = $[Y]
  • Additional tuition (if applicable): $[Z]
  • Total projected revenue: $[Total]

Expense Considerations

  • Your salary target: $[from Q12]
  • Assistant(s): $[if applicable from Q11]
  • Space: $[estimate based on Q3]
  • Curriculum/materials: $[estimate]
  • Platform fees (e.g., Prenda): $[estimate]
  • Remaining margin: $[X]

Viability Assessment: [Green/Yellow/Red] with explanation

3. Key Milestones & Timeline​

December 2025 - January 2026

  • Finalize space arrangement
  • Choose curriculum platform (Prenda, etc.)
  • Begin accreditation/eligibility process
  • Identify 5 founding families

February 2026

  • TEFA family applications open (Feb 4)
  • Launch marketing to local families
  • Host info session at church/venue
  • Target: 10 committed families

March - April 2026

  • Families complete TEFA applications
  • Finalize enrollment commitments
  • Hire assistant (if applicable)
  • Order curriculum materials

May - June 2026

  • TEFA award decisions arrive
  • Confirm final enrollment
  • Complete space setup
  • Guide training (if using Prenda)

July 2026

  • First TEFA funds deposited
  • Final prep for launch

August/September 2026

  • LAUNCH

4. Your Next 3 Actions​

Based on your specific situation, here are your immediate next steps:

  1. [Specific action based on weakest area - e.g., "Secure church partnership" or "Talk to 5 families this week"]
  2. [Second priority action]
  3. [Third priority action]

5. Resources & Connections​

  • [Link to TEFA official info]
  • [Link to Prenda - recommended for TEFA access]
  • [Invitation to join community of aspiring founders]
  • [Option to schedule call with experienced founder]

Technical Implementation Notes​

MVP Approach:

  • Simple form (Typeform, Tally, or custom)
  • On submit, pass answers to LLM (Claude API)
  • LLM generates personalized roadmap
  • Output as PDF or formatted webpage

Data to capture for follow-up:

  • Email
  • Location (city/region in Texas)
  • Timeline urgency
  • Interest in community/support

Future enhancements:

  • Interactive budget calculator
  • Match with mentor founders
  • Connect complementary founders (e.g., someone with space + someone with teaching experience)
  • Integration with Prenda onboarding

Why This Matters​

Every parent who successfully launches a TEFA-subsidized microschool is:

  1. One more data point proving the model works
  2. One more family freed from failing public schools
  3. Potential future network member for broader movement

This quiz is top-of-funnel for identifying and activating entrepreneurial parents at the exact moment TEFA creates unprecedented opportunity.