Children are far more capable than we imagine.
Waypoint Academy is a new kind of elementary school in Franklin, TN. Small by design. Built around your child, not a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
A short, honest guide to help choose the right education for your child.
The ideas behind Waypoint have been recognized by:
Not Just a School
A Launchpad for Lifelong Success
Discover a revolutionary learner-driven model that awakens curiosity, builds grit, and helps Young People fall in love with learning again.
A short, honest guide to help you choose the right education for your child.
What Happens When a Child is Challenged Instead of Managed?
At Waypoint Academy, education isn’t about worksheets and test scores, covering material and moving on. It's about building children who think clearly, act independently, and know what they're capable of.
01 — They move at their own pace. And they actually master things.
No one advances because the calendar says so. A learner moves on when they can prove they know it — some race ahead in math, some take longer with reading, and both are doing it right.
02 — Nothing is given. Everything is earned.
Points for effort. Badges for mastery. No grades handed down from an adult's red pen — a learner's record is built by the learner, and it belongs to them.
03 — Real work, not worksheets.
Learners launch actual businesses, build actual things, and present to real audiences who can say no. The stakes are real, so the effort is too.
04 — Guides ask. They don't answer.
There are no lectures at Waypoint. Our Guides respond to questions with better questions — because a child who's handed answers learns to wait, and a child who finds them learns to think.
05 — The learners run the studio.
They write the rules, hold each other to them, and resolve their own disputes. Order isn't imposed by an adult; it's built and maintained by the people who have to live in it.
06 — Every learner is on a Hero's Journey.
Real challenges, real setbacks, and the slow earned confidence of overcoming them. We can't hand your child that story — we can only build the place where it happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who's behind Waypoint?
Brad Cerasuolo — grew up in Williamson County, Naval officer, math instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy, and father of three. After years of watching talented students struggle the moment external structure disappeared, he reached a conclusion: their success had never belonged to them. It belonged to the parents, teachers, and systems that managed them. Waypoint exists so that children build success that is theirs — earned early, owned for life. The Cerasuolo family has moved to Franklin to build it, and Brad's own children will be learners here.
You can read more on our About Us page.
Is this proven? You've never run a school before.
Waypoint is new. The model isn't. We're part of the Acton Academy network — more than 300 schools in over 20 countries, built and refined since 2009. Every tool we use, from self-paced mastery to learner governance, has been tested across thousands of learners. What's new is bringing it to Franklin.
What does it cost?
5 days per week: $14,000 per year, or $1,400 per month
4 days per week: $11,500 per year, or $1,150 per month
3 days per week: $9,000 per year, or $900 per month
With a one-time $500 enrollment fee. Families with multiple learners receive $500 off annual tuition for each additional sibling.
That's the number — no fundraising obligations, no activity fees stacked on later.
Will my child fall behind academically?
At Waypoint, a learner advances in reading, writing, and math by demonstrating mastery — not because the calendar turned. Traditional school moves on whether or not your child learned it; we don't. The accountability runs higher here: mastery is proven, in public, with work the learner stands behind.
What ages do you serve, and where is your school?
Waypoint's Spark studio serve ages 4-7 at Aspen Grove Christian Church in Franklin, Tennessee. Waypoint grows with its learners — our Discovery studio, for ages 7-11, is coming soon. We will continue this trend on a path through high school. To learn more about our studios, visit our Studios page.
Who is Waypoint not for?
Families who want a school that reports progress through grades and test scores, assigns nightly homework, and keeps an adult directing each step. Parents looking for a drop-off school, where educating children and raising them are separate jobs. And anyone who wants order imposed from above — or who is pessimistic about what children can achieve.
Want the full picture? Explore our Learning Design, Studios, and Deep Dive pages.
What Happens When Children Take Ownership of Their Learning?
You don’t need a brochure. You need to see it.
No script. No coaching. Just learners doing things most schools would never ask of them — and doing them well.
What They Love About School
Real Life Skills
I Didn't Do My Homework
Real moments from learners across the Acton network — Waypoint's own stories are still being written.
For families who believe children deserve more than compliance and checklists, here's where to start.
Self-paced mastery. No homework. No teaching to the test. No busywork.
Step 1 — Download the Parent's Guide
A short, honest look at how learner-driven education works — and how to tell if it fits your child.
Step 2 — Schedule a call with Brad.
Thirty minutes, founder to parent. Bring your hardest questions.
Step 3 — Visit us this summer.
Meet the family behind Waypoint, see the space, and decide for yourselves.
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