How Right Steps Academy Is Shaping Early Learning

In business, some ideas start big. Others start steadily. Right Steps Academy in Fort Myers falls into the second category. It opened in September 2023. But the thinking behind it has been developing for more than 15 years.

What looks like a new preschool is actually the next phase of a long career in early childhood education.

“We didn’t invent something new,” the founders say. “We refined something that works.”

How a 15-year career led to a new school

Before Fort Myers, the founders spent over a decade building and operating successful preschools in South Florida. Their sister school, Davie Academy, became the testing ground for systems, curriculum, and leadership structure.

One founder built experience inside the classroom. The other focused on operations and management.

“Early education is about more than lesson plans,” they explain. “It’s about structure, staffing, and consistency.”

Over time, they adjusted teaching models. They improved communication with families. They refined how classrooms were organized.

“It took years to get the balance right,” they say. “You learn what works by doing the work.”

Why they chose to expand to Fort Myers

By 2023, Fort Myers was growing quickly. More families were moving into the area. Demand for private preschool programs was increasing.

The founders saw both opportunity and responsibility. “Growth can lower standards if you’re not careful,” they say. “We wanted to bring something stable.”

Right Steps Academy opened its doors in September 2023 with a clear focus, small class sizes, structured academics, and a nurturing environment.

The name reflects the philosophy. “Early education sets the direction,” they explain. “If children take the right steps early, everything builds from there.”

What is their approach to early childhood education?

Right Steps Academy serves toddlers through elementary-level students. The model blends play-based learning with early literacy and numeracy instruction.

But it is not casual. “We believe in learning through discovery,” they say. “But we also believe in measurable progress.”

Low student-to-teacher ratios are intentional. Social-emotional development is treated as seriously as reading and math.

“Kindergarten readiness is not just academics,” they explain. “It’s confidence. It’s independence. It’s learning how to function in a group.”

The structure behind the classroom matters as much as what happens inside it.

How leadership experience shapes the school

Daily operations are led by Director Cindy Goldberg, who brings more than 30 years of experience in childcare and early education.

That level of experience influences everything from classroom routines to safety standards. “You need leadership that has seen different cycles,” the founders say. “Experience helps you avoid mistakes.”

The academy holds accreditations from APPLE, FACCM, and AISF. It also accepts Step Up For Students scholarships.

But systems, not labels, drive results. “Accreditation matters,” they say. “But daily consistency matters more.”

Why they’re expanding to elementary grades in 2026

The next chapter is already planned. Beginning in Fall 2026, Right Steps Academy will expand to include full Kindergarten through 5th-grade programs.

The idea came from parents. “Families kept asking what comes next,” they say. “They didn’t want to restart somewhere new.”

Continuity became part of the long-term strategy. “When trust is built early, families want stability,” they explain. The expansion is controlled. It is not rapid scaling. “We grow when the structure can support it,” they say. “Not before.”

Lessons from building schools over time

Fifteen years in early childhood education teaches patience. The founders have seen trends come and go. They have watched teaching styles shift. They have adjusted without losing structure.

“You can’t chase every new idea,” they say. “Consistency builds reputation.” They also learned that communication matters as much as curriculum. “Parents want transparency,” they explain. “They want to feel included.”

Families often mention caring teachers, clean classrooms, and open communication. Those details are not accidental. “Culture doesn’t happen by chance,” they say. “It’s built deliberately.”

What success means in early education

In early education, new schools open every year. Few arrive with a long track record. Right Steps Academy opened in Fort Myers in 2023, with an elementary expansion planned for 2026.

But the thinking behind the school did not begin in 2023. The founders entered this market with more than 15 years of industry experience. That background shapes how they define progress.

“For us, growth isn’t the headline,” they explain. “The real question is whether students are truly ready for what comes next.”

Ready to read with confidence. Ready to solve problems. Ready to work with others.

They focus less on speed and more on stability. In early education, momentum can be tempting. New programs. Rapid enrollment. Bigger facilities. But they take a measured approach.

“You build carefully,” they say. “If the foundation is strong, everything else holds.” That mindset influences every decision, from staffing to classroom size to long-term planning.

In a field where reputation travels quickly and trust is earned slowly, patience becomes part of the business model.

The strategy is simple but disciplined, strengthen the core, refine the process, expand with purpose.

Experience, not urgency, drives the timeline.