Earning charter approval is a major milestone, but it’s just the beginning. The path from authorization to school launch is filled with critical decisions, detailed planning, and intensive preparation. SchoolWorks® offers dedicated Pre-Opening Coaching services to help new school founders navigate this high-stakes phase with confidence and clarity. Our expert coaches provide personalized guidance tailored to your school’s vision, timeline, and context—ensuring that your launch is not only successful, but sustainable.
SchoolWorks partners with founding teams immediately following charter approval to provide structured, hands-on support through the pre-operational period. We work collaboratively to help you prioritize tasks, anticipate challenges, and execute your plans with a focus on compliance, quality, and long-term impact.
Our coaches bring a wealth of experience in school startup, charter management, and operational execution. Whether you need support managing logistics, developing academic programming, or aligning with your charter commitments, SchoolWorks offers the strategic partnership and technical expertise you need to be ready on Day One.
Our Pre-Opening Coaching is flexible and customized based on each school's timeline, staffing, and support needs. Typical areas of focus include:
We help schools develop and manage detailed pre-opening plans that align with authorizer requirements and internal goals. This includes identifying key milestones, establishing accountability structures, and tracking progress toward launch readiness. Our support ensures no critical detail is overlooked and that your team stays on track.
Maintaining and growing community support is vital during the pre-opening phase. We provide strategic coaching around family outreach, enrollment events, board engagement, and communications planning—so your school opens with a strong, supportive network behind it.
We act as a trusted advisor, helping you identify and address potential risks across academics, operations, governance, and compliance. Our proactive approach to coaching helps founders make informed decisions and course-correct when necessary—building capacity for long-term success.
Launching a new school is a complex undertaking, but you don’t have to do it alone. SchoolWorks is committed to walking alongside school founders during the most critical phase of development—turning vision into reality. Our Pre-Opening Coaching services are designed not only to support a successful opening, but to lay the groundwork for a thriving school that delivers on its promise to students and families.
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“SchoolWorks was instrumental in the development and successful approval of our six charter school applications. Their work brought coherence and focus that resulted in a strong academic program supported by research and best practice that was also grounded in operational and financial stability.”
Kristi Baird
Executive Director, Compass Charter Schools
“We are grateful to the SchoolWorks team for their support though this process. While our staff focused on the day-to-day operations of the school, it was a relief to have reliable and experienced help in preparing the renewal application. The mock site visit helped our team know what to expect during the renewal visit.”
Stephanie Valle
Executive Director, KIPP: Tech Valley Charter School
SchoolWorks® has helped launch more than 100 charter schools. Our specialists work closely with authorizers, associations, incubators, developers, and operators to ensure high-quality options.
Our team members have supported the creation of dozens upon dozens of new school and renewal applications by writing, managing, or coaching school developers.
We understand that every school and situation is unique. We tailor our solutions to meet the specific needs, goals, and challenges of our partners and provide personalized hands-on support.
Ready to take your new or operational charter school to the next level?
Contact us today to learn more about how SchoolWorks® can support you on your journey.
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