Sylvan Learning announces expansion opportunities across Texas
Sylvan Learning has announced its seen 22% growth in new learning centers since 2021 and an increase in students needing extra help since the pandemic. With this, Sylvan is looking to expand across many Texas cities, including Lubbock.
Jeff Stephenson, Sylvan's vice president of franchise development, expressed enthusiasm in how the company has handled the pandemic and its continued aftershocks for students' education.
"We are we are well-versed in taking students who need supplemental education, maybe maybe they've fallen behind a little bit ... or they've gotten lumped in with the millions of students nationwide that fell behind from going through the pandemic that just needs some external or some additional help," Stephenson said. "There's just so many more students now that need some additional help than there was before COVID, which falls right in line with all the reports and articles and online news that you read."
When the pandemic hit, Stephenson said Sylvan was able to adapt quickly to go online and continue supporting families. It also changed their format to today, as they can offer virtual and in-person assistance.
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"I'm not going to say it was easy to pivot, be we certainly put all hands on deck and got a program to not only our current students, but also bring additional students in from the online platform," he said. "We helped a lot more parents and students.
With the surge of students joining Sylvan, the company knew they needed to expand. Using a mapping program, they determined several Texas cities with growth potential. Those were: Arlington, Austin, Beaumont, Carrollton/Farmers Branch, Fort Worth, Laredo, Lubbock, Houston, McKinney, Mesquite-Balch Springs, Odessa, San Angelo, San Antonio, Temple and Texarkana.
Stephenson said they are also looking for people to lead these new centers. With teachers leaving schools for various reasons, Stephenson said some of them have turned to Sylvan.
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"We're looking for people where education runs deep in their core, like retired teachers or teachers that are leaving the system," he said. "They want to teach, but maybe they are frustrated with the education system and how they have to do things. When you are a teacher, it's a calling, and they don't want to leave. They just want a different way to do it."
With a three-to-one student to teacher ratio, Stephenson said franchising allows teachers to continue what they love, without the rigidity of schools.
"It's really an incredible program, and a great family to be a part of," he said. "We continue to grow every day, and we're excited about the growth."
For more information on Sylvan Learning, people can visit sylvanlearning.com. People interested in opening a franchise can visit sylvanfranchise.com.
Alana Edgin is a journalist covering Business News in Lubbock and the surrounding area. Send her a news tip at aedgin@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Sylvan Learning hopes to expand across Texas, reports growth
