About Roots
Built for the kids who thought graduation wasn't theirs.
The world counted our students out. They walked in anyway and keep on graduating. We call our method 243. It means We Love You.
Two letters for we. Four for love. Three for you.
A nod to Mr. Rogers’ 143. One bigger, because we say it together.
The 243 Method
Two needs. Four principles. Three skills.
01Two needs
Every kid walks into Roots needing two things. To belong. To matter. Students don’t earn their way in. They walk in already loved. That is what changes them.
02Four principles
Encouragement over criticism
Tell a kid what they did well. Name it. Specifically. Then ask them what they want to try next.
Cooperation over control
Adults at Roots ask questions before issuing orders. We solve problems alongside students, not over their heads.
Personal responsibility
You broke it, you fix it. You hurt someone, you mend it. Choices are real. So are repairs.
Growth mindset
Last week’s grade is not who you are. The work is whether you keep learning, not whether you got it right the first time.
03Three skills
Emotional regulation. Empathetic communication. Conflict resolution. Practiced in real moments, not on posters.
Who Roots is for.
Roots is often the third or fourth school a student tries. We are usually the one that takes. The fit: students who need a smaller building, are behind on credits, want hands-on learning, or need the day to feel safe before it can feel productive. More on fit and the application timeline →
The farm is the classroom.
Kids grow the way living things do. Slow. Tended. Rooted. A freshman who hadn’t spoken in three weeks asks, on a Tuesday, to feed the chickens. The next Tuesday he asks again. By winter he is leading the egg run.
What we measure.
The numbers that matter. Named plainly. The ones we are proud of. The ones we are still working on.
[TBD]%
Graduation rate
~200
Students enrolled
[TBD]%
Average daily attendance
[TBD]
Credits recovered last year
For the audited financials, the state report card, and the governing board, see School Performance.
Love first. Belong always.
Next step
Come see it work.
A tour is the only honest way to know if Roots fits your kid. Sixty minutes, student-led, on a regular school day. The farm is loud. The students will say hi.
Book a tour →