School of Rock was just named a finalist for the 2026 Employee Satisfaction Awards by Franchise Business Review. The awards recognize franchise companies with the highest employee satisfaction based on an independent survey of their employees.
Franchise Business Review (FBR), a market research firm that specializes in benchmarking satisfaction within the franchising sector, conducts surveys of corporate franchise employees, franchise supplier employees, and franchise owners’ employees across North America to determine their levels of engagement and job satisfaction.
FBR’s Employee Engagement research helps franchise companies understand how their organizational culture and engagement compare to other companies in the franchise sector and improve hiring and retention practices. Participants are asked questions related to job satisfaction, engagement, skills and experience, management, leadership, and culture. The aggregate results are released annually in FBR’s Franchising at WORK Report.
School of Rock President Stacey Ryan said, "This recognition doesn't happen by chance - it's the result of our team's hard work, heart, and commitment to each other every single day. I'm beyond grateful for every person who makes School of Rock feel like family, and this honor belongs to all of them."
"This recognition doesn't happen by chance - it's the result of our team's hard work, heart, and commitment to each other every single day."
Franchise companies that participated in Franchise Business Review’s Employee Engagement research were eligible for the Employee Satisfaction Awards. FBR analyzed data from over 9,500 corporate and unit-level employees to identify the finalists.
"Great talent has never been harder to find or more valuable to keep," said Michelle Rowan, president of Franchise Business Review. "The FBR Employee Satisfaction Award winners aren't just retaining people, they're building cultures where employees want to show up, support each other, and help drive the business forward. That's what sets these franchisors and suppliers apart, and it's exactly what we set out to recognize.”
Winners will be announced live on September 11, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
About School of Rock
School of Rock helps aspiring musicians master skills, unleash creativity, and develop the tools they need to thrive in life. Founded as a single school in Philadelphia, PA., in 1998, School of Rock has become a rapidly growing international franchise with over 650 schools open or in development across 23 global markets and has grown its student count from 4,000 in 2009 to over 80,000 today. School of Rock offers a wide variety of music lessons, including guitar, singing, and piano. The company also sells musical instruments and music gear through its GearSelect program.
School of Rock was awarded US Patent 10,891,872 in 2021 for its innovative music education method. School of Rock is a proud supporter of Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock), the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS), and the Play Without Limits Project, a Youth Enrichment Brands initiative that provides youth activity scholarships to kids in need.
School of Rock also has garnered the following industry awards in recent years: 2026 Global Franchise Grand Champion; 2026 Regional Champion – U.S.A. by Global Franchise Awards; 2026 and 2025 Best Children's Service & Education Franchise by Global Franchise Awards; seven consecutive years as Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Top Children's Music Enrichment Brand and ranked #1 in the Children's Enrichment Category in 2025 and 2026; International Franchise Association's 2025 and 2024 Franchisee of the Year Awards; 2025 Franchise Business Review Top Franchise; 2024 Franchise Business Review Most Innovative Franchise; 2024 Top Recession-Proof Franchise by Franchise Business Review; 2024 Culture100 List by Franchise Business Review; 2024 Silver Award for Employee Satisfaction by Franchising@Work; 2024 Award Finalist by Franchising@Work; and 2021 Franchise Innovation Award for Most Innovative Use of Customer-Facing Digital Tools.
About Franchise Business Review
Franchise Business Review is a leading independent market research firm that provides franchise organizations with benchmarking research and best practices to improve franchisee and employee satisfaction and engagement. Since 2005, FBR has been trusted by more than 1,300 top-performing franchise companies to equip them with the people-centric data, insights, and tools they need for long-term growth and success in the franchise industry. Learn more about how FBR helps franchise companies at GoFBR.com.