Clearwater’s philosophy is based on a holistic view of education: we value learning from life, our social connections and community, and the interdisciplinary nature of the world. We value children’s autonomy and our student’s ability to choose to spend their time without adult judgement. We believe that we both cannot force anyone to learn something that they don’t want to learn and that we’re all learning all the time, intentionally or not. These beliefs and values guide how staff support students and approach the Homeschool Extension (HE) Program.

There is no set curriculum or learning outcomes for HE students, education at Clearwater is individualized and student directed. We learn through introspection, conversation, boredom, projects, community, and relationships. The weekly meetings involve checking in on where the student is at in that moment, reflecting on the past week, dreaming together about their near and far future, problem solving struggles in their life or giving space to be heard and understood, and celebrating their interests and personal successes. Ultimately the program culminates in students learning more about themselves, taking responsibility for their life and education, and being empowered to make decisions about their present and future- and a narrative transcript to attempt to put all of that learning into words!

In order to prioritize student autonomy, parents are generally not on site or in the weekly one on one meetings. Families must meet with Clearwater staff at least twice a year for a conference to check in and support the family as a whole. Family conferences at Clearwater are done with respect for student consent, privacy, and autonomy (ie. “nothing about them without them”) and do not include formal assessments or rubrics related to education without consent and co-creation with the student, this is tied to Clearwater’s more holistic and student-centered approach to education.

Homeschool extension students must meet with a staff member once a week for at least an hour to be in compliance with the school and the state’s attendance requirements for Homeschool Extension programs. If a student cannot make their regular time slot, they are expected to try their best to reschedule within the same week. Sometimes life happens and the meeting cannot be rescheduled, so long as it does not become a frequent occurrence that is ok. HE students who have a consistent pattern of not attending their weekly meetings may be unenrolled from Clearwater. Conversely, if an HE student is consistently attending school 60% of the time or more then they get moved to the full time program and the meetings are no longer required, but are optional.

Clearwater students who are enrolled in our full time program but consistently attend Clearwater less than 50% of the time will be moved from the full time program to the Homeschool Extension program and become subject to the HE program attendance requirements. 

HE students graduate with a high school diploma from The Clearwater School and a self-written narrative transcript to use for future educational opportunities.

In order to graduate from Clearwater, Homeschool Extension students must attend Clearwater for at least two years and spend some of that time planning life after school with their support committee, planning and executing an optional graduation project of their choice, and preparing and presenting to School Meeting their graduation plan to be approved. 

Note: The Homeschool Extension Program is a pilot program for the ‘25-’26 school year and may not continue after this year. In that scenario, HE students will have to switch to enrolling in Clearwater’s regular full time program to graduate from TCS.

The tuition for the Homeschool Extension program is the same as the tuition for full time enrollment for any given year. View our current tuition rates here.

The Clearwater Tuition Assistance Program is available for Homeschool Extension students though spots in the Homeschool Extension program may be limited due to balancing demand and staff hours. 

Clearwater’s staff have conditional teaching licenses with the state of Washington based on their individual skills and interests. Beyond that, here are the expected staff competencies and considerations for Clearwater’s Homeschool Extension Program: 

• Neurodiversity and learning disorders competency

• Trauma informed, destigmatized mental health support skills

• Interpersonal, social emotional, and conflict resolution skills

• Multicultural, anti-racist competencies 

• LGBTQIA competencies 

• Experience with anti-adultism theory and praxis 

• Skills in compassionate, informed parent support

Upon enrollment, students may request a specific staff member, otherwise they are paired with whichever staff they have similar interests to with the option to switch staff if feasible (in general or for a few sessions, etc.). To view more information about our staff see here.