Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Schopp.
Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The road to Allied Education begins with my time as a middle and high school history teacher. I absolutely loved getting the opportunity to watch students be inspired and excited about history and geography! I worked in traditional public, and charter networks, all over Colorado from Loveland and Firestone to helping to start schools in metro Denver. I then moved overseas to Norway and taught 4th grade at an International school for a couple of years. I served in leadership roles as a teacher leader, curriculum support roles and after my move back to the US I created and led a Fellowship Program to train and equip uncertified teachers to gain their teaching licenses. Working with so many amazing students and educators was such a fulfilling experience!
After nearly a decade in the education world, I took some time off to have my three amazing kids and am so grateful for the time I was so privileged to have to be home with them in their early years.
I found during these meetings, that parents really needed support in navigating the ins and outs of their child’s education and truly want to be an advocate for their children’s educational journey but don’t have the skills or confidence to do that. I saw a need and knew that I had the experience and expertise, as an educator and parent, to fill that need and be an ally to these families. That led to the creation of my company, Allied Education, where I support families with top to bottom, K-12, education support.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a pretty smooth road in some ways. When families hear of the services I offer, how I can work with them and have such great rapport with schools and teachers, they realize the benefit of having an ally. Everyone I have supported has found great value in what we’ve been able to achieve for their student and family.
At this point the only struggle or growth point is getting the word out to more and more families. I would love to be a national resource so families all over the country (and maybe world!) know that they have an educational ally here to support them in all of their educational struggles and concerns.
We’ve been impressed with Allied Education, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business, Allied Education, provides personalized guidance and support to families and students. My services are designed to address the unique needs of each student, including school planning, assisting families with the relocation process, admissions preparation, and offering school-to-home support. I aim to help families navigate the complexities of the education system and make informed academic decisions. I also assist parents in advocating for their children, finding necessary resources, and navigating school systems effectively.
I think my time spent in the classroom actually teaching kids and serving as a school and teacher leader, is what sets me apart. I am able to step into this Educational Ally role with extensive educational expertise that other people in this field might not have. There are plenty of people who support with school choice but when it comes to supporting students in a behavioral/ academic way, having someone who has spent their career helping families, students and communities is so beneficial.
So many of my first clients were moms that I know whose kids were starting school or going through elementary and they had SO many questions. They needed services but didn’t know how to access them, their kiddos were struggling academically or behaviorally in the classroom and they didn’t know what to do or the teachers would give them feedback at a Parent-Teacher Conference and they didn’t know how to support them at home. It was such an eye-opening experience to be on this side of the school building and realize how little support families actually have in this educational space. So, I wouldn’t say it was hard to start Allied Education, because I began to see how necessary this service was to so many families.
I really want the world to know that the Allied Education brand is all about collaboration. I want to be an ally to families, students, schools, teachers, communities and everyone working together to do what is best for kids. Children deserve people to come alongside them to make education work for them and supporting all members of their educational team is key to doing that. I think it takes a unique person with a very specific skillset to work with people on all sides of the world of education to do this well.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I have learned lots of lessons along the journey of starting Allied Education. Lots of those have been centered around the state of education and how we are doing a massive disservice by continuing rhetoric that pits schools and families against each other instead of building bridges to bring everyone together to serve children in the best ways we can.
My most important lesson, I think, is about entrepreneurship. I have found it to be such a refreshing and beautiful experience to watch how women, specifically, have shown up to really support me in this business start-up world. Whether it is other female business owners reaching out to collaborate and support clients together, or just encouraging each other and supporting posts and social media engagement. Seeing, once again, how women build up other women is always going to be such a great lesson to learn and remember!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://WWW.YourEducationAlly.Com
- Instagram: YourEducationAlly
- Facebook: Rachel Schopp
- LinkedIn: Allied Education
Image Credits
Eedyphoto
