Lizette Valles, founder of Compass Educators and Ellemercito Academy in California, is a former private school teacher. After COVID-19 regulations closed schools, Lizette and her husband, Oscar (also a long-time private school teacher!) founded Compass Educators: A Holistic Tutoring Company to help parents and students deal with distance learning challenges. Their goal was to meet students where they were and equip them to thrive in the new environment. It succeeded so well that some parents asked Lizette to privately homeschool their children.

So, in 2021, they opened Ellemercito Academy a microschool with not only an innovative model but also an innovative space (check out @schoolcommslab on Instagram for pictures). Listen in to learn how Lizette tells their school's story, and how a combination of social media and word-of-mouth help drive enrollment.