Acton Academy is challenging – not only for learners but for parents as well.
It requires a true commitment to student-led learning from EVERYONE involved.
But what happens when Acton isn’t the right fit anymore?
Here are the experiences of two Acton learners who chose to leave.
Charlie
As documented in his mother’s book Courage to Grow, at the end of his middle school experience, Charlie Sandefer found himself unhappy at Acton.
He had spent the past several years being one of the founding Eagles at the original Austin Acton Academy. Where he had once felt energized and excited by the Acton experience, he found himself laboring through each day.
In a brave and difficult decision, Charlie left Acton Academy to experience a traditional school.
An excerpt from Courage to Grow describes his experience:
In the months Charlie had been gone, he’d lost his love of reading…he’d become
worried about points on quizzes – like knowing the year Shakespeare was born.
He became stressed about missing days of school, as it now affected his grade point average (versus Acton’s flexibility to accommodate missed days, so learners can pursue their passions). His mother, Laura Sandefer, noticed that Charlie felt uncomfortable taking “divergent stands” in his classes, as the teachers corrected students who did not agree with their own opinions. He was disheartened by the lack of Acton’s style of socratic discussions – where learners are asked questions and are allowed to freely explore differing opinions through debate.
His father, Jeff Sandefer, noted,
“Never has my son felt inadequate until he was in the system based on ,
memorization, obedience, and standardized sorting of intellect.”
Charlie chose to return to Acton Academy. He had missed so many things that made Acton so unique – the respectful debates and disagreements, the problem solving and learning independently, as well as the freedom to explore his own passions.
Check out Courage to Grow, by Laura Sandefer, for an inspiring story of how and why Acton Academy was created.
Alisha
Alisha’s story is from 2021-2022, as a learner with an Acton Academy called The Humanist Academy, located in Irving, Texas.
As documented by her mother in this blog post “Why we left the humanist academy and why we don’t regret it” and video link titled “What I miss about [The Humanist Academy], Alisha felt called to leave the school.
“She was unhappy with what she perceived as unfairness in Integrity Points, Council,
and Warriors not taking the time to help each other or being inclusive in quests.”
Her experience in her new traditional school was eye opening.
She discovered that Acton Academy had a unique sense of community, empathy, and companionship.
She also learned that traditional schools tended to ask students to raise hands with questions for the teacher, rather the way Acton does it where you raise hands to “provide input, share our thoughts, or to say why we disagree.”
Like Charlie, Alisha also chose to return to Acton, after experiencing traditional school.
Click this link to read more about her family’s experience transitioning away and back into Acton.
Acton Academy requires intentionality, courage, a family commitment to grow and struggle, plus endless curiosity.
It is a leap of faith that thousands of Acton learners and families around the world have taken.
Want to join us? Do a deep dive of our Resources, other Acton experiences around the world, and then call us: (772) 237-0377
