Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Goldsmith.
Hi Elizabeth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
In 2018, I was struggling to find the right educational fit for my child with autism and began to ask myself, if I could take him anywhere in the world where he could be empowered to truly reach his full potential, where would that be? What would that look like? That led me to Els for Autism in Florida.
What stood out to me was they had created an autism-focused charter school accessible to all children with autism, regardless of financial standing. It combined Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, the gold standard treatment for autism, into an academic setting. They had low teacher-to-student ratios, depending on the needs of each child, and staff that was highly trained in working with children with autism. It became my inspiration to bring this model to our community for our children.
I toured this groundbreaking facility and began assembling an amazing team of people to help make this happen. During public meetings, we met with families desperate to find a school that would meet their children’s educational needs while giving them access to ABA therapy and other therapies needed for their children to thrive. Currently, in Texas, schools serving neurodiverse learners operate as private schools and are very expensive. We wanted to create equitable access for all children with autism by providing a new option in the form of a public charter school that would provide high-quality education tailored to meet the specific needs of students with autism.
Therefore, we formed our non-profit organization, Thrive With Autism, and submitted our charter application to the Texas Education Agency. Thrive was awarded a charter contract in November 2021, becoming the first independent autism-focused charter to be approved in Texas. Thrive Center for Success opened its doors in 2022 serving 85 students in a leased space. Thrive moved to our permanent location in Magnolia, TX, in 2023. Thrive currently serves 120 students in kindergarten through 6th grade, with a waitlist of over 250 students, demonstrating the immense need for a school like this in our community. Thrive was also approved to open a second campus in Houston.
“Our son struggled in so many ways in the traditional public school setting. Thrive has been the biggest blessing for our family. This is a treasure for the community, and I am so thankful we are a part of this history-making school.” – Parent.
“Thrive With Autism has been a godsend for all of us who’ve had an opportunity to send our children to the school. Thank for the opportunity for our child.” – Parent
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has taken a lot of hard work to get to where we are today. The charter application process was very tedious and required dedication to finding a way to demonstrate how this type of school could work. It took us two years of planning, including the application period, to get the approval of our charter. We had another year to plan before the official opening of our school.
Thrive opened our doors in 2022 in a leased space that we had to move in and out of every weekend. It made it extremely difficult to tailor our classrooms to meet the specific needs of our students. We became determined to acquire our permanent facility and moved into our new home for our second year of operation. We are now able to tailor our facility to meet our student’s needs and have plenty of room to grow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am the Founder/Executive Director of Thrive Center for Success and also a parent of an 11-year-old child with autism. It has been rewarding to see our vision for an autism-focused charter school come to fruition. Our staff work hard every day to serve and grow our students. It is always exciting to hear when a student meets a new milestone, such as learning to talk or read. I also love to watch all of the social skills and friendships develop. I am amazed by all the support we have received from our community and look forward to continuing to serve our students and families.
Thrive Center for Success currently offers grades Kindergarten through 6th grade, with plans to add a grade level each year up to 12th grade. Thrive has also been approved to open a second campus in Houston.
How do you think about luck?
It is exciting to see all the progress we have made over the last few years. We formed our nonprofit organization in 2019, were awarded our charter in 2021, opened our school in 2022, then acquired our permanent facility in 2023. It has taken a lot of people and the support of our community to get to where we are today. I attribute our accomplishments to the hard work and dedication of a great team of people working together to create something special for our students that will positively impact so many lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thrivesuccess.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/ThriveCenterForSuccess/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/CxJsWN1bXdE
Image Credits
Daily Pro Media
Noelle Mills Photography
