Schools familieschoose.
Student recruitment, school launch, family engagement and photo and film for charter schools in every state. From your first founding family to a full building.
Families choose a school based on what they see, what they hear and who they trust. We build all three: a recruitment plan that runs all year, organizers who talk with families face to face, and photo and film that show your school at its best.
Stories thatfill seats.
Launch films, student voices and charter campaigns we produced for schools and youth programs. Press play with the sound on.
Founders, families, teachers and students from the charter schools we help open, grow and fill, in their own words.
Founder Dr. Brenda Jones on the journey to opening Invictus Nashville Charter School, from the first plan to the first day of class.
Invictus students tell families why they love their school and why they should come. A recruitment film in the voices families trust most.
School leaders ask families to write letters of support and turn out for the school board vote on their charter renewal.
The founder of The Forge School introduces a first-of-its-kind architecture, construction and engineering school to future families.
Parents and local business owners on why they are backing Music City Academy, a new sports-focused school founded by Kevin Dyson.
Scout leaders in North Carolina on why mentorship and the outdoors shape young people for life.
From charter approvalto a full first day.
A new school has to earn trust before it has a building, a track record or a single graduate. We recruit your founding families, build your brand before you open and fill the room at every hearing and info session.
Schools, collegesand youth programs.
Every student.Every milestone.
Led by someone whosat on the board.
John has recruited families, trained parents and governed a district. He knows how schools make decisions and what families need before they say yes.
- Metro Nashville Board of Education
- Won the 2020 District 4 special election in a four-way race with 9,660 votes and served Donelson, Hermitage and Old Hickory families through 2022.
- Public Advocate Fellowship
- Co-founded the fellowship that trains parents to advocate for their children’s schools. Its work helped launch Memphis Lift and Nashville Propel.
- Strategy Redefined
- Ran a Nashville education consulting firm that helped launch Memphis Lift.
- Tennessee Charter School Center
- Served as director of community engagement.
- Parent organizing
- Organizing specialist and Nashville coach at Organizer Zero, and director of The Surge Team, the grassroots organizing arm of Memphis Lift.
- Tennessee State University
- TSU graduate and Pahara Institute fellow.
He ran for the board on one promise: every student should be college ready, career ready and community ready. At Leo Operations he leads recruitment, family engagement and training, alongside founder Rodriquez Wright II, who leads strategy, photography and film.
Recruit. Engage.Tell your story.
Recruit
Enrollment that runs all year.- A year-round recruitment plan built around your state and district enrollment calendar
- Neighborhood canvassing, phone and text outreach to prospective families
- Info sessions, open houses and school tours that families actually attend
- Weekly tracking of every family from first inquiry to the first day of school
Engage
Families who become advocates.- Family engagement and parent ambassador programs
- Parent advocacy training and community organizing
- Staff training on recruitment, follow-up and family communication
- Coalitions with churches, employers and neighborhood groups
Tell
Your school, on camera.- Photography for campuses, classrooms, graduations and events
- Recruitment films, student voice videos and short-form social
- Websites, social media management and graphic design
- Messaging, talking points and strategic communications
Pick whatyour school needs.
One team for everything from your recruitment plan to your graduation photos. Most schools start with recruitment and add photo and film.
Ten steps.No family lost.
We map every step a family takes, set benchmarks for each one and review them weekly. Your leaders can answer four questions at any time: where are families entering, which outreach is working, where are we losing them, and what do we do this week.
Five steps.All year.
Discover
We study your enrollment history, waitlists, conversion at each stage, neighborhoods and how families see your school today.
Plan
A recruitment and communications plan with monthly targets, weekly benchmarks and a calendar matched to your enrollment cycle.
Create
Photo, film, messaging, materials and web content built around the plan, not in isolation.
Launch
Organizers in neighborhoods, events on the calendar and campaigns live across every channel your families use.
Measure
A weekly scorecard that shows where families enter, where they stall and what to do next.
School questions, answered.
What kinds of schools does Leo Operations work with?
Public charter schools, traditional public schools and districts, private and independent schools, colleges and universities, medical and graduate programs, early learning programs, career and trades training programs, and education nonprofits.
How do you help a school grow enrollment?
We build a year-round recruitment plan, put organizers in the neighborhoods your families live in, run info sessions, tours and open houses, and track every family weekly from first inquiry to the first day. Leaders always know where families are coming from and where they are being lost.
Who leads the education work?
John Little, a former member of the Metro Nashville Board of Education and a co-founder of the Public Advocate Fellowship, leads recruitment, family engagement and training. Founder Rodriquez Wright II leads strategy, photography and film.
Do you photograph and film school events?
Yes. We cover graduations, recognition ceremonies, Match Day, homecoming, first days of school, campus tours and classroom life, and we produce recruitment films, student voice videos and short-form social content.
Do you train school staff?
Yes. We coach teams on recruitment best practices, family follow-up, enrollment tracking and communication standards so the work keeps going after our engagement ends.
Where do you work?
Nationwide. Leo Operations is headquartered in Nashville and works with schools in any state. Our organizers, trainers and photo and film crews travel to you.
Can you help us open a new school?
Yes. We recruit founding families, build your brand and website before you open, run community meetings and info sessions, rally support for charter hearings and capture your first day of school on photo and film.
How do we get started?
Email us about your school, your enrollment goals and your timeline. We start with a strategy session and follow up with a written proposal.
Let’s fill your seats.
Tell us about your school, your enrollment goals and your timeline. We will set up a strategy session and send a written proposal.
Schedule a strategy session →