Goddard School Franchisee Talks Transition From Educator to Owner

For nearly 20 years, Krystle Molite has held several roles with the Goddard School, from teacher to director and now franchisee.

Through her title changes, she’s always considered herself an educator. That continues to this day as she goes from a co-owner to full owner with the education franchise. After partnering with other franchisees in the system as co-owners in the northern Baltimore suburb of White Marsh, Molite opened a school of her own in Aberdeen, Maryland.

She first joined the Goddard School brand in 2007 after graduating from East Carolina University. She started out teaching toddlers at a location owned by fellow franchisees Dave and Amber O’Brien.

“I’ve always loved working with children, and I also really love working with families,” Molite said. “My undergraduate degree is in a family and community services. Prior to working with Goddard, I thought my path would lead me into a social work role, working with families and communities. So, I liked how Goddard paired me with where I thought I was going, as well as my love for education.”

The O’Briens at the time were opening a second location, and not long after it launched, Molite was approached to become assistant director. She then was director of operations until about 2016, when the family was preparing to open a new location and needed another on-site owner, which is required by the brand.

After co-signing the franchise ownership agreement with the O’Briens, Molite said the original plan was to eventually become full owner of the White Marsh school. She and husband Nick decided to open their own school, citing Aberdeen as an underserved market.

“We felt we could take advantage of the market need in that area,” Molite said. “We were able to open and it’s the second school where I’ve been at since the beginning, but it’s still a completely different experience going through it in this role. Having the previous experience, though, makes it less daunting and Goddard provides a ton of support.”

Nick Molite, who has a background in financial advising and still works in that field separately from the Goddard business, said having the O’Brien family as mentors has also been a big help in opening their own location. One of the important lessons learned, he said, is the need to regularly be evaluating and improving the services provided.

“I believe in reinvesting in the education and the communication skills of the teachers and the staff,” he said. “It’s the most important thing. We also keep a very transparent, open line with the parents so they’re comfortable and they know who’s looking after their kids, and their children are learning.”

“We need to adapt and be ready for what our competitors are doing around us,” Krystle Molite said. “There’s talk of expanding pre-K for the state, and Maryland families will have choices. It’s hard to compete with free, so you need to make sure that you’re delivering on the promise of what you’re telling these families.”

Founded in 1983, Goddard School began franchising in 1988 and today has more than 690 schools across 37 states and Washington, D.C. While she doesn’t work directly with the students like when she did as a teacher, Molite said it’s still important to be involved at the ground level and get to know who’s in the classes.

“I find that being on-site is really important,” she said. “I lean on my directors a lot, they know my vision and I’m honest about what I’m looking for. But I also believe in leading by example, so getting into the classrooms, knowing the students by name and recognizing the families. Making sure it feels like a safe, fun space for not only the students, but the staff.”

Outside of the classroom, Molite said she’s hit the ground running to build the brand’s awareness in the community, from participating in Chamber of Commerce events to partnering with local elementary schools. Her favorite part, however, is still working with the students when she can.

“I just love watching these kiddos grow from such a young age,” Molite said. “We start at infancy and go through pre-K, and our three children all went through the Goddard experience as well. It’s incredible to watch their transformation.”