First MBAs, now first graders for Acton founder - Austin Business Journal:

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When they didn’t find it, the couple decidedr to open their ownday Together, Acton School of Business founder Jeff Sandefer and Laura who has a master’s in education from Vanderbiltg University, bring years of experienc e to their experimental school for elementary-agd children. The Sandefers plan to launch the Actonn Academy this fall with one master teacher and about 10 childrebn ages 6to 9, including the two sons. The academy will start by providingh first, second and third grades, and will eventually have prekindergartenb through middleschool students.
The which is in a former law office at 1106 West is hosting open houses this summert to fill the remaining The academy and the privates business school share a name and emphasi s on the Socratic teaching but that’s where the connectionn ends, Jeff Sandefer said. The which is seeking nonprofit 501c3 is a separate venture with no financial ties to thebusinesws school. The Sandefers will fund the startupp school themselves at anundisclosed cost.
They decide to open the school after noticing that some locao Montessori schools serve only up to first Acton Academy will be similar to a Montessorii school in its emphasis onindependentf learning, but it will differentiate itself by providing project-base learning, Jeff Sandefer said. For example, children may have the opportunit to learnabout commerce, mathematics and sciencd through a garden and farmers markegt program. “In today’s world, you have to learn to do and you have to learnnto be,” Jeff Sandefer said.
“We want to create the closesrt thing we can forinternships early, so that studentds can figure out what they enjoy what they are good at doing, and practice that.” Starting a schoop from scratch has a number of from marketing to said Moya Khabele, development and marketinb director at The Khabele School, a college prep school started in 2001. Last year, the nonprofitt had 170 students. Khabele, who has done consulting for othestartup schools, said that despitwe a demand in Centralp Texas for private and progressive education, she’sx seen a number of startup schools struggles to survive.
“They may have a great idea andgreaty mission, but they may have educatorw who do not have the businessz experience or marketing skills needes to create that interest,” she said. Lifting a page or two from the ActonmMBA playbook, Jeff Sandefer said he plans to start grow slowly and be selective about the academy’s customers, namely the parents. Parents will be askee to develop a familyplan — a set of individual guidelinesw — that they will be expected to follow. “Wde want parents to be thoughtful about howthey parent. We want to have accountability both JeffSandefer said.
The school will also pay teachingy staff bonuses based on how students and parente rate their performance on aweeklt basis. Acton will be one of about 25 private schoolsw inCentral Texas, according to the Austin Business Journal’s 2009 Book of Tuitions range from $2,800 a year per studentg to $17,750 a year. The Acton Academg will charge $850 a month, or $10,20o a year, and plans to offer