We recently connected with Sara Busalacchi and Anjilee Ferguson and have shared our conversation below.
Sara and Anjilee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
The concept of traditional education has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. Since the pandemic, online schooling, homeschooling, and other education alternatives have experienced significant growth. Since 2020, public school enrollments have witnessed a decline as families have become more receptive to alternative educational approaches. Parents are now actively seeking programs that align with their values and cater to the unique needs of their children.
For a long time, our educational system has adhered to the model where teachers must instruct a classroom filled with students, often catering to the “average” student, while those who struggle barely manage to keep up, and exceptionally gifted students find themselves unchallenged. This system perpetuates a cycle where students are pushed forward from one grade to the next, leaving gaps in their understanding. It’s important to note that teachers are not to blame; they work diligently with the resources at their disposal. The fault lies within the system itself.
Mountain Point Academy offers an innovative approach that diverges significantly from traditional education in several key ways. First and foremost, our educators assume the role of mentors rather than mere lecturers at the front of a classroom. Our mentors engage with students on a one-on-one basis weekly, discussing their challenges, successes, fears, interests, and future aspirations. This personal connection allows our educators to build profound relationships with students, a feat often difficult to achieve in a conventional classroom setting.
Furthermore, we meet students precisely where they are academically. Unlike traditional schools with rigid schedules and limited course options, at Mountain Point Academy, we possess the flexibility to tailor our curriculum to an unprecedented extent. We ensure that each student receives precisely what they require to thrive academically. We readily accommodate 504 Plans and IEPs, boasting a team of three special education teachers. Our targets are established based on the goals set by students and their families, resulting in the creation of individualized academic plans for every student.
We often work with students who are presently enrolled in residential treatment programs, and we recently had the privilege of hearing from one of our program’s new academic coordinators, Maryann. She was completely blown away by the level of individualized attention we provide to our students. Having experience with numerous other online education programs, Maryann attested that none came close to delivering the personalized approach that defines Mountain Point Academy. Our commitment to meeting each student’s unique needs goes above and beyond; we even take the extra step of personally contacting the student’s school counselor from their previous institution to ensure a seamless transition.
Maryann emphasized the exceptional accessibility and support she receives when working with us. Unlike automated systems or faceless interfaces, she can easily reach out to our school directors or the teachers who engage with students and handle weekly grading. This direct line of communication simplifies collaboration and empowers us to craft a truly holistic learning environment, a critical consideration, especially when working with students facing mental health challenges.
Our program’s structure allows residential treatment programs to focus on the student’s overall well-being, secure in the knowledge that the academic aspect is expertly managed by Mountain Point Academy. These are just a few things we do differently from the “industry standard”. It truly sets us apart from similar institutions and we’re very proud of our program!
Sara and Anjilee, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Mountain Point Academy (MPA) is an online private school serving grades 6-12, specializing in working with students either at home or in a residential treatment center (RTC) setting. Something we are known for is providing students with a 1:1 academic experience where they have a mentor to guide them week by week through their studies and help them as they work to achieve their goals.
Our team goes above and beyond to help with the personalization of each individual student’s academic plan. It’s not a one size fits all option for students, so we take the time to learn about what each student’s learning style is, and what their goals are, and work to customize a path that makes sense for that student. We care about the individual, not just the numbers.
Depending on student needs, we have several tiered schooling options ranging from part-time to full-time, less or more support, and options for additional tutoring. As one parent eloquently stated, “MPA’s virtual learning did not equate to disconnected learning” which is something we are very proud of. Our team works tirelessly each day to ensure that students have the best academic experience possible.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Absolutely! We know all about resilience. Shortly after we formed the school, we started pursuing accreditation. It was something that was very important to us as a private online school. We knew that if we were to be considered a legitimate option for families, we would need that stamp of approval from a reputable accrediting body. Accreditation is one of the most humbling experiences that a school can go through. The accreditation team picks apart every aspect of your organization from the staff that you hire, the curriculum you choose, and the financial resources you utilize. To say the least, it is a very intense process.
Right in the midst of preparing for this, Sara became pregnant with twins. This was an (unexpected) blessing for her, but definitely presented a challenge when it came to balancing work/family life. In addition, Anjilee was dealing with family hardships and divorce. We were just two women trying to make it all work and balancing the chaos of life with a new business. As many know, it is difficult enough to start a new business without turmoil and change happening in your personal life. The business we chose to start also happens to have a profound impact on the lives of young people. We knew that if we were going to make this work, we had to maintain personal and professional boundaries and exercise an extreme amount of perseverance.
Less than two years later, we did it! We obtained the sought-after accreditation and continued to build our student enrollments year after year, mostly through word-of-mouth. To us, that is a testament of the type of service we provide to our families and clients. It’s been a tough road, but we wouldn’t change it.
How’d you meet your business partner?
We met while working for an online school back in 2011. Sara had started working there first with Anjilee’s younger brother. When the school was ready to expand and hire a new team member, Anjilee came highly recommended and was instantly hired. She was the perfect fit for the school as the new registrar and she and Sara became fast friends.
The two of them worked on and off with each other in various capacities for the next several years. Anjilee worked in online education at the college level, while Sara continued serving middle and high school students. We finally reconnected at another online school, which would be the last organization we would work together as fellow employees, because after about six years of throwing around the idea of starting our own school, we finally took the plunge. Now, we work together as business partners and co-founders of an amazing school. At times, it is difficult to balance friendship with business, but we’ve managed to do it successfully for almost six years, and hope we can continue to do so for years to come. Sometimes we cry together, and sometimes we laugh together, but the key has been to find joy in what we do and always remember the “why” behind our business venture.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mountainpointacademy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtnpointacademy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mountainpointacademy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mountain-point-academy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzed4rX-5Ym1xJyqvYqzK4A
- Other: https://www.niche.com/k12/mountain-point-academy–ut/, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-thing-about-school/id1625480894
Image Credits
Laurence Boswell (Boswell Photography) and Kristin Bowden