Military Schools are Open!

Has your child mentioned military academies to you? Have they expressed an interest in attending such a school? If so, you as a parent have an obligation to listen, and more importantly to help them make the right decision.

A military school teaches various ages (middle school, high school, or both) in a manner that includes military traditions and training in military subjects. The military is a prominent force in America today, and with so much press it is very easy for a child to become exposed to this type of education as a viable option in their own lives. While this is perfectly acceptable on its own, like many of life's choices it needs to be considered fully before a commitment is made. There are many factors that go into choosing the type of schooling that is appropriate for your child, and it is important that you and your child approach the subject together, as the both of you will have to reap the consequences of this decision in the future.

It is advisable to assess honestly the needs of your child, the requirements that will be placed upon them in a military school and what you as a parent bring to the mix. With many students the structure and positive discipline that military schools offer are very beneficial. It not only encourages them to become the best they can be, it enhances them to grow into mature respectable young men and women. Military schools and academies offer a student the opportunity to reach their highest academic potential as well as build up their self-esteem to make better choices in today's society, within a very rigid and disciplined framework. It is this framework that forms the backbone of the military school experience, and one of the chief distinctions between military educations and those of other schools. It is important to note that this structure will suit some students more than others, and this will largely determine a child's chances of success in a military school setting. Military schools can give your child the vision to reach their goals and dreams for their future. The high level of academics combined with small class sizes create a strong educational background from which they grow into productive, happy adults.
Posted by Sue Scheff at 2:12 PM 0 comments
Labels: Military Academies, Military Prep Schools, Military Schools, Parents Universal Resource Experts, structured school, Sue Scheff
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Military Schools - Boarding or Day? by Sue Scheff

One of the first questions that you and your child will have to face when contemplating military schools is the matter of a day school versus a boarding school. Many military schools are boarding schools, and others are simply magnet schools in a larger school system. This is an important distinction, and just one that you will have to assess with your child when looking at military schools.

A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils not only study, but also live during term time, with their fellow students and possibly teachers. The word 'boarding' in this sense means that the school provides food and lodging for pupils. Within the military school context it should be obvious why this is a common practice; the military likes to instill individual resourcefulness in its people, and the earlier the better. Military boarding school pupils may spend the majority of their childhood and adolescent life away from their parents, although pupils return home during the holidays and, often, the summer break. Detached from the outside world on a daily basis, military school students are more easily taught the virtues and values prominent in the military, and these are reinforced by the relative isolation that a military boarding school offers.

In addition, this distance from “civilian” life further reinforces the distinction between the military lifestyle and that of non-military citizens. On the occasions that boarding military school students venture off campus they are met with a world that they can comfortably move through, all the time noting the differences between their daily lives and of those around them. Many former boarding students from military schools report that the boarding experience was crucial in their understanding and adoption of the virtues being instilled within them. It should be noted that while boarding schools are, possibly correctly, perceived as instilling social and personal survival skills and keeping children occupied, they also exclude children from normal home-based, domestic daily life. Some children in boarding schools are liable to take on a sense of exclusiveness and superiority to others. It is not uncommon for children who have been to such schools to speak with different, learned accents than local children, play different sports, and miss out on local activities.

In contrast to boarding school, a day school is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children return to their homes. It is a common model in the United States, adhered to by virtually all public schools, and a great many private ones (such as military schools) as well. Basically, classes are held from sometime in the morning to sometime in the afternoon, approximately along the lines of a normal adult work day. Very often there is a break for lunch, and different schools have different policies regarding whether or not students may or leave campus during the day. Military day schools still retain all the discipline and traditions as their boarding counterparts, the only distinction being whether the students remain on campus over night or not.

Military Schools: Boarding or Day? by Sue Scheff

One of the first questions that you and your child will have to face when contemplating military schools is the matter of a day school versus a boarding school. Many military schools are boarding schools, and others are simply magnet schools in a larger school system. This is an important distinction, and just one that you will have to assess with your child when looking at military schools.

A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils not only study, but also live during term time, with their fellow students and possibly teachers. The word 'boarding' in this sense means that the school provides food and lodging for pupils. Within the military school context it should be obvious why this is a common practice; the military likes to instill individual resourcefulness in its people, and the earlier the better. Military boarding school pupils may spend the majority of their childhood and adolescent life away from their parents, although pupils return home during the holidays and, often, the summer break. Detached from the outside world on a daily basis, military school students are more easily taught the virtues and values prominent in the military, and these are reinforced by the relative isolation that a military boarding school offers.

In addition, this distance from “civilian” life further reinforces the distinction between the military lifestyle and that of non-military citizens. On the occasions that boarding military school students venture off campus they are met with a world that they can comfortably move through, all the time noting the differences between their daily lives and of those around them. Many former boarding students from military schools report that the boarding experience was crucial in their understanding and adoption of the virtues being instilled within them. It should be noted that while boarding schools are, possibly correctly, perceived as instilling social and personal survival skills and keeping children occupied, they also exclude children from normal home-based, domestic daily life. Some children in boarding schools are liable to take on a sense of exclusiveness and superiority to others. It is not uncommon for children who have been to such schools to speak with different, learned accents than local children, play different sports, and miss out on local activities.

In contrast to boarding school, a day school is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children return to their homes. It is a common model in the United States, adhered to by virtually all public schools, and a great many private ones (such as military schools) as well. Basically, classes are held from sometime in the morning to sometime in the afternoon, approximately along the lines of a normal adult work day. Very often there is a break for lunch, and different schools have different policies regarding whether or not students may or leave campus during the day. Military day schools still retain all the discipline and traditions as their boarding counterparts, the only distinction being whether the students remain on campus over night or not.

Military Schools - Are they right for your child?

Does your child have a desire for Military School?

· Is your child an underachiever or lack motivation?
· Does your child lack respect for Authority?
· Does your child make bad choices?
· Does your child lack self-confidence and self-respect?

Military Schools and Academies offer a student the opportunity to reach their highest academic potential as well as build up their self-esteem to make better choices in today's society. We encourage parents to let their children know that Military Schools are a privilege and honor to attend and not for troubled children.

Military Schools are not for punishment; they are a time for growth. With many students the structure and positive discipline that Military Schools offer are very beneficial. It not only encourages them to become the best they can be, it enhances them to grow into mature respectable young men and women. Many students do not realize they would enjoy Military Schools until they actually visit the campus and understand the honor it is. Military Schools will give your child the vision to reach their goals and dreams for their future. The high level of academics combined with small class sizes creates a strong educational background.

Many ADD/ADHD students do very well in a Military School and Military Academy due to the structure and positive discipline. If your child is ADD or ADHD you may want to consider this type of environment. Many parents start with a summer program to determine if their child is a candidate for Military School.


Military Schools and Academies tuitions vary. Most start at $20,000.00 per school year. There is financing available through lenders and some scholarships. For more first hand information on Military Schools; please contact us directly at 954-349-7260.

For more information please complete our Information Request Form at www.helpyourteens.com

Army opens preparatory school for prospective Soldiers

I was asked by Lt. Col. Norman Wade to post his recent Press Release announcing the Army is now offering a Prep School for young adults and give them an opportunity to earn their GED. If you know anyone that may be struggling with their future, please pass this on - as it may open new doors for young adults that are debating on their future.

Army opens preparatory school for prospective Soldiers



FORT MONROE, Va. — The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) opened an Army Preparatory School Aug. 4 at Fort Jackson, S.C., to give qualifying young men and women an opportunity to earn their General Educational Development (GED) credentials before they begin Basic Combat Training (BCT).



The four-week pilot course will be open only to recruits without a high school diploma and who have scored in the top 50 percentile on the military aptitude test and meet or exceed all other physical and character standards for becoming high-performing Soldiers. The ultimate goal of the program is for qualifying students to earn full-fledged high school diplomas.



Once fully operational, the school will accommodate 60 new students or more each week. At full capacity, the school will educate 240 recruits at a time in core academic subjects over the course of four weeks, which may be expanded to ten weeks.



“This program is meant to give young Americans an opportunity,” said Gen. William S. Wallace, TRADOC’s commanding general. “It reflects the fact that a sizeable number of very capable young Americans leave high school because of circumstances beyond their control, such as going to work to support their families. If they meet all the other qualifications, then they deserve an opportunity to earn their GED and serve in the Army. The Army Prep School provides that opportunity.”



The prep school also will help the future Soldiers prepare for the rigors of Basic Combat Training (BCT) by immersing them in physical fitness training, discipline, and life skills.



“My concern is that the health and fitness of America’s youth is rapidly becoming a national security issue,” said Wallace. “If we hold ourselves to a very high standard –which we should – to physical fitness, morals, values and intellect, then it’s my judgment that the Army, and perhaps all branches of the military, need to be proactive in seeing that those standards are maintained. It’s our obligation to the nation to help qualify young people for the military and serve the nation.”



The Army will evaluate the prep school throughout its first year and, if results are favorable, consider expanding the program at Fort Jackson or open facilities at the Army’s other basic training installations: Fort Benning, Ga., Fort Sill, Okla., and Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. TRADOC is currently working with the South Carolina Department of Education to enable the granting of high school diplomas sometime next year.



“Today only 28 percent of the 17- to 24-year-old population qualifies to wear a military uniform. The other 72 percent fail to meet minimum standards on education, character, or health,” said Wallace. “We will not lower our training standards, so we’re faced with helping raise the health and education standards of our young people who want to serve.”



“This is the right thing to do for our youth, our Army and our nation,” said Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, commander of Accessions Command, the Army’s recruiting arm. “We are a nation of opportunities where people overcome past setbacks and usually end up excelling. Reflecting our national heritage, the Army has always been where citizens find new opportunities.”



During its first year the school is expected to yield nearly 3,000 graduates who have earned a GED and been introduced to Army life. They will move directly to basic combat training, followed by advanced individual training.


For additional information, contact:

Maj. Mike Kenfield, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, (757) 788-3506, e-mail: michael.kenfield@us.army.mil or Lt.Col. Norman Wade, HQ, Dept of Army Public Affairs, (703) 697-3491, e-mail: norman.wade@hqda.army.mil



News Release: http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/08/01/11404-army-to-open-preparatory-school-for-prospective-soldiers



ARNEWS Story: http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/08/04/11441-army-opens-prep-school-at-fort-jackson/

Troubled Teens and Military Schools by Sue Scheff

Some parents may have a teen they feel is in need of special attention needs. Often times parents look at the public school system and realize that it is not fully equipped to handle troubled teenagers. This leads many parents to turn to military schools as an option to discipline and educate their troubled teenagers. Unfortunately, it is a common misconception among many parents that military school can “cure” or somehow transform an unruly child into a model of propriety. Military schools, which seemed headed for extinction in the late 1960s and early '70s, have seen enrollments increase steadily in recent years. Many military schools are jammed to capacity and sport long waiting lists, as anxious parents scramble for slots.

While parents may seek a military school with the hopes that it can provide exactly the discipline they believe their teenager needs, most military schools are seeking motivated candidates that want to be a part of a proud and distinguished institutional history. Many students do not realize they would enjoy military school until they actually visit the campus and understand the honor it is to attend. Typically, traditional military schools will not accept a student who does not want to be there; as such, it is very difficult to find a military school that will accept a teen that has a history of behavioral problems. Parents should realize that attending military school is a privilege and honor for the right candidate, and they are encouraged to emphasize this to their children as well.

The very common misperception of military schools as reforming institutions is a direct result of some states' policies of having chosen to house their child (juvenile) criminal populations in higher-security boarding schools that are run in a manner similar to military boarding schools. These are also called reform schools, and are functionally a combination of school and prison. They attempt to emulate the high standards of established military boarding schools in the hope that a strict structured environment can reform these delinquent children that have often times run afoul of the law. The results of these institutions vary, and successful reform may or may not be the case, depending on the institution and it's “students.” Popular culture sometimes shows parents sending or threatening to send unruly children off to military school, and this reinforces the incorrect, negative stereotype.

However, military programs for troubled teens do exist; these specialized military schools can provide the most effective ways to teach your teenager how to be a respectable, hard-working, and responsible human being. Keep in mind, however, that these military schools, like their counterparts, are not for punishment; they are a time for growth. Many are privately run institutions, though some are public and are run by either a public school system (such as the Chicago Public Schools), or by a state. Regardless, this should not reflect on the long and distinguished history of military schools; their associations are traditionally those of high academic achievement, with solid college preparatory curricula, schooling in the military arts, and considerably esteemed graduates.

Many ADD/ADHD students do very well in a military school or military academy-type setting, due to the structure and positive discipline. Many parents whose children have been diagnosed ADD/ADHD have considered this type of environment, and found it to be beneficial to their child's development. In these instances many times parents will start by enrolling their child in a summer program to determine if their child is a viable candidate for that particular military school. Provided the child responds in a positive manner, they can extend the enrollment to subsequent terms.

Sue Scheff's New Website on Military Schools

Click here for more information.

My new Military School website will help you decide if Military School is a good choice for your child.