Iowa Sports Prep is building the first school designed around how students actually learn and how athletes actually train. We need people who care about kids — not compliance, not seat time, not "the way it's always been done."
Traditional education is built on a 150-year-old factory model: ring a bell, sit in rows, teach to the middle, hope for the best. We're starting from scratch with a different question: What does the research actually say about how people learn?
The answer: mastery-based progression (Bloom's 2 Sigma), cognitive load management (Sweller), spaced retrieval practice (Roediger & Karpicke), and autonomy-driven motivation (Deci & Ryan). ISP doesn't just cite this research — we built the entire school around it.
Students complete world-class academics in 2 focused hours each morning. They train in the afternoon when their bodies are ready. They build life skills — nutrition, financial literacy, sports psychology, personal branding — through a gamified system called MyPath. And they still play for their local school team thanks to Iowa's HF 189 law.
Our goal is audacious: make Iowa the #1 state in math and reading scores within 5 years. Not by teaching more hours — by teaching smarter.
Every decision is backed by cognitive science. We don't do things because "that's how schools work." We do what the evidence says works.
We call it the "Complex Family" dynamic. You're safe here. Failure is data. But we expect you to struggle — struggling is how you grow.
Our ultimate goal: students who can learn anything, forever, without external prompting. We build people who carry their own game engine.
We're looking for people who've been waiting for a place like this to exist. If reading this gives you goosebumps, you're probably our kind of person.
"You're not a counselor. You're the person who actually knows the kid."
"You don't lecture for 50 minutes. You show up when a student is actually stuck."
"Help tell the story of a school that doesn't exist yet — and make people wish it did when they were kids."
We're always looking for people who share our mission. If you believe school can be better and want to help build it, we want to hear from you.
Reach OutWe're a startup school, which means the energy is high, the problems are real, and the impact is measurable from day one.
You're not optimizing ad clicks. You're building the future of education for kids who deserve better than the status quo.
Iowa's unique combination of universal vouchers and small population means ISP can actually move state-level outcomes. Your work scales.
Work from anywhere, but be part of something deeply local. ISP is built for Iowa families, by people who understand Iowa.
No legacy systems, no "we've always done it this way." You're designing the playbook, not inheriting someone else's.
We don't guess — we build on 50+ years of learning science. You'll work with cutting-edge tools and evidence-based methods.
ISP will be one of the first private schools in Iowa to publish comprehensive outcome data. We measure what matters and share it publicly.
If you read all of this and thought "finally" — that's the feeling. Click a role above, or reach out directly.
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