Why Sylvan Learning Franchisees are Proud to Represent the Brand

Leading education franchise Sylvan Learning* has hundreds of franchisees running its 750 points of presence across North America. And, many of the multi-unit owners have been with the brand for years, or even decades. Some franchisees actually started as Sylvan educators or center directors who eventually opened their own locations or have taken over ownership at existing sites.

As the brand nears its 40^th anniversary, Sylvan’s system of franchisees have dedicated years of their lives to helping students succeed in the communities in which they work and live. Longtime franchisees truly exemplify what community involvement looks like, with some even seeing the children of former students back decades later.

Multi-unit owner Kim Teixeira has been with Sylvan Learning since 1992, celebrating 26 years serving students with the brand. She says her passion grows stronger each day as she witnesses the positive impact that Sylvan’s services and results have on its students.

“I started working with the brand as a center director out in Texas, and then California,” Teixeira said. “When I initially got involved with Sylvan, I had no intention of opening my own business and never really saw myself being a small business owner.”

However, after falling in love with the brand, she soon realized she could utilize her background in education and expertise from working at Sylvan Learning to oversee a center as the full-time owner. In 2013, Teixeira took over ownership at the location in Chesapeake, Virginia and in October 2017, she built a center from the ground up in Suffolk.

“What makes me most proud to represent the Sylvan brand is that we truly make a difference in our students lives’ by providing them with concrete results. Our educators care about not only academic improvement, but also about their overall wellbeing,” Teixeira said.

Teixeira also says that Sylvan’s personalized and small group model further helps the teachers feel like they’re making a difference in the student’s lives.

“Working with students one-on-one allows our teachers to see their efforts come to life as their students progress,” Teixeira said. “And watching how incredible that makes our educators feel is so rewarding as a center owner.”

Franchisee Debra Smith similarly began her career with Sylvan as a center director back in 2011 at the North Platte location in Nebraska. Within nine months, the owner at the time unfortunately lost her battle to cancer. Her family chose to continue to help run the center, but with a short staff, the need for a new owner became more necessary.

“The family of our past owner approached me with the opportunity to take over the center, and while it was under unfortunate circumstances, I was honored to and passionate about following in her footsteps and continuing to better the lives of children through Sylvan services, now as a franchisee,” said Smith.

Smith has always enjoyed teaching, but what really drew her to Sylvan was the advanced services and technology platforms the brand began to use at its centers.

“Above all else, I love the lasting impact Sylvan leaves on its families. We’ve seen kids start out with us in elementary school, and as they near high school graduation, it’s very touching to see how Sylvan has lead them to a longstanding path of academic success.”

Teixeira and Smith have similar backgrounds, working their way up from within the centers, but Sylvan Learning has franchisees with all types of experience. Owners have a variety of careers prior to joining Sylvan, and they don’t always come from the teaching world. Other successful franchisees have left corporate careers, are entrepreneurs, or held jobs in technology or sales, but they all have one thing in common. Becoming a Sylvan owner allows franchisees to give back to their local community while also receving an emotional return on investment.

To learn more about Sylvan Learning or view open territories, visit https://sylvanfranchise.com/