It’s no secret that we love road trips, but it so happens that every once in a while, we go on a gorgeous road trip that knocks our socks off. I’m sure you’ve read this line umpteen times in our posts over the past couple of years. “Not just one path.“Hey Guys! We just finished a road trip in Country X and it was the best drive of our travels so far” “There are so many options out there,” Ferry said. They hope to bring their insiders’ insight to at-risk and economically disadvantaged students, to middle-schoolers wanting to plan ahead to high school, to college-age students planning a future and to students seeking skills to enter the workforce. The demand now is mostly for ACT preparation, but there are other areas in which they’d like to expand. Neither Jasper nor Ferry lack energy or vision. Jasper, a blogger who was at one time a vocal critic of the school system, is now determined to be a part of the solution. Ferry describes the co-founders’ relationship as “synergistic.” “Annmarie is like the big sister,” Jasper said. They met as first-year teachers in Estero and have been friends and collaborators since. She is now an instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University and is pursuing a doctorate in education.įerry taught English, Intensive Reading and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness curriculum) before becoming an ESE (Exceptional Student Education) case manager, AVID coordinator, lead teacher and Lee County School District English and Language Arts coach. She then became a curriculum specialist and then an assistant principal at Estero High School. Jasper began teaching biology, reading and English. Jasper and Ferry have extensive experience in the Lee County school system, which they left to begin the company. If they do well, they’ll keep their grade point averages from dropping when they reach more advanced courses. Too many kids squander the freshman year in high school, when they should be plugging to earn top grades in the fairly easy classes. The difference is what leads up to that year. “Senior year can be fun and fantastic or it can be miserable,” Ferry said. They also want students to feel confident and empowered and enjoy the journey. Knowing what those nuances are and how to handle them are a major advantage the women say they can give students. On some, it’s best to concentrate where the most points are. Each test is produced by a different company and has its own nuances, whether it is the ACT, SAT or a newer test such as the GKT, now required for admission to a university college of education, or the FSAs, or Florida Standards Assessment tests. Jasper and Ferry believe all students need – and don’t know they need – focused test-taking strategies. Students learn differently and may be motivated by different tactics.

“These are the kids who have to get 100 percent on everything.” So to keep them engaged, she may challenge two of them with a quiz or question to see who has the right answer first and wins a Starbucks gift card. “Some clients are really competitive,” Jasper added. Individual, 1 ½-hour sessions with either Kathleen Jasper or Ferry also can be scheduled. Homework and daily contact, usually through text, are included in the fee. It’s led by the cofounders and also Jasper’s husband, Jeremy Jasper, who is a teacher as well. Edge currently offers an eight-week ACT prep course that is individualized and meets together for three hours each Saturday. “Some are super-social.” They may do best in a group. “Every student is different,” Jasper said. From their offices on Chevrolet Way, Jasper and Ferry begin assessing the situation on the way to forming a unique plan for each student, one that will continue to take shape as they meet and interact. When a caller reaches the dispatchers – Edge Academic Solutions cofounders and teachers Kathleen Jasper and Annmarie Ferry, Esteroans with a business in Estero – the triage begins. Parents and students both are worried about state standards tests, college entrance tests, sometimes even individual courses. They are parents wondering what to do about their highschool age children who are smart but something about high school education and test-taking is tripping them up. Although callers aren’t reporting serious medical conditions, their ills are making them very anxious. Kathleen Jasper, Jeremy Jasper and Annmarie Ferry coaching students for the ACT at Edge Academic Solutions.There’s a new type of emergency phone call being placed in Lee County.

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