ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Teachers are now getting termination letters—weeks after their classrooms shut down for good. Legends Academy Charter School closed without warning, leaving educators without jobs, PTO, or severance.
Some of those teachers are starting a new business to keep teaching the students who were displaced.
Courtney Williams is still searching for work after Legends Academy closed its doors, leaving her and about 20 other teachers unemployed with no severance and no PTO payout.
[WATCH: Legends Academy Charter School closes after more than two decades]
“I myself have been trying to pick up as many tutoring opportunities as possible, working from home, but it’s also just been difficult for me because I have lupus,” said Williams, a former Legends Academy teacher. “Honestly, the stress of everything put me into a pretty bad flare.”
Williams says she received her termination letter Friday, confirming her employment ended Dec. 31 — just days after her final paycheck.
She adds that during winter break, teachers couldn’t even file for unemployment, and finding a new job mid–school year has been an uphill battle.
“It’s the middle of the school year, so it’s not necessarily prime time for hiring teachers,” Williams said. “There are some teachers who were able to get placed into a new school, but it’s difficult. There aren’t a lot of jobs posted.”
Now, Williams and other former teachers are turning that setback into purpose by launching a new tutoring and mentoring business called WillPower Education.
“We really need to find a place that feels safe and welcoming,” Williams said. “We also need to work on getting startup funds for the business so we can provide teachers with stipends to buy materials for students and find spaces to house our new adventure.”
[WATCH: Parents at Legends Academy Charter School work to figure out next steps]
Williams hopes the business will help teachers find work and provide tutoring for children, including the more than 200 students displaced after Legends Academy closed.
“They want the kids to know that we’re still here for them and that we’re going to do what we can to support them,” she said.
Williams has started a GoFundMe to help get the business off the ground and hopes to open soon and get back to work.
To learn more about the company and GoFundMe click here.