Our Mission

We guide learners to
become leaders by:

1

Empowering families to grow and grow together

2

Creating and protecting a learner-driven environment...

because everyone deserves to find their calling and change the world

Acton Leadership Academy is a perfect fit for:

  • Parents who value a “whole-child” educational approach
  • Parents who are willing to up-level family culture to cultivate a leadership mindset
  • Parents who view learning with patience as a “long-game,” not by checkmarks and arbitrary grade levels.
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Creators and creatives
  • Out-of-the box thinkers
  • Families who practice hard work
  • Those who value growth as a lifestyle
  • Parents who are willing to challenge “modern” parenting trends to empower their child with hard work and leadership.
  • Parents who want their children to develop a love of learning

Our promises to your child

They will:

  • Begin a Hero’s Journey
  • Learn to be a curious, independent, lifelong learner.
  • Develop a deep respect for economic, political and religious freedom.
  • Cherish the arts, wonders of the physical world and the mysteries of life on Earth.
  • Discover his or her most precious gifts and learn to use them to solve difficult problems.

Our beliefs

Our Guiding Beliefs:

  • We believe each person has a gift that can change the world in a profound way.
  • We believe in learning to learn, learning to do and learning to be
  • Our school is a closely connected family of lifelong learners.
  • We believe that the American Experiment, with all its faults, is the best hope on earth for protecting human liberty

Frequently Asked Questions

May I visit campus or get a tour?

In order to protect the learning environment of our Eagles, we occasionally open our Studios for parent informational sessions. Parents who wish to learn about Acton can begin their journey by starting an application as it walks you through our learning methods and suggests resources for curious parents. You may also connect with our school administrator to have specific questions answered.

What grades do you offer?

We serve kindergarten through high school.

How long is Acton Leadership Academy in session each year and what is the school calendar?

We operate on a ten month calendar, but our flexible program allows families to travel together during the year, without sacrificing any learning.

Find our school calendar below. You can click on it to download the PDF version.

What is your tuition?

The annual tuition is $9,500 payable in ten monthly installments, with an annual enrollment fee of $500. Sibling discounts apply. Tuition may be adjusted for inflation annually.

Is Acton Leadership Academy a Montessori school?

We respect and incorporate Maria Montessori's philosophy but, we are not a Montessori school. We also use the latest interactive technologies, hands on projects and the Socratic Method for discussions.

Is Acton a religious school?

While we expose children to the importance of mindful spirituality and stress the historical importance of Christianity to the development of Western Civilization, we do not promote any one religion.

Who was Lord Acton?

Lord John Emerich Edward Dahlberg Acton (1834-1902) was a Victorian scholar of Freedom who saw liberty not as a license, but as the freedom to do what was right. He was suspicious of power for the sake of power, which led to his most famous quote: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." At the Acton Academy, we celebrate his defense of economic, political and religious freedom.

What do you mean by “a hero’s journey”?

We believe that each of us has a special calling in life, and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose, in order to live a satisfying and fulfilled life. Our mission is to prepare your child for his or her special journey.

What is an “independent learner”?

Someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems—admit that they don't know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help — participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.

Does Acton Leadership Academy serve special needs children?

We are not trained to serve children with serious learning disabilities but have been able to serve young heroes with dyslexia if they receive special training and believe that many minor learning disabilities are commonly misdiagnosed.

What do you mean by “every child can change the world?”

We believe each of our students will find a passion — something they love and have a gift to do. They will use this gift to serve others and fulfill a need they are passionate about in the world. This may be by becoming a shoe-shiner who tells stories and makes people's day just by doing his job with love and vigor; it may be by becoming a coach who sees the light in a child’s eyes and guides her to pursue a dream; it may be by becoming a father or mother who leads a family on a Hero's Journey; it may be becoming an entrepreneur or business leader guided by compassion and integrity; or it may be by becoming an artist or writer who brings beauty to people's lives.

Why do you focus on teaching the "American Experiment"?

We believe in liberty and justice and the ideals of the American revolution as the cornerstones of civilization. In addition to experiential learning, we will study the American documents and the true meaning behind them, as we examine other cultures and forms of government.

What is a “running partner”?

Running Partners are classmates who meet together regularly to set goals and hold each other accountable for meeting those goals. Running Partners encourage and inspire each other by asking good questions, listening and providing affirmation.

Will children be grouped together by grades?

We believe that children learn best when working with children younger and older than themselves rather than split up into groups based solely on age. In addition to individualized curriculum, all ages of students work together in groups.

What is a “learner driven classroom”?

At Acton Leadership Academy, the students run the studio (classroom) by agreeing together what their rules are for behavior and treatment of one another. These are called their “Studio Covenants” and “Rules of Engagement”. In the elementary studio especially, they are provided with appropriate guidance throughout this process. These rules and covenants are prominently displayed in the studio and revisited. Often, these are revised by the students as they work through challenges and discover better ways of interacting with one another.

Students also budget their time and choose their areas of focus for the day and adjust these based on their performance. We believe strongly that students achieve more when they have control of their learning.

Why a learner driven classroom?

At ALA we believe in learning to be and learning to do! An important part of this is encouraging kids to take responsibility for their own behavior and hold those around them to a high standard. When something isn’t working, we want our students to work together to solve the problem, not look for an adult to solve it for them. This creates a sense of independence and confidence that will serve them well in all areas of life.

Is Acton Leadership Academy accredited?

Yes the school is accredited through the International Association of Learner Driven Schools.

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