Leadership Academy - Is This Really a Good Program for Your Child?

BSO (Broward Sheriffs Office) officers are running Leadership Academy in Hallandale Florida. Most of who are ex military professionals. This program has been in effect since the 2002-3 school year. This program was implemented for our troubled youth in the hopes to rid them of their bad behavior, attitude, body language, and mouth at home as well as school. It is supposed to give them respect for self and others, pride for who they are, what they are, and of themselves, their family, and their country, courage, and make them responsible for their own actions, honor, commitment, loyalty, and integrity.

The school has gone through transformations already to rid the flaws that any new program has. Schools and parents alike are looking for this military style program for their kids. Hoping that it will help their kids, the parents apply to this school as well as schools referring the parents.

This school has many benefits and can help many students to get back on the right track.
*Structured academic program
*Comprehensive behavior modification
*Mandatory parental involvement

*Vigorous physical activities

*Home visits for parental backing

*Strict dress code-military fatigues

*Military haircut/style

*One teacher + two DI's in every class

*Ranks

*Ribbons

*Field Trips for good behavior

*Free uniforms all year

*Free school supplies all year

Do you really know what's going on with your child at school? Are you informed at all times? Has your child improved or have they reverted? Do you have problems with communications? Are the DI's and teacher's doing their jobs? Is your child treated fairly? Is he/she rewarded when good? Do other kids get away with bad behavior? Do the DI's give preferential treatment? Does this program really give you all that they say they do? During all the physical activities, are their academic studies suffering?

These are good questions and I intend to give you my review and others as well. This article will have more than one part.

I have not spoken with one teacher this whole school year. I have had a few meetings with the DI's with my complaints and concerns. I have not received any phone calls with concerns about my son's actions. I have only had two home visits the whole year. He has been rewarded with two ranks and a few outings to Heat games. He had improved greatly, however, in the last two-three weeks he has reverted.

It started a few days before FCAT, a DI told him that he was instigating and could not dress out for the rest of the month, which would lower his grade. Instigating what, he still doesn't know. The other two things happened at the beginning of FCAT testing. He was accused of pushing when he shouldn't have been, and in return was given a warning/probation. A second time by another DI was accused of talking, and in return was fired from his position of Platoon Leader, and given a referral. This all happened within a few days and two DI's during FCAT testing.

Now let me ask you something. They never talked to the kids to find out what happened (an investigation), just assumed that what part they did see was accurate, in either case. Is this right?

Now according to my son, they had a break during FCAT and a group of kids including my son eating snacks. Some of the kids started pushing other kids. He was not one that was pushing. A DI called the whole group over to him, and gave them all referrals and fired my son and another kid. Another instance he was hit with a piece of paper by another student and it landed on his desk. He swiped it off so he didn't get in trouble and accused of cheating. Another instance, which happened a few days before, he's not sure of what happened only that he was told he was on probation and couldn't dress out for a month, and over heard one DI talking to another saying that he was instigating something. Now the third instance, the same student that hit him with the paper was talking to him while my son's head was lying on the desk, facing away from the DI, and the DI said he was talking too. He tried to tell them what happened in both cases, but to no avail.
What happened to my child's rights of innocent until proven guilty? His DI's have always told me how great he is in school and wish all the kids were like him. Well, what happened to that?

The latest thing is that one of his DI's was going to offer him the consent form to go to a Heat game that following Saturday for a reward. That DI conferred with the other DI and that DI said he would but he didn't want to deal with me.

Well first of all, let's not get spiteful or make the child resent the parent. Second, all that did was tell the kid you can't be rewarded because your mom and me don't get along and I am being childish.

Some DI's are very good at their jobs and some are lacking to different degrees. In my last meeting with the DI's and the Sergeant, I was basically told that they don't have a rulebook and that if I don't like the way they do things to remove my child from the program. Also, they don't like to be questioned. The teacher's need to be more productive in communicating with the parents.

One of my biggest grievances is that all this was done during FCAT. The school board stresses to give our kids proper meals and plenty of sleep for testing to promote the best concentration and brain function. All testing is gathered for a national consensus. How are percentages gathered correctly if the students are harassed during testing, or fired from a position they loved or threaten to lower their grades so they have to deal with their parents and possibly get a tainted grade? This does not reflect well on those teachers. My son was so upset over this. He wanted to confront the DI for lying and treating him unfairly. I told him no, he can't do that, and that I would take care of it. That's why we had our last meeting, to find out what was going on since no one called me.

I do believe that this programs core is excellent and exciting. I am so pleased that someone finally came up with a program like this. However, it still has many flaws that need to be corrected. The standards on which we hold BSO officers-acting DI's, need to be reevaluated. A rulebook needs to be implemented to control the DI's. I agree that some forms of punishments are needed, and pertain to the various levels of behavior and actions by students. A kid doesn't go from being the best to threatened, fired, and a referral in a few days!