In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Sandy Breece, founder and superintendent of Telesis Center for Learning Incorporated. They discuss Dr. Breece's journey starting a school before the concept of charter schools existed, her commitment to small class sizes and individualized instruction, and her advice for those looking to start their own schools today. They also delve into the power of community and the importance of having a clear vision.

• Charter schools didn’t start until 1994, when the school was three years old. 
• The community needed choice. 
• Small class sizes.
• Individualization for everyone. 
• Advice for starting your own school. 
• Don’t wait, just do it! 
• Find community
• Ignore the naysayers. 
• Reach out to community members individually. 
• Power of Community book
• Advice for funding schools. 
• How to be a transformative principal - Call Sandy. 

About Dr. Sandy Breece:
Dr. Sandy Breece is the Founder and Superintendent of Telesis Center for Learning, Inc. founded in 1991 in Lake Havasu City, AZ which includes two tuition free public charter schools: Telesis Preparatory Academy for grades 9-12 and Telesis Preparatory for grades K-8 which she oversees and operates the non-profit corporation Telesis Center for Learning, Inc. with a staff of 48 and student enrollment of 350. Dr. Breece holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Breece also has her BS and MS degrees in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood endorsement and a double minor in Psychology and Zoology from Arizona State University. She has many years of experience as a teacher and administrator in K-12 education as first an elementary teacher with a focus on reading and Early Childhood Education and then school founder and director of a private and public school, ultimately becoming a certified principal and then certified superintendent all in Lake Havasu City, AZ where she has lived for 58 years. Telesis Preparatory Academy (grades 9-12) and Telesis Preparatory (grades K-8) are both accredited schools by Cognia Accreditation. Both schools have received A and B letter grades from the State of Arizona consistently each year. Dr. Breece added Paw Prints Preschool to the Telesis Center for Learning, Inc. complex in 2019, a tuition-based preschool program for 3 and 4-year-olds.

She most recently founded School Founders Academy to mentor others passionate about starting a school after publishing an anthology book titled “Power of Community” last March which became a #1 International Bestseller. Her chapter “From Vision to Reality: Navigating the Challenges of Starting a School” tells of some of the many challenges and how she solved them. Dr. Breece often does speaking engagements on educational topics which are listed on her speaker sheet on the School Founders Academy’s website. 

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