American Leadership Academy High School FAQs
Does ALA participate in sports?
Yes! American Leadership Academy High School participates in the Charter Athletic Association and competes in several sports throughout the year. Participation in any given sport is based on student demand. Essentially, we will compete in any sport our student population desires as long as there are enough students to create a competitive team and sufficient community support to fund the costs associated with the team. We invite parents and community members with coaching skills to participate with us as we seek to build our athletic program here at ALA.
Why are you located in a strip mall?
Albert Einstein once said, “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” It is a simple phrase, but it actually quite accurate. In the language of the 7 Habits, we would say “ put first things first.” At American Leadership Academy, the main thing for us is developing leaders through education and service. We believe that the interaction between student and instructor is fundamental to education and learning. Our small facilities allow us to maintain very low student-to-teacher ratios and ensure that each student gets the attention they deserve. Our teachers know almost every student on campus personally. This helps miti gate disciplinary problems, increase student accountability, allow for teachers to cater to each child’s needs, and facilitate a mentor relationship between teacher and pupil.
American Leadership Academy does have plans to construct a new, larger facility in the near future. We are working diligently to secure the funding necessary for such a venture and have made significant progress. Until our new facilities are secured, however, we are enjoying the small, personal atmosphere our current facilities provide. We overcome any limitations our site has by extending the classroom to the world around us through trips and excursions. This year our students enjoyed a trip to the Grand Canyon and will be taking a trip at the end of the year to New England. We are currently planning many more exciting trips for the coming school year and look forward to the learning that will take place on those events.
Do you offer electives at your school?
We do offer electives at ALA. We are fortunate to have a very skilled and flexible staff with a variety of interests. This allows us to provide a wide array of electives from film studies to social dance. We also offer choir, drama, weight training, spanish, and many more. Our elective offerings change each year according to the needs and desires of our student body.
Do you have a performing arts program?
Yes, we do have a performing arts program. We currently offer choir, dance, and drama. We are working to expand our performing arts program and will be adding additional courses in the coming school year. We will also be forming more specialized courses and teams including a concert choir, a ballroom dance team, and a swing dance team. We invite parents and community organizations to partner with us as we seek to build our performing arts program.
Why do you have a dress code?
We want school to be about learning, not clothing. By enforcing a strict dress-code we enable students to focus on academics, not style. We have all heard the directive, “dress for success.” At American Leadership Academy, we take it to heart.
Doesn’t a dress code eliminate creativity?
Students are given creative license to improve upon our dress code. We have seen this happen through student-led movements such as “tie-Tuesday” and “suit-Wednesday.” At ALA our dress code serves as a “minimum standard.” If students want to demonstrate creativity by exceeding the standards set by our dress code, we invite them to do so. All clothing must continue to match school modesty guidelines and may not detract from the learning environment.