There’s a moment, often early in a family’s journey with us, when a parent pulls me aside and
says something like, “My child is so capable—but traditional schools just didn’t know what to do
with them.” That moment sticks with me every time. Because at Franklin Academy, we know
that neurodivergent students don’t need less—they need more. More understanding. More
individualized insight. More strategic support. More belief in who they are and who they are
becoming.
And that’s why we made the shift to a Dual Advising Model.
This model wasn’t built in a boardroom. It came from years of sitting with students, listening to
families, and noticing patterns. We saw that the needs of our students—especially post-
pandemic—were evolving faster than most schools were ready to respond to. Students were
coming to us with incredible strengths in some areas, and significant, often hidden, gaps in
others. Executive functioning, social learning, academic stamina—these were not deficits in
motivation; they were areas that had been underdeveloped, in large part due to the fractured
nature of learning and life in recent years.
We knew a traditional advisory model—a single generalist trying to support every facet of a
student’s experience—was no longer enough. It was time to rethink what real support looks like.
So we asked ourselves: What if every student had two champions—one focused on academic
development and one focused on daily living, social integration, and emotional growth? What if
instead of stretching one person too thin, we could build a dyad of support, each half tuned into
a specific, essential part of a student’s life? That’s how the Dual Advising Model was born.
On the academic side, students work with Academic Advisors—educators who specialize in
learning strategies, executive functioning, reading, writing, and conceptual thinking. They help
students design academic plans that don’t just meet requirements, but actually reflect who they
are. They focus on mastery, not just compliance. They work side-by-side with teachers and
families to help students advocate for themselves, understand how they learn best, and feel
empowered in the classroom.
Meanwhile, Student Life Advisors are guiding students through the complex terrain of social
life, independence, and emotional wellbeing. They are the steady hand helping a student build a
morning routine, navigate a tough peer dynamic, or learn to balance digital tools with real-world
connections. These advisors bring structure and warmth to the residential experience—helping
students feel grounded, seen, and part of a community.
Together, these two advisors form the foundation of a student’s support network. They’re not
just advisors—they’re listeners, strategists, partners, and advocates. And unlike models in other
schools, this isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s the core of how we do what we do.
I’m proud of this model not because it’s novel, but because it’s necessary. At a time when many
schools are struggling to meet students where they are, Franklin Academy is doubling down on
individualized, relationship-based, holistic support. And we’re seeing the difference—in student
confidence, in family engagement, and in the way our students begin to understand their own
potential.
This isn’t just innovation for innovation’s sake. It’s a call to action: that this generation of
neurodivergent students deserves better. They deserve to be known deeply, challenged
appropriately, and supported consistently.
No one else is doing what we’re doing—not quite like this. And for our students, that makes all
the difference.
