PARENT TESTIMONIALS ABOUT HOUSTON COUNTY WIN ACADEMY:
"I was so scared and anxious when my son was referred to WIN Academy. I was so anxious I almost pulled him out of school. The stigma of alternative schools was all I could think about. My son was already in trouble, my biggest fear was he was going to get around other troubled kids and get into more trouble, or possibly be bullied or hurt. WIN Academy was nothing like I imagined. From the 1st day of orientation I felt more at ease. Dr. Benjamin took her time to walk me through the school and to show me how my student's day would be . It’s very structured and doesn’t allow much time for students to get into trouble. All the teachers were patient and really worked with with my son, and now he is able to return to his school. I am very grateful he had the opportunity to continue his schooling at WIN Academy until he could return to his home school."
"Working with WIN Academy has had a positive impact on my child. Everybody thinks going to an alternative school is negative, but sometimes it helps the child, if they really want to change. The staff has always assisted in any way they could, and my child has even come home and told me good things instead of something negative. That's because he is learning to change for the better, and has applied self discipline in which WIN Academy talks about. It takes a village, and these kids needs us in this tough world they are growing up in. "
"My husband and I are thankful for the support that Win Academy provided not only to our daughter but the support they provide to all students. Kids although are at Win Academy due to mistakes made, they are able to learn from those mistakes by having positive teachers to stand behind them and push them to be better."
"The African Proverb, 'It takes a village to raise a child', became my reality Spring Semester 2024. Shortly after my son's 15th birthday, he was placed at WIN Academy. It was a challenging time for my family, and it did not get any easier in the weeks to come. He was not adjusting and in an environment that demanded a higher level of accountability, he became more resistant. He continued to make poor decisions, and his actions landed him in more trouble and another semester added at WIN.
The involvement from the entire staff exceeded my expectations and to be honest is far better than I have ever experienced. Ms. Lowder, the Secretary, comforted me through tears of frustration on more than one occasion. Dr. Isom-Benjamin and Dr. Jackson allowed my son to text me when he arrived at school from their phones, so I didn't have to worry if he skipped school. Dr. Lenderman found a way for him to finish the semester after we moved and failed to get assistance from the new school district. She also wrote the kindest letter of recommendation about my son to the new school district. I could give a dozen more examples of late-night calls and meetings to help my son. They never gave up on him.
My son left WIN as a different person than when he arrived. He has taken ownership of his actions. He thinks before he acts. In less than a year at WIN, his grades, his attitude, and his outlook have improved greatly. He was student of the month and was rewarded for his good behavior on multiple occasions. He enjoyed the mentorship from his teachers and resource officers. He is thinking about college and what his future holds.
The staff at WIN are committed to seeing our children be successful. They do demand a higher level of accountability for the students and parents, but they also hold themselves to a higher level of responsibility for our children. If I could, I would keep my son at WIN Academy.
They became my village. I will be forever grateful to everyone at WIN Academy. If you are committed to seeing your child become successful then be committed to WIN's program and work with them. You are stronger together."
"I was skeptical of my daughter going to Win Academy at first. During orientation Dr. B went through the rules and operations, took us on a school tour, and provided all the parents with her personal phone number for any questions or concerns we had. Granted I’ve never had to use it because my daughter genuinely enjoyed going to school for the first time in a long time. All of her teachers were her favorite. She honestly didn’t want to leave to go back to her zoned school. Ms. Lassiter, Ms. Edwards, Ms. Davis, Coach Hickey, and Dr. O made her experience so smooth, and I can’t thank the staff at Win Academy enough. If I had to rate the school based off our experience I would say 10 out of 10 highly recommend! If my daughter had the option to attend the school permanently I would opt in. Thank you Dr. B and all of the staff at the Win Academy!"