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NOVEMBER 2005

On Location Education:
School Without Walls

by Gillian Granoff

In the late 1980s, Alan Simon, a Brooklyn native and aspiring actor was making a living   as a per diem substitute teacher. Though the salary was stable, he felt dissatisfied. “I always felt like one of the kids,” he says. Simon had always harbored the dream of becoming an actor.  Although he never formally studied acting, his theatrical nature drew him to the field. His parents’ belief in the value of education influenced Alan to pursue formal studies in college where he majored in English with a minor in Education.

In 1980 he was hired by the musical Frankenstein to work as a tutor on set. He never anticipated that this temporary assignment would evolve into a career.

A year and half later he was approached by a colleague who suggested the idea of a starting a tutoring service for young actors.

Simon’s discouragement was soon dispelled two years later in the fall of 1982 when he was hired simultaneously by the production company of Easy Money to tutor kids on set and on the production of Almost an Eagle. He then tutored child actors on both the Cosby Show and Kate and Ally. The business expanded when the show Les Miserables requested that he hire teachers in the local cities on tour. The once simple project, now called On Location Education, has expanded and built its credibility within both the education and entertainment industries.

Simon insists that the relationship with the home school is an essential barometer for the child’s progress. Some teachers provide syllabi and On Location keeps a portfolio of the student’s progress for review by teachers in his home school.

In 1995, Simon’s business faced an obstacle with schools that were forcing children to make a choice between formal enrollment in school or pursuing their acting. Simon conceived of The School for Young Performers in response to this need. He developed a new component of the business that allowed students to earn academic credit while working on set. The school, with an accredited New York State K-12 curriculum has been coined “A School Without Walls” providing teachers on site that easily accommodate a schedule of working actors traveling with a production.

The School for Young Performers currently enrolls 60 students, including kids of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Ringling Brothers hires the teachers and On Location Education provides head hunters for teachers and oversees student progress, as well as providing exclusive on-set enrollment.

Teacher recruitment is a major component of the business. When selecting teachers, Simon looks for candidates who have a sense of humor and flexibility. The school recruits college graduates who are considering a fulltime teaching career as well as retired teachers who enjoy a flexible schedule and the travel it provides. Simon describes  ideal candidates as “mavericks,” people who like the life on the road.

It is not at all uncommon, Simon states for parents looking for an alternative to home schooling to enroll their child in the School for Young Performers as well as hiring On Location Education to provide additional tutoring.

Alan Simon who once dreamed of being on stage himself struck the ideal balance between work that integrates his two passions. Both components, On Location Education and The School for Young Performers combines his belief in education with his dedication and love for the field of entertainment. He sees himself as advocate on behalf of the child. In addition to lobbying on behalf of child labor laws, and procuring work permits for his clients, he has worked in New York for a bill to set aside accounts for children in the industry. He stays informed within the industry and is the Co-Chair of the Screen Actors Guild Young Performers Committee. He is also active in Actors Equity, American Federation of Teachers, and educates both parents and children through seminars on college campuses on how to integrate education with a career.

The proof of Simon’s success lies in the work of its graduates, and its list of clientele among whom are Natalie Portman, and members of The Sopranos, and The Lion King. For young child actors, athletes and others who struggle with the decision to pursue a career in entertainment, Simon helps them to balance career with study. On Location Education and the School for Young Performers offers them the chance to nurture their talents while keeping their options open.#

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