homeschool

An app for homeschool planning

AI agents should read AGENTS.md before making changes.

Setup

Python

uv is required.

JavaScript

Node.js is required.

brew install nodejs

Install JS packages to get Tailwind CSS.

npm --prefix frontend i

Development

Bootstrap the local database.

$ uv run manage.py migrate

Create a superuser account.

$ uv run manage.py createsuperuser

Start the local web server.

$ make

Docker Compose

Analyzing image contents:

alias dive="docker run -ti --rm  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock wagoodman/dive"
dive <your-image-tag>

uv

The runtime image does not include uv.

Dependencies are installed during build into /app/.venv and the container uses that virtual environment via PATH.

Server config

1. Add ssh keys.
2. Turn off password auth

/etc/ssh/sshd_config
PasswordAuthentication no
systemctl restart ssh

1. Firewall stuff.

ufw allow OpenSSH
ufw default deny incoming
ufw enable

Market Research

This is my analysis of the market to assess the features and positioning of what is available.

Research plan: Sign up for a service trial to test out the account. Share findings on forums to solicit feedback.

Measurement criteria:

• Price
• Features
• Quality

Product Matrix

| Product | Business Model | Price | Reviewed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | CM Organizer | Freemium | $7.95 / month | 2/1/21 | | Google Classroom | Free | $0 | 3/12/21 | | Homeschool Manager | Subscription | $5.99 / month | 3/13/21 | | Homeschool Minder | Subscription | $4.99 / month | 5/3/21 | | Homeschool Planet | Subscription | $7.95 / month | 5/20/21 |

Homeschool Planet

https://homeschoolplanet.com/

"Synchronize your home, school, and work into a single place"

• Landing page

• Pricing

• Social Media

• Marketplace

• Features

• Testimonials

Forum topics:

• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/701712-best-family-calendarorganizer-app/ compat with Google Calendar
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/683608-6th-grade-2019-2020/ winner in comparison
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/574023-need-to-simplify-school/ student access
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/670110-reviews-on-open-tent-academy-writing-classes/ mentioned putting in schedule
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/658388-were-starting-to-hate-math-mammoth/ lesson plan
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/539500-onenote-vs-homeschool-planet/ gushing for planet
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/558061-homeschool-planet-users-help-a-newbie-out/ support question
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/540597-homeschool-tracker-online-vs-homeschool-planet/ beating homeschool tracker
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/481657-homeschool-planet-anyone-trying-it/ beta review 2013
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/684121-homeschool-planet-coupon-code/ looking for coupon code
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/618353-homeschool-planner-and-how-do-you-plan/ product plug
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/666654-mid-year-shakeup/ trialing
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/521718-digital-planner-for-looping-schedule/ looping schedule question w/ no response
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/540799-which-online-planner-will-let-me-bump-two-ways/ bump work to another day
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/681351-educents-shutting-down-changing-direction/ comparison

Homeschool Reporting Online

https://homeschoolreporting.com/

Forum topics:

Nothing found.

Homeschool Skedtrack

http://www.homeschoolskedtrack.com/HomeSchool/displayLogin.do

Forum topics:

• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/109604-anyone-use-homeschool-skedtrack/ discussion of site
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/521718-digital-planner-for-looping-schedule/ looping questions
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/540598-lets-share-how-we-set-up-onenote/ OneNote replacing Skedtrack
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/265754-gradingrecord-keepingtranscripts/ looking for tools 2011
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/109114-free-curriculum-list/ curriculum list 2009
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/337281-if-you-have-a-long-loop-schedule-for-your-homeschool-can-you-share/ looping schedule topic
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/397457-scholaric-or-homeschool-tracker-plus/ tool comparison
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/401214-which-homeschool-planners-allow-you-to-print-like-this/ printing schedules
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/338659-if-youve-done-both-mfw-and-hod/ preparing schedules
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/586966-how-do-you-schedule-your-180-days/ planning many days in advance
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/449025-is-there-has-planner-app/?tab=comments looking for ipad app
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/665813-opinions-on-memoria-press-core-curriculum/ product plug

Homeschool Tracker

https://www.homeschooltracker.com/

Forum topics:

• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/383203-edu-track-vs-homeschool-tracker/ vs EduTrack 2012
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/23954-homeschool-tracker-questions/ HST vs HST+ 2008
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/540597-homeschool-tracker-online-vs-homeschool-planet/ vs planet 2015
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/254395-record-keeping-homeschool-tracker-and-ipad/ ipad
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/54161-homeschool-tracker-question/ questions about product 2008
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/397457-scholaric-or-homeschool-tracker-plus/ vs Scholaric 2012
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/186110-whats-a-good-homeschool-planner/ product plug 2010
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/5826-do-you-find-lesson-planning-software-useful-any-for-mac-users-other-suggestions/ product plug
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/265754-gradingrecord-keepingtranscripts/ product plug
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/401214-which-homeschool-planners-allow-you-to-print-like-this/ print question
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/649011-do-you-lesson-plan/ product plug
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/249069-transcript-for-7th-and-8th-grade/ passing reference
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/109114-free-curriculum-list/ product plug 2009
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/683608-6th-grade-2019-2020/ tried but planet won 2019
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/637551-is-classical-conversations-a-cultor-productor/ for transcripts 2017
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/8909-how-much-is-too-much-or-not-enough/ product plug 2008
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/129844-homeschool-tracker-question/?tab=comments#comment-1222284 question about product
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/203459-terribly-embarrassed-herewhyhow-do-you-create-lesson-plans/ product plug
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/222511-ambleside-online/ for printing
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/341507-wondering-about-tearing-up-workbooks-vs-leaving-them-whole/ product plug
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/111220-baffled-by-michael-clay-thompson-la/ lesson plans
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/100480-ambleside-online-users/ product plug
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/84644-need-ideas-for-tracking/?tab=comments#comment-828678 product plug

Homeschooling Records

https://homeschoolingrecords.com/default.aspx

Forum topics:

Nothing found.

Lessontrek

https://lessontrek.com/

Forum topics:

• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/618353-homeschool-planner-and-how-do-you-plan/ former user 2016
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/688779-how-do-i-make-a-custom-planner/?tab=comments#comment-8402441 asked about usage

My School Year

https://www.myschoolyear.com/

Forum topics:

Nothing found.

Scholaric

https://www.scholaric.com/marketing

Forum topics:

• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/397457-scholaric-or-homeschool-tracker-plus/ vs HST+ 2012
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/423847-scholaric-review-and-giveaway/ product plug 2012
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/675595-grading-software/ product plug grading software 2018
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/540799-which-online-planner-will-let-me-bump-two-ways/ product plug 2015
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/401214-which-homeschool-planners-allow-you-to-print-like-this/ for printing 2012
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/297229-scholaric-vs-skedtrack-for-planning/?tab=comments#comment-2986890 vs skedtrack 2011
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/481657-homeschool-planet-anyone-trying-it/ vs planet 2013
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/521718-digital-planner-for-looping-schedule/ looping question
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/640723-do-you-use-a-planner-of-some-sort/ planner question 2017
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/618353-homeschool-planner-and-how-do-you-plan/ product comparison 2016
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/624024-record-keeping-for-relaxed-homeschooling-with-larger-families/ large family 2016
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/611151-truthquest-vs-veritas-press-self-paced-history/ product plug 2016
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/477446-little-known-secret-curric-to-try/ product plug 2013
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/358659-ipads-for-homeschooling/ product plug 2012
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/343523-well-my-paces-curriculum-came-today/ product plug 2012
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/449025-is-there-has-planner-app/?tab=comments ipad 2012
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/376514-curious-about-winter-promise/ product plug 2012

Well Planned Gal

https://shop.wellplannedgal.com/index.php/shop/well-planned-day-online.html

• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/393417-ultimate-homeschool-planner-vs-well-planned-day/ product comparison 2012
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/195695-anyone-try-the-well-planned-day-planners/ paper? 2010
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/186110-whats-a-good-homeschool-planner/ product comparison 2010
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/618353-homeschool-planner-and-how-do-you-plan/ product comparison 2016
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/481657-homeschool-planet-anyone-trying-it/ vs planet 2013
• https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/415058-ipad-users-homeschool-helper-app/ ipad 2012

Audience

Things to try:

• Google AdWords keyword planner
• followerwonk.com
• Topsy Analytics to check social mentions?
• Ahrefs Site Explorer to see referral traffic for other sites
• BuzzSumo for Twitter analysis
• Homeschool magazines? Is that a thing?
• Amazon reviews of homeschool stuff
• Reddit has a homeschool subreddit
• Popular homeschool blogs to contact?
• Homeschool podcasts?
• Monthly webinars?

Future

• Dunning - Don't make customer sign in to update card info
• Dunning - Don't email until the card has actually failed (wait until 3rd reattempt or 5 days)
• Dunning - Email multiple times. It's ok. People miss stuff.
• Churn Buster if crazy popular by some remote chance
• Make Annual <-> Monthly up/downgrade not hard

Persona

This is an exercise to build a reasonable persona of the ideal customer for School Desk as suggested in SaaS Marketing Essentials.

Hannah Homeschooler:

• Hannah is a 30 - 45 year old woman.
• She is educated and a self-starter (fiercely independent).
• Hannah has two children.
• Hannah lives in a suburban area or small to mid-size city.
• Her time is constrained while balancing home obligations with child education.
• Hannah has a fondness for paper for keeping records.

• After using School Desk,

• School Desk makes it painless to stay on top of homeschool

Product Position

What's the point? Why would Hannah want to use School Desk? Is it control? Is it time saving?

What is the benefit?

• "Take Control of Your Homeschool Plan"
• "Save Time Building Your Homeschool Plan"
• "Focus on Your School, Let Us Handle the Schedule"
• Stop swimming in spreadsheets
• Not an airplane cockpit