School History
Written by Gerri Waksler
Mrs. Geri Waksler is one of the founders of Charlotte Academy. Mrs. Waksler gave the following speech as the keynote speaker at the graduation cerermony for the Charlotte Academy Class of 2006. Charlotte Academy is pleased to share the school's history through the words of one of its founders.
Illustrious schools seem to have illustrious founders: Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia, Andrew Carnegie, first founded U.S. Steel, then founded Carnegie Mellon University, Booker T. Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute and Ellen Erich, Peggy Vasu, Kathy Wynn and I founded Charlotte Academy.
While not destined to be a nationally recognized college of higher learning, for those of us involved, the founding of Charlotte Academy was a significant achievement.
It began, like most great achievements, as a solution to a problem. The problem, as perceived by Mrs. Erich, Mrs. Vasu, Mrs. Wynn and me, was that there were no preschools in Charlotte County good enough for our extraordinarily talented and gifted 4 and 5 year old children. The solution was self-evident - we would create one.
And so we began meeting. First around kitchen tables in each other's homes, sometimes at Gilchrist Park, once even in the salon of a funeral home.
Not one of us had a background in education. None of us had ever started a business. We had no start-up capital, no curriculum, no teachers and no place to actually hold classes. We also had no idea that perhaps we should have had some or all of those things.
Nevertheless, we decided to form a school. And we gave ourselves plenty of time to do it - 9 whole months!
We formed a not for profit corporation. We adopted bylaws and elected officers
We researched the laws about how many square feet you needed per student, what kind of background checks were required for teachers and staff, what had to be in place in order to be licensed by the state.
That was the easy stuff.
We selected a curriculum - Montessori - and we managed to convince an extraordinary and experienced Montessori teacher - Anne Schofield - that she should join us on this grand adventure.
Mrs. Schofield helped us identify the materials we'd need to open a Montessori school. You know, all that exciting stuff you still find in our Montessori classrooms - the sandpaper letters, bead frames, the pink stacking tower, tables, chairs.
We made a budget - it was a big number and we still didn't have any money.
But with Mrs. Schofield on board, other parents started to pay attention and to buy into our dream, literally.
On the strength of our vision and Mrs. Schofield's belief in that vision, parents started enrolling their children in what was then known as Charlotte Country Day School.
Seven families contributed $10,000 each in return for enrolling their children and never having to pay tuition for those children again.
Other families paid registration fees.
All the families did so despite the fact that we still didn't have a place to hold classes.
But the four of us persevered. We eventually leased a building that was so scummy, it was being vacated by the Salvation Army thrift shop.
Parents volunteered hundreds of hours of cleaning, painting, landscaping, building play equipment.
Additional teachers were hired, school equipment was ordered, state inspections were passed and, 9 months after 4 determined women sat down at a kitchen table - Charlotte Country Day School opened its doors.
Today we are far more than a pre-school. Offering classes through eighth grade to well over 100 students each of whom are extraordinarily talented and gifted - just ask their parents.
The Erichs moved out of town several years ago. Megan Vasu will be a junior next year at the Canterbury School. Alex Wynn and Evan Waksler will be juniors at Charlotte High - both enrolled in every honors or AP class available to them.
Kathy Wynn and I relinquished our places on the school's Board of Directors a couple of years ago. The real measure of our achievement is the fact that the school has and will continue on successfully without us.
So what does all this mean to you - the Charlotte Academy Class of 2006?
There are lessons to be learned from our experience in starting Charlotte Academy.
1st, if you are dissatisfied with something don't just complain about it - fix it. You all are here tonight because we wouldn't settle for just any pre-school.
2nd,- There's no such thing as a crazy idea. Many, many people doubted our ability to start this school. We listened to those who encouraged us and ignored those who said it couldn't be done. If you believe in something strongly enough, you can make it happen.
3rd,- Study, study, study.
We knew nothing about starting or running a school. So before we did anything else, we did our homework. We investigated curriculums, we learned how to put together a budget, we studied the laws and ordinances regulating schools. We visited other schools. Before we made any decisions, we got all the information.
Some people say go with your gut, but I've found that your brain will always make better decisions than your stomach.
4th,- seek out and accept help.
None of us individually could have started this school. But together, we were greater than the sum of our parts. Each of us contributed something different. We used each other's strengths to overcome our individual weaknesses.
We found others with more knowledge than we had together. We consulted with educators and administrators, with lawyers and accountants.
Don't be afraid to ask for help.
And, more importantly, don't be afraid to accept help and advice - even if it comes from your parents.
Finally, remember that sometimes no matter how crazy your idea, how much you've studied and researched and how much help and advice you've received, you can't always be assured of the outcome.
Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith.
When we were getting started, 7 families contributed $10,000 each as start-up capital. In return, each family could enroll one student tuition-free forever.
At the time, we didn't know where we were going to hold classes. We didn't know if we'd ever have classes past kindergarten.At the time, the contribution seemed risky and foolish. Now, it looks like a brilliant investment.
Several years ago, I found a paperweight engraved with a saying that still inspires me today:
"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" Ellen Erich, Peggy Vasu, Kathy Wynn and I founded a school. What will you do?
