Courtney Wright’s Eight Years in the Classroom Prepared Her for Sylvan Ownership

Sylvan Learning, the supplemental and enrichment education concept with over 710 points of presence, frequently finds itself in the sights of current and former public school educators looking to pursue entrepreneurship. Courtney Wright, the owner of two Sylvan centers in Fort Smith and Rogers, AR, is a prime example of the success that can be found in the Sylvan system.

“I have a master’s in teaching and a bachelor’s of science in education,” Wright explained. “Back in my 20s, I had plans to be a teacher and go on to be an administrator. I taught for eight years, then took time off to stay home with my first son. When I was ready to go back, I tried to find part-time teaching jobs.”

What started as “working in a center for a few hours each week” quickly turned into a nearly 20-year career. Though Wright began her work in the center as a teacher, she began to participate in some of the administrative work and then moved up to a level of Center Director responsibilities.

“Then, the franchisee at the Sylvan I was working at was looking to retire,” she said. “My husband and I put together a business plan and came on with Sylvan. Sixteen years later, here I am!”

For Wright, her previous experience working in the center was incredibly empowering as she had already built relationships with many of the families and had played a role in some of the higher-level center responsibilities. It wasn’t a huge transition, she said, to take ownership of the existing location; a few years later, she opened a second center from scratch.

Having spent time in public school systems, Wright says she is able to approach her Sylvan teaching, relationships and outreach to schools with more awareness.

“As a former teacher, understanding where the student is at and building a rapport with them and their teachers really makes a difference,” she said. “They know that we really are here for the best interest of the students, and we want to support their students in succeeding in their classroom, and that makes a difference for the teachers.”

While this experience is certainly helpful, Wright says she did not approach this opportunity with every business skill mastered. She is not an accountant, for example, but the Sylvan corporate team did a phenomenal job of supporting her through learning the financial skills she would need as a business owner.

One of the primary principles of the Sylvan method is that each student is met where they’re at and supported as they work to move forward, regardless of where their strengths and weaknesses lie. In Wright’s experience, Sylvan takes a similar approach with its franchise owners.

“They do a lot to get to know each franchisee. The franchise business consultants do a great job of making themselves available for us, and there’s a ton of training materials available,” she said. “If you’re an educator and you’re worried about going into business, know that you have a franchise business consultant. There is a group at the corporate office that helps me with inquiries and getting families in the door. Sylvan does a great job of meeting franchisees where they are… Letting them embrace the areas of the business they’re strong in and providing support in areas where they’re not as strong.”

ABOUT SYLVAN LEARNING:

With more than 40 years of experience and more than 710 points of presence, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K–12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan’s proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync™ technology on the iPad® for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE — STEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep — college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. Sylvan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franchise Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRG). For more information, visit www.SylvanLearning.com.