Wonderschool start-up helps teachers open their own pre-schools

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Bay Area preschool teachers have discovered a new path to financial security and freedom through a start-up called Wonderschool.

If you combine a teacher's salary with the Bay Area's high-housing costs, you have an economic crisis. That's why some teachers are now channeling a newfound entrepreneurial spirit.

Kristina Gonzalez opened Little Robles bilingual pre-school in her San Francisco home earlier this year.

Not too long ago, the educator and therapist worked for two non-profits teaching migrants and treating abused children.

She says opening a preschool is a big step towards building savings and starting a family. "In this role, I'm able to kind of control my income more," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez opened her school in her own home with the help of Wonderschool, a technology company, which claims to have found a new answer to the child care crisis. "It's a new model. no one's really tried before to really elevate the family child care network in this way," Wonderschool spokesperson Mia Pritts said.

Wonderschool targets preschool teachers and other educators and helps them open in home child care programs. It takes care of all the licensing, marketing and even the collection of tuition.

You have complete control over your own curriculum and access to the program's online materials.

Wonderschool officials said it can potentially double the salary of a teacher. "When you're a preschool teacher, the wages are so low that ironically you can't afford to send your own children to the program you're teaching in a lot of the time," Pritts said.

Wonderschool won't bill you until after a school opens. After that, it will take a ten percent share. "It's been helpful with marketing, with connecting me to other directors, with professional development. They have lots of training," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez says running her own day care gives her the ability to stay connected with students while controlling her own destiny. "I've been real excited about going to work and being able to have more freedom," Gonzalez said.

Kristina says the biggest adjustment to working at home is learning to separate the two and knowing when your workday is done. we have a link for both teachers and parents to Wonderschool on our website at abc7 news dot com.

Click here to contact Michael Finney and 7 on Your Side.