Our goal is always constructive engagement. Following are some of our accomplishments in support of that goal.
- Membership: Growing membership comprises nearly one-third of Goddard School locations!
- Legal and Regulatory Positioning: Established a Legal Trust Fund and hired franchise industry law firms to a) review members’ franchise agreements, b) provide specialized advice to franchisees who are renewing their agreements or opening another school, and c) provide guidance to GSFOA regarding legal and other courses of action that can be pursued vs. GSL if they remain unwilling to open a dialog with the GSFOA or address franchisee’s significant concerns and grievances (e.g., UPK, imposition of certain fees, insufficient disclosure in FDDs, etc.)
Filed a NASAA complaint regarding GSL’s FDD disclosure practices and FTC comments regarding many matters including franchisee representation on GSAC, Input Groups, Wonder of Learning®, Marketing, UPK, FDDs, etc.
Please support this effort by participating in the GSFOA Legal Trust fund.
Partnered with the AAFD to lobby Congressional and Senate representatives in Washington, DC to encourage them to pass the Franchisee Freedom Act (HR 4614) and the American Franchise Act (HR 5257).
- Wonder of Learning® (WoL): Established with our franchisor that Wonder of Learning is not mandatory for all franchisees at this time, saving some more than $1,000/month in Kaymbu/WoL fees and Goddard Books.
Conducted a system-wide survey on Wonder of Learning® (WoL) and shared the findings with GSL leadership. After the results were shared, improvements were made to the WoL curriculum that addressed some of the many of the concerns expressed by respondents, especially those related to Kindergarten readiness.
Continued evaluating WOL-related expenditures and the broader fee structure. This included looking at long-term profitability impacts, reviewing alignment with the FDD and franchise agreements, and consulting experienced counsel. Counsel’s legal opinion is pending on possible legal action related to WoL.
- Technology Services Fee: When the 2025 FDD introduced a new technology services fee, we immediately took a closer look. We modeled the financial impact, gathered feedback, consulted with franchise counsel, and engaged leadership with focused questions. We believe our coordinated efforts played a role in delaying the implementation of that fee.
- Marketing: We continued to press for clearer reporting and more accountability around marketing fund spending. Members shared feedback about allocation fairness and ROI visibility. We consolidated those concerns and raised them in a structured way. Marketing conversations are more data-driven now and expectations around transparency are clearer.
- Member Services: Negotiated member discounts with Teaching Strategies/Tadpoles, SoTellUs, Supercheap Signs
- Arranged franchisee access to Google Business Profiles and provided webinars on how to improve Google Business Reviews
- Implemented organization and communication structures to include Interim Board, email database, a large and growing WhatsApp Community, logos, wordmarks, and stand-alone website
- Sponsored webinars to help members understand how AAFD’s low-cost age-banded healthcare and other services can save them money
