American Leadership Academy, like other schools, i...

American Leadership Academy, like other schools, isn't perfect. I personally have found my experience here, (now a graduate), highly successful. As a whole, it's a decent school to go to for a great education. It seems to me that a lot of the students there haven't been on the best behavior as they could have been, but there are still dozens of great students that anyone can be friends with. The following tips are what I have discovered can help enjoy and help develop the great memories from this charter school:

1. The very first impression that a student gives on their teachers is what will create the teacher's viewpoint on the student for the whole year, or until they graduate. Since I was one to follow a majority of rules, I didn't really have a problem with any of my teachers. I wouldn't say that every teacher was perfect, for I personally felt like I was being attacked, even if it wasn't targeted at me at all. However, there is no need to worry, since I've only noticed this with at least 3-4 teachers from all the other teachers I had. There are many nice teachers at the school, and a lot of less nicer ones too.

2. Dress code is frowned upon on a majority of students, and even though I personally wasn't a huge fan of it, realizing now that I only had to be dressed in it for an average of 8 hours a day really isn't that bad. I do admit that some things in the dress code are a bit too extreme. For such, you can only wear 5 different shirt colors: red, blue, white, black, and tan. These shirts are not allowed to have any logos on them, even if the logo is small. Hoodies have to be in school colors and must have a school logo visible on it. (I believe on the front of the clothing.) I personally don't understand why we can't have certain colors or why the rules have to be that extreme.

There are many more bizarre things with the dress code, and many things about it I personally don't agree with, but it wasn't a horrible experience for me.
It just wasn't really fun at all.

3. Following their rules is key, even if one does not agree with the rules. This current last school year, they forced everyone to eat lunch inside the lunch room, and no one was allowed to leave until the bell rung for the next class. In the past, they had punished the students as a whole since dress code wasn't being followed, even the ones who were following the rules, by taking away what is called Spirit Day. That is a day when students can wear jeans and a t-shirt. Admin absolutely hates dealing with dress code.

4. Being involved in a Fine Art activity, or a sports activity, is a great way to make friends and to be involved with the school. For fine arts, which is what I did throughout my high school career, I recommend the dance program and the drama program. I had teachers for both, and both were fantastic. Of course, the student should feel free as to what they want to do.

Even though this school isn't perfect, and sometimes communication with teachers or administration can be a bit iffy at times, this school was ok. If you find the right friends, the right classes you're interested in, and the right way to deal with problems professionally, you should have a good experience. Unfortunately, administration and teachers haven't always been fair to students.