The Classical Academy Charter

Posted: August 13, 2025

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I have been at TCA since kindergarten, and am going into my senior year tomorrow. I've found it great, but it is tailored to a specific kind of student. Here's why.

Learning: TCA does a fantastic job at promoting a love of learning (it's literally in their creed (yes, there is a creed)), the two issues however are getting students to understand the utility of learning (getting good grades almost always matters more than actually understanding the material), and the general workload is commonly overwhelming.

Teaching: TCA has some of the best teachers you can find anywhere! There are exceptions of course, but the vast majority of teachers are there because the genuinely love their jobs, not for the money (TCA pays their teachers less than average actually).

Social-Emotional: The counseling system is just ok, I wouldn't say that they don't support mental health, but there definitely seems to be some taboo surrounding it, and again, most of the emphasis is just on getting good grades.

Special Ed: Again, the school does provide special ed services, but the environment of the school does not do well when dealing with sped children.

Safety: Despite this, there are no issues with bullying at TCA, although it's often because students are afraid of potential punishment, not because of a necessarily welcoming environment.

Family Engagement: TCA puts families first, to the nth degree. It is exceeding easy for you (and other parents), to be active in your child's education, whether you like it or not.

Now, I want to add a section that I think is crucial to understanding TCA; the school culture. Because of the waitlist system (and the way children with siblings or parents at TCA or D20 residents are able to bypass it), the school is incredibly insular and homogenous. Almost *everyone* here is upper-middle class, white, christian, and has right-wing politics. These aren't necessarily bad things, but it does mean that if your child falls outside of what a "model" TCA student is, I can guarantee you that they will have a harder time making friends than the rest of the popular kids. I would reach the character limit before I could fully describe my experience with this, but just know that if I hadn't happened to find the loving and supportive friend group that I did, I would not be at TCA today.

So in conclusion, your child will get a good education, but it helps if you want them to be what I have described as a TCA student. If you do, please go ahead. If not, run.

Posted: May 21, 2025

I have gone to TCA for my entire school career and I am currently at the high school. So this is my quick opinion about all of it.
First one this that TCA priorities is a love and joy in learning, this here is a double edged sword. See the environment around this mindset is very intense. Do kids love leaning and exploring? Yes, this is something I’ve seen an experienced questions are asked and research is done. But with this comes the down side, all it is is work and this can be overwhelming the constant do of this school can be tiring.
Next the staff. The staff is amazing, naturally there are a few outliers but for the most part TCA is filled with passionate teachers and staff.
Next the work load. This is something I have struggled with so be prepared for lots of personal opinions and biases. The work is a lot. Homework is assigned since first grade and the work only increases. By middle school I was working in a paper due by the end of the math and science homework due the next day and studying for all the upcoming exams. As someone who has only experienced TCA I can not say if this is normal school work load. All I know is that I wasn’t going to bed until 11 stressed and confused.
Lastly the special needs/504’s
As someone with adhd and dyslexia I am familiar with TCA’s support when it comes to learning disabilities. For elementary I was supported I couldn’t (and still can’t) spell so I was taken out of Spanish and had one one one practice. This was very helpful and I felt supported. Middle school was a hard adjustment from one on one time to getting called out of art to work in missing assignments (there were quite a lot) it was a drastic adjustment. As for high school it was close to my middle school experience and as I grow more independent this was nice. Personal experience I have been left out of check ins because I am not currently failing which was unpleasant. For high needs more help is offered but I am not aware enough to talk about it.
Overall I’ve loved my time at TCA I have been shaped and changed I love who I have become because of it. The work load and social pressures can be overwhelming but if you work hard they are manageable. It gets stressful especially in secondary so if your student struggles academically that is something to keep in mind.
Those are my thoughts and opinions hope this helps:)

Posted: May 21, 2025

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Posted: June 25, 2024

Right now, I’m a student at TCA. I am heading into high school, so I can only speak about my middle school and elementary experiences, which were amazing! The school is very whole student based we have character along with our academic work. TCA is very academically demanding. As someone with dyslexia and a couple of other learning disabilities, their classically based curriculum is not the easiest thing, but I have always felt supported in elementary and middle school. Support is probably my favorite thing about TCA. All the teachers genuinely care about the students and their well-being. It’s a very kind and homely atmosphere. The work load can be overwhelming, having a math assignment every night, takes about an hour than reading plus a couple other projects to work on. For me, it can become unmanageable, but for other students it is the perfect amount, so it just depends. The extracurricular activities are also a great part of TCA. Most of the time you will have time to do homework and study as well as participate in a sport. As a student at TCA, my schedule can become very busy but not unmanageable. At the end of the day, TCA feels like a second home. It might be all the time I spent there, the welcoming atmosphere and passionate teachers, or a bit of both.

Posted: February 15, 2024

I love seeing the passion for learning that my kids are developing through their experiences at the East TCA campus. We loved the involved parents, amazing teachers, and the great friendships my kids have made with so many really nice kids. After having our oldest go through the traditional public schools in the district, we have been blown away by the difference. 100% recommend!

Posted: February 15, 2024

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Posted: September 22, 2023

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Posted: September 22, 2023

Children are punished (they have to walk a lap during their very short recess) for needing to use emergency bathroom breaks as early as first grade at East Campus. The administration at East is aware of this and told us that it was “a natural consequence.”

Most parents I met at East are from out of district 20 which I thought was interesting and now I realize how telling this is. If you live in district 20 most other elementary schools will be a much better environment for your child. This particular campus functions off of fear and your child’s mental health will suffer.

It’s so unfortunate because we met some really wonderful people at TCA and I wholeheartedly believe in their core values. It seems as if TCA doesn’t actually practice their core values and they certainly don’t protect or educate the “whole child.” You cannot do that if you are actively punishing a student for having a bodily function. Having spoken to other parents it seems like this may be an East Campus issue. At one point in time TCA used to be the talk of the town and their waitlist proved that. Now they are the talk of the town because parents are waking up to the mental health toll that their children are experiencing here. It’s no longer a hard school to get into and you don’t have to put your child on the waitlist the moment they are born.

This review only reflects my child’s experience at East Campus. Be warned about the environment there and choose wisely when picking a campus assignment.

Posted: September 30, 2022

Great school, great people, great teachers. Highly recommend

Posted: September 30, 2022

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Posted: March 18, 2021

Elementary Students here have the look of fear in their little eyes. The kids get bullied by teachers for minor infractions or expressing a personality. SPED kids are not integrated. The classrooms are like managed by a HOA, nothing fun or artistic on the walls. Go to any public elementary school in D20, your kids will learn that learning is fun. This is ran like a fake private boarding school. Unless ypu hate your kids, don't enroll them here.

Posted: March 18, 2021

Posted: July 6, 2020

I would rate TCA 4.5/5. Overall, the school offers smaller classroom sizes that other district schools and is good for the average to the above average student. Most of the teachers have enthusiasm and positive personalities that engages the students. The teachers and staff attempt to develop personal relationships with the students and parents.
The school expects money or involvement, preferably both. Any donation that shows up under your name helps and making sure the staff see you doing something helps more.
Keep in mind there are cliques; staff, parents, and students. The students who are bullies learn it from somewhere, and I’ve met my share of parents that needed their children at TCA to learn some good character traits. However, I have seen the students be the most inclusive with no issues with physical appearance, race, gender, or religious affiliations.

Posted: July 6, 2020

Homework is "optional" in the lower grades, as that it doesn't count towards their grade but gets them in the habit of doing homework other than reading.
The elementary school tended to have an hour of homework a night on average with reading, studying for spelling words and tests. This can progress to an hour and half in the 6th grade.

Posted: July 6, 2020

Like any school there are some teachers that clash with parents. I have met 2 at East that treated myself as a student instead of the parent. It took a gentle reminder that I am their equal and co-educator. In one instance my child got a project back that noted "make sure you are doing your own work" I knew what was being referenced and the teacher insinuated that I did the project for her. I was highly offended, as not only did I have video of my child doing the project (humble brag on FB) but that I would've turned in a better project. This brings up a bigger issue: In the upper elementary grades the students change rooms for each subject, and when there are only a handful of teachers, you just have to deal with a bad one until the end of the year and fill out the survey at the end of the year to be anonymous.
However, out of 80+ teachers the experience has been more than positive with myself and my children. My children retained a lot of information and I attribute that to the the effort the teachers have put into the coursework to be entertaining.

Posted: July 6, 2020

Character is very important and there is a full schedule of what character traits are covered throughout the year in each grade, with the focus on leadership in the 6th grade. Staff illustrates these character traits as well.

Posted: July 6, 2020

I can only talk about my experience at East, but it seems like the staff have a hard time balancing leadership with parent-led groups. There seems to be a balance issue between letting the parents take control of the groups vs the staff some control. East has a unique setup compared to the other schools. There is no PTA but a "project" group with group leaders.
Schoolwide leadership decisions tend to come down quickly or at least with an update that they are working on it.

Posted: July 6, 2020

Moderate learning issues are met with the supportive services. There was afterschool reading and math tutoring which moved to during the day, usually removing the child from a "specials" class.
The school at one point offered Summer School that children were recommended for (which equated to private tutoring with a teacher and a few students) however the school decided to shift to summer school through district 20, which doesn't align with the unique TCA curriculum.

Posted: July 6, 2020

I have not seen bullying personally but heard about it through word of mouth. The families are still in the school so it was settled in one way or another.
Some inside knowledge: class sizes are capped, so students have to be switched, not removed and placed into another class. The same goes for the different elementary schools. It is rare for a student to get to change classes or schools after the year begins, so the school will lean on keeping the student in the class until the parent pulls them out of the school entirely or the family is asked to unenroll. Since so many of the classes have grade-wide activities, and the grades progress together each year, there is no way to avoid a bully without changing schools completely (which still puts them in the same school for 7th-12th).

Posted: June 12, 2018

I have three children who attend TCA, and it has been a great fit for our family. We appreciate the experienced and caring teachers, the strong sense of community among families, and the effective school leadership. The curriculum is full of rich learning opportunities such as living history days, poetry, and a strong commitment to the basics of math and literacy.

Posted: June 12, 2018

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Posted: May 11, 2018

If you have neurotypical kids, they may get a decent education. If you have children with special needs, run far, far away. They will do everything within their power to bully your kids to the point of a breakdown to get them OUT THE DOOR -- all so that they can maintain falsely-inflated test scores.

Posted: May 11, 2018

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Posted: May 11, 2018

NO! You can't help children build character when you have none yourself.

Posted: May 11, 2018

Posted: May 11, 2018

NO! This school goes to great effort to disenfranchise special needs students and force them OUT because test scores matter a LOT more than kids!

Posted: May 11, 2018

NO! Teachers and administrators ARE the bullies.

Posted: February 23, 2018

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Posted: February 23, 2018

I've put three students through TCA K-6. I'll start off with the most striking thing: For the first time in 12 years, they have posters leaving the school asking parents to recruit for them. "Tell your friends." They have NEVER had to do that before and have always had long wait lists.

The Good: THERE IS NO PERFECT SCHOOL. The best way to think about TCA is that it is "the least worst option". Many K-6 schools in D20/D38 are train wrecks. Lookin' at you DaVinci, Palmer Lake, and Antelope. I like the uniform policy, emphasis on character education, and the facilities are good. They make the most of the teachers despite high turnover. My youngest had 3 different teachers in 5th grade last year, and I think either 2 or three different teachers in 4th grade. Lots of reasons for this, but the basic message is that you might finish the year with a different teacher than who you started with. I know a lot of TCA parents. The happiest TEND to be the ones who are down at the school "volunteering" (helicoptering) 3-4 days a week or have a parent who does not work outside the home.

The Bad: The writing curriculum is terrible. The children are given rubrics which emphasize decorative writing (lots of adjects/adverbs/clauses), but with zero emphases on content. Your child could write complete gibberish as long as it is 5 paragraphs in length and contains each of the 30-40 (no joke) rubric items. Your child could write a wonderful paper with great structure and compelling ideas...and get a C- because she used 10 adverbs instead of the required 15 adverbs.

The math program (5-6 book is called Envision Math) is awful. The book is awful. I am a math teacher for K-12 students and I am not exaggerating. When I met with the TCA curriculum folks, they told me it was the book that their staff "hated the least". In addition to all the goofy CCS stuff, it is organized like somebody took a math book, scattered the pages, and reassembled them at random. Almost no emphasis on core arithmetic skills development. They dumped Saxon Math (which is actually pretty good) for Envision. My first two students (Saxon) were well prepared for pre-algebra in 7th. My third student's math skills have been wrecked by Envision, and she is struggling in pre-al.

Do not go to parent conferences expecting much to change. High student attrition appears to have them worried.

Posted: August 24, 2017

I attended this school for 6th grade only and my experience was so terrible that it negatively affected me for the rest of my time in middle and highschool. I was bullied to no end and when it was brought to the principal's attention she suspended me based on rumors the students that were bullying me made up. This school is made to create little robots that can't think for themselves and simply do as their told because all the creativity and uniquness has been sucked out of them. If you so much as wear the wrong belt or pair of shoes you will be punished even as a young child.

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Posted: December 15, 2016

I have children at all three campuses of The Classical Academy. The school community is supportive and the curriculum rigorous. They've worked hard to help when my children needed academic or personal assistance and have been nothing but accommodating. I've had experience with two other D-20 schools that are "top rated" and they don't compare to TCA.

Posted: January 10, 2016

Posted: January 10, 2016

TCA's has strong homework standards which are slowly increased as the students move up in grades.

Posted: January 10, 2016

The primary purpose of this school is to develop these qualities in the students. No school can do this fully, as I believe parental development is most crucial for the development of character in their children, but hopefully TCA is significant in their development.

Posted: January 10, 2016

Reading the reviews, I think a lot is missing. This is my attempt to fill in details for other parents. I have a 8th grade boy and 5th grade girl at TCA (since Kindergarten). The high school has 602 students and they don't accept new students because it is too difficult to integrate them into the TCA teaching style. Middle school is half that size, and then 3 elementary schools. In addition, two homeschooling support academies are administered through the school.

Biggest thing to understand about the school is the first goal of TCA is to create "exemplary citizens", meaning even before the academics, the school is trying to develop mature individuals and leaders in their areas of interest. Secondarily, all parents are expected to be involved in their students' welfare. This means help with homework, support of activities at the school, and financial support when able.

I am ex-military, Christian, and highly involved in my children's lives. I care, before anything else, that my children are great people so I LOVE TCA. If you care solely about academics or social issues or don't want heavy involvement in your children's lives, than you would probably give the school a low rating.

More specific information: The elementary classes are small (16 students with 1 teacher and 1 assistant). Every student is given individual attention and strong relationships are developed. Yes, not all of the teachers are credential, but the school only keeps teachers which are involved with their students. I have no complaints about the teachers my students have had.

On issues of bullying and drugs -- I haven't seen or heard about it. Compared to the public high school I attended in the Midwest, the smaller size and stronger interpersonal relationships would minimize the problem (though I think every school has them in today's world).

My only complaint is the diversity of the school is low. Unfortunately, the location and structure is not welcoming to non-whites generally unless they are retired military.

The sports teams are outstanding. The high school has been moved up to the larger divisions in several sports because of too many state titles. The Middle/High School band program is exceptional, too. Every High School student is required to perform volunteer service for graduation.

Ok out of writing room, hope this helps.

Posted: February 2, 2015

TCA North Elementary does a superb job educating our children on every level. Administration and teachers seem to set high expectations as they prepare students for success in their daily lives and future. We moved here from out of state and feel spoiled with the learning environment at TCA, which is comparable to a private school education without the tuition. Our children are specifically thriving from character education, foreign language, and music classes taught weekly. The consistency from the teachers is apparent through lessons taught in class and on the playground. My son is excited about 3 recesses daily which is where much social learning takes place as well. We appreciate all the teachers, volunteers and staff who work to make a difference in the lives of our children at TCA North Elementary. We especially appreciate the small class sizes which gives the students the personal attention they need. Thank you TCA!

Posted: January 29, 2015

I can only speak about the Elementary schools. I would not put an average or below, child at this school. I have had children in different campuses and other Dist. 20 schools. For TCA you must educate yourself and not be "led" into this. Each campus has different leadership styles of "how" they choose to administer the TCA "Values", which is why some of the reviews are varied. However the curriculum is the same and what is attractive for this school. I do not recommend the curriculum for everyone at all. It is an advanced mindset and typical "play/fun" is NOT part of the school. I would look at all three campuses website and see which would fit your family style. East leadership is the most strict with little activities, compared to North and Central.

Posted: September 13, 2014

TCA-East: We thought Military style as well but then we met with the teacher and more was explained: 1. Line up by number: Number corresponds to child's last name for lunch due to special meals. Many students could not spell their last name so they switched to numbers and practiced lining up. 2. Hand shake instead of hug: We prefer hugs but they started with handshake, greeting, and look in the eye in the AM to instill confidence in the student and to model how it is done in public. Teacher will give the choice of hugs later if the student wants one. 3. Group punishment: Teacher admitted it was a mistake and her mentor said it was not used as a standard practice. Since then, kids got to go to recess early if they stayed on track and finished the assignment instead of the whole class missing out. Overall: Order/rules vs. warm environment is a bit of a balancing act. Too far one way can cause rigid and strict environment and the other way can classroom chaos. Most schools due to their philosophy lean one way and it helps for the parent to be involved in order to bring balance.

Posted: February 19, 2014

We have a kindergartner and so far, we have been nothing but pleased with TCA north. We followed their recommendations on what age our child should start and she loves school and is excelling. Academically she has made huge improvements in handwriting and math and has been reading for a few months. She loves the special subjects especially art class. However, the most important quality to us as parents are the virtues she is learning at home, to be respectful, kind, loyal etc. are being reinforced at TCA. When the class is disrespectful they are expected to apologize and sometimes miss recess. Her teacher is kind and loving but at the same time expects the children to behave at their full potential. And bonus points for rejecting Common Core so that teachers can continue to do their job to the best of their ability.

Posted: January 19, 2014

my niece is going to this school - she is telling me every time I see her how much she wants to be home-schooled - the reason? Bullying is common among the girls - this school seems to suffer from " mean girl syndrome" through most grade levels - even in elementary! The teachers are too busy to cope with the curriculum and testing to care much about the happiness of the students. My nephew left the school last year because he doesn't exactly fit their description of " normal" - he was struggling with spelling due to dyslexia and the recommendation of the school was to put him in a public school as they don't have the resources to deal with him - maybe that is how they intend to keep their test scores up? He LOVES his new public school and the teachers have only good things to say about him- he finally has friends and feels accepted- nobody understands why he was labeled difficult! We will be taking my niece out after this school year - she hates to go to school every day!

Posted: September 24, 2013

My child is in first grade and she is having a terrible experience with her drill sergeant teacher. I have asked her to show more love to my child (as she cries every day about school) but the teacher says "she'll adjust." Finally I talked to the principal, and asked for her to be moved due to incompatibilty. This was also unsuccessful. The principal has a loving personality, but as he explained "His hands are tied." TCA has small classes so they can micromanage the way the child holds a pencil, holds a book, tucks in their uniform, correct their posture and in the case of my childs teacher, requires them to say "yes, Ma'm." None of this is improving my child's reading but it is making her sad and nervous. My child spent 4 years on their "wait list" and I wish we hadn't wasted our effort.

Posted: June 26, 2013

Our oldest daughter was accepted into TCA at Central in 5th grade. It was one of the biggest blessings in our daughter's life. TCA opened their arms and wrapped them around our little girl. The principal and staff are absolutely phenomenal. Our daughter "lost" a year while in public school but the staff at TCA worked with her to catch her up and by the time 6th grade was in, she was caught up. The principal knows everyone & is always willing to chat with you about your student. The kids absolutely love him! The staff is amazing, sweet, and unbelievably generous with their time and talent. I cannot say enough about this amazing school that has done so much for my daughter. You cannot find a better elementary school in Colorado Springs. I know, we've looked. Trust your children to TCA. You will not regret it!

Posted: January 15, 2013

My child was bullied here by the children and the principal did not do anything about it! School is supposed to be a safe place for children. Also the school food is repulsive. I will not be coming back.

Posted: October 27, 2012

Excellent school, great, caring teachers and small classes. We couldn't be happier with the school.

Posted: September 21, 2011

Both my children have been at TCA in Colorado Springs for years. They both started out in kindergarten and are now in upper elementary. We have been at both the East and Central campuses. The education and personal attention that our children receive at TCA is excellent. Their class size would be so much more in a public school. The fact that all the elementary classes have a tutor/helper at least part time is a huge benefit. Many parents volunteer hours each week to assist the teachers and administration. The parent involvement is almost unparalleled with other schools. I know the wait list can be lengthy to get your child in to TCA. Your chances are best if you live in District 20 and get your child/children on the list as young as possible - but I tell you it is worth it. The teachers not only are passionate about teaching - but passionate about your children. I've always said that TCA is like getting a private school education & personal attention without the enormous cost - and also without the "sheltered" viewpoint that many private schools can have.