The Great Franchisee: Israel Cordero, Sylvan Learning, Dallas

After 25 years working as a teacher, principal and superintendent, career educator Israel Cordero is bringing Sylvan Learning*, the 750-plus unit supplemental education franchise, to Central Dallas. 

Cordero has signed to open the area’s first Sylvan center, which will open virtually on September 7 before opening at a physical location early next year. Cordero says he has spent his entire career trying to innovate in the education field, and that journey led him directly to Sylvan. 

We spoke to Cordero to learn more about his path to franchise ownership.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Israel Cordero: I currently work as the CEO and superintendent of an in-district charter school in San Antonio; it’s called the Brentwood STEAM School of Innovation, and it’s in partnership with Edgewood ISD. The way I’m able to make that happen is I’m CEO of a nonprofit called Friends of P-Tech, and as the CEO of Friends of P-Tech, we work with districts across the state that are activating Senate Bill 1882, which is a bill that allows nonprofit colleges and universities to partner with school districts and become the operating partner for schools that need to be turned around, innovated or replicated. My very first school was Brentwood STEAM. I’ve been operating it for a year now. On top of that, I have a for-profit company called Lonestar Educational Consulting, and that’s where I work with for-profit companies doing an array of business with the Pre-K-16 sector. I serve as an executive coach to executives at the ISD level and at the community college/higher ed level. I consult practices and provide innovative solutions related to Pre-K-16. I’ve been an educator for the last 25 years. 

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?

Cordero: 10 years ago I learned about SES tutors, and that underwent so much scrutiny that I never looked back on it. I was a high school principal when that happened, and I was utilizing tutoring services for my school. Over the last two years, I’ve been reading the articles about learning loss students have been suffering, and I wanted to do something about that. A friend of mine told me she was franchising with Sylvan Learning and a deja vu moment happened for me from 10 years ago, and it was really a no-brainer. I wanted to provide a solution to school districts.

1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?

Cordero: I saw its impact 10 years ago from tutoring services. I learned that the Sylvan franchise is capable of supporting the families or districts because the franchise’s reach has close to 1,000 tutors, and that was extremely interesting to me.

1851: How did you perform your research?

Cordero: I know the Dallas area really well and the DFW area really well, and the center of Dallas is a great opportunity to serve families that are part of the Dallas community.

1851: Why did you pick Sylvan? What excited you most about the potential?

Cordero: What excites me is being a partner to school districts and families and to be able to help mitigate the learning loss students have experienced by providing one-to-one tutoring and/or three-to-one tutoring. 

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Cordero: The hope for me is to provide an individualized tutoring plan for every single student who needs that type of plan. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Cordero: To ensure that they know the area well and that they develop relationships with the community in order to ensure that the community is aware of the great service that they’re able to provide. Dallas is my home.

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Cordero: I love to spend time with my immediate family. I have a wife, Christina, and three school-aged children. Sebastian is 17, Isabela is 12 and Liliana is 5, and my entire family are outdoor enthusiasts.

ABOUT SYLVAN LEARNING

With more than 40 years of experience and more than 750 points of presence throughout North America, 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. For more information, visit www.SylvanLearning.com or SylvanLearning.com/blog.