Why These Former Educators Chose Sylvan Ownership over Classroom Teaching

For educators seeking a career change, ownership with Sylvan Learning, the leading supplemental and enrichment learning concept with proven results, is a great opportunity. Though no two paths to ownership into the brand with over 40 years of experience and 700 points of presence are identical, there is a common thread of passion for education among Sylvan’s teachers-turned-owners.

Courtney Wright, an owner in Arkansas, and Deena Porter, an owner in Florida, are two current franchisees who began their experience in the education field in the classroom.

“I was a kindergarten, first, fourth and sixth grade teacher,” Wright said. “I taught for several years but when we decided to start our family I took a year off. I thought I’d just work part-time, so I started out as a Sylvan teacher.”

Over the years, she grew with the brand, and when the owner of the center she was employed decided to retire, Wright decided to invest.

Porter taught in the classroom for one year prior to taking a role as Director of Education at a Sylvan Learning center. After a brief return to classroom teaching, Porter was approached by the owner of the center she had previously worked with about taking over as owner.

What Are the Hurdles?

Some educators feel resistant to the idea of ownership with Sylvan due to the requirements of owning and running a business. After passionately pursuing a career in education, the switch to entrepreneurship can be intimidating, but it is completely possible, and incredibly rewarding.

“I would say that I’ve always had some passion for business ownership, but that far back, I probably just didn’t have the faith in myself,” Porter explained. “Even though I had started out in college in education, the passion was there, but I wanted to take it somewhere different. When I learned about Sylvan, that was an incredible experience.”

She added that, during her brief return to the classroom, she found herself longing for the Sylvan ways of differentiation and personalization. This served as a major draw for her to return to Sylvan in an ownership role when the time came.

The realization of the possibilities that lie within Sylvan ownership, partnered with the support of the franchisor, business partners, friends and family is often a big part of the reason why teachers make the switch.

“I think it’s worth the risk,” Wright said. “I like the fact that I am making an impact with kids in a granular way. The relationships that you can build with the students and parents allow you to be an ongoing resource for them.”