Community Leadership Academy - Tallahassee, Florida

abbie G.

Community Leadership Academy has a true spirit of community. The faculty and staff work well together behind a common vision of "raising the next generation of godly leaders." I love how the teachers and staff work to build relationships with the students and families! CLA is truly an extension of family!

Daniel M.

My family and I have been part of CLA for 8 years. If you're reading this then you are probably searching for a place where your kids can grow in their love for God and get quality education.

We looked at many different school models and found beautiful people and abounding positives in many of them. And, as with any organization, we found shortcomings within systems and humans. Thank God for grace!

Ultimately, it was the vision of CLA and the hearts of the founders, Peter and Kensy Boulware, that helped us make the decision to give CLA a chance. We have not been disappointed. The school is proactively living out its vision to raise up the next generation of godly leaders. Each year we reassess what our children need and what the benefits are of being at CLA. Each year we have continued to choose CLA. Now we have 3 children who attend and are excited to be part of the community and love learning.

It has been a great community to participate in and build relationships over the years. It is a great opportunity as a follower of Christ to interact and learn from other Christians who are not part of your church. This builds unity in the kingdom of God.

The teachers are engaged, prayerful, and spiritually attuned, to teach minds and hearts. There is very little turnover in teachers but sometimes people just aren't a good fit and the admin staff is vigilant to uphold the standards, spiritually and educationally.

Over the last 5 years I have been participating in community not only as a parent but also as a teacher. As such I will briefly address other reviews.

Mrs. Holmes review is simply inaccurate and yet completely true from her perspective I am sure. She rarely spoke in staff meetings and struggled to connect with students and parents. The idea that racism has a foothold at CLA is laughable. In fact the opposite is true. CLA is a safe place for expression and exploration of culture and ethnic differences, which is why there is a spectrum of race and culture drawn to it. We are humans not colors. Our family of origin and preferences will not be the limiting factors of our relationships. God's Kingdom is bigger than that.

The other review mentioning testing is simply a person who seems to be unfamiliar with how small private schools work. Testing is an assessment of how your child will fit into the programs offered by the school. Small schools are simply not able to diversify in a broad educational spectrum of abilities. Not doing this due diligence would simply be irresponsible.

I am thankful for this community, in all of its areas of excellence and limitations. I am available to anyone who is interested in talking about CLA an honest conversation.

Parents, it's your responsibility to raise your children and equip them. Find a school that will partner in that with you and not only train your children but help you be a better parent. Grace and peace to you!

Nicole W.

CLA is the real deal in Christian education! We moved our oldest to CLA in 2nd grade. We really weren't having any problems at her current school, but we felt like there was something more, something better out there. We've watched for 6 years as that now 7th grader has grown by leaps and bounds academically and spiritually. Since that time, our son has joined his big sister at CLA, and now I'm on staff teaching middle and high school math. I left teaching for what I thought was for good in 2014, but I just couldn't say no to the opportunity work with and innovate with some of the most devoted people I know. What a blessing to go to school and work every day with an administration that supports you, prays for you and your family, wants the best for every student, and truly seeks God's will in every decision that is made!

Alyssa E.

As a former student at Community Leadership Academy, I definitely recommend it! Yes, the students gossip and lie, but look at any other Christian school, and they would do the same. No one is perfect, we all sin, no matter what kind of school you go to! CLA is a great place to continue learning everyday skills, but also engage with your classmates and teachers in in-depth studies of the bible. I thoroughly enjoyed the chance I had to engage and spend time with people who were passionate about the bible like I am! The teachers were kind and compassionate, and were great about working with the student 1 on 1. CLA was one of the best things to happen to me and I can't imagine my life without it! Thank you, CLA for helping me be who I am today!

Genesis Y.

Community Leadership Academy is the best thing that ever happened to me. Before CLA, I went to both charter and public schools. I was miserable and depressed during my years at these schools, my grades were suffering, and I was bullied relentlessly. When I transferred to CLA, my life and attitude improved drastically, and I wasn't scared or upset to go to school anymore.
I have been going to CLA for almost four-and-a-half years now. I am now part of the first 9th grade class there. CLA is an amazing school for many reasons:
1. The small classes allow for more one-on-one time with teachers and help students build closer relationships with their peers.
2. CLA's Bible classes teach students what the word of God says and means and how to apply it to our lives. In 8th grade we learn how to look at the world from a biblical perspective and how to defend our faith.
3. In high school, we go on shadowing opportunities to learn about career opportunities. We also visit college campuses, do PSAT practice, and use MyCareerShines to find out what job clusters appeal to our strengths.
4. If there is a kid being bullied or teased, the administration jumps in to deal with it instead of sitting back and doing nothing.
5. CLA welcomes students to form their own opinions about the world based on family views or individual morals.
6. CLA is focused on providing the best high school experience they can and giving us all the resources, we need to get into a good college.
7. CLA is very graceful when it comes to kids making mistakes because they know that we are trying to figure out who we are, and they want to help us with that in any way they can. Students may gossip or lie, but that happens at every school. We are not perfect, and we shouldn’t be expected to be.
8. CLA accepts Step Up for Students scholarships to help pay tuition.
9. CLA has a very welcoming environment. I joined half way through my 5th grade year and was amazed by how nice and accepting everyone was.
I could go on and on about how wonderful CLA is for hours. CLA's goal is to raise the next generation of godly leaders and I believe they are doing a wonderful job of that. CLA has helped me and my family through some rough times and I consider myself lucky to go to a school that cares so much about me. I have grown a lot in my relationship with God in the few years I have been at CLA and I have learned a lot speaking in academic terms.
I don’t know where I would be without Community Leadership Academy and I thank God every day for the opportunity to go to such an incredible school.

Sandy H.

Community Leadership Academy has been such a blessing to our family and our daughter. It is Christ centered, academically rigorous, and also grace filled. I love the staff and families at CLA!

Raewyn S.

I am in 7th grade and I LOVE CLA!!! I went to a different school for a semester in 2nd grade and it really showed. I was depressed, not just my family noticed, even my church could tell that I was down in the dumps. The day I returned, my mom said that she had her Rqaewyn back. I was happy and full of energy and life! I have never even considered leaving CLA since then. The other school made me grateful for teachers who care.
It is not just the teachers though, the students are amazing. They put effort into their studies and work together. They are well behaved and accepting. We recently have had a girl join our class and she is good friends with a lot of the girls already. I love my class and feel accepted and like my friends care about me and are genuine. We have fun together and laugh a lot.
I also enjoy the small class rooms. Every time I am struggling with a concept, the teacher goes to great lengths to make sure I fully understand. Small classrooms are also less prone to exclusive groups. We are all friends in my class!
The Bible class is engaging and interesting. We talk about different worldviews and tackle the tough stuff. We can ask any question we want and have debates on our questions based on verses from the Bible.They give us reasons why Christianity is real and how to better ourselves as Christians. I do not know where people got arrogant from! One of our core values is humility and we talk about how important it is to be humble. We also dive into what the Bible says and how to interpret it. They encourage us to read our Bibles and to set spiritual goals. Now I read the Bible and pray more often.
I love CLA and have absolutely no complaints. It gets better and better each year and in the Summer I find myself missing this school. I have never been happier or closer to God in my life. If you are thinking of sending your child to a private, Christian school, I recommend CLA. We love new people!

Rae L.

When I drop my son off at CLA I know he will be challenged in academics. However, his spiritual and moral development are just as important. The teachers care for the whole child at CLA and aid us, as parents, in raising a Godly leader.