This school is touted for their discipline and Christian value. I thought it would be great place for my son. I spend a lot of money to send my son there for a year. Into the second year my son was kicked out of this school. When I asked the school what's the reason for them dismissing my son. They said my son broke school rules and regulation by taking alcohol. They didn't care to hold a hearing and they didn’t have any evidence of how my son broke the school rules and regulation. So I asked the school since you expelled my son without any evidence I would like my money back. The school refused to send my money back and instead I had to pay tuition for rest of the year as per my contract. I couldn't believe this. The administrative staff was rude, yelled at me, and demanded that I pay the leftovers! I was afraid, lost of words, and terrified.
After having a long discussion with my son I heard rest of the story. The school is not worth $30,000. They make it sound like they prep the student for higher college education but its all non sense. The good old public education is a better choice in comparison. In the night there isn’t any guard or anyone on duty. This allowed the kids to bring in alcohol and share among all the cadets. It seems as though the school setup this trap. They know most of the kids come from money, they don’t have the discipline yet, so let’s get their parents to pay big paycheck, sign them big contracts with strict rules and regulation and then let their kids break the rules at night and we’ll dismiss them by the day. It seemed to be a quiet lucrative way for this school to make money. At first I thought my son was the only one getting expelled from this school but later I found out there were more than 7 kids! This school has left countless families with broken heart. Sending my son there for more than a year I’ve realized this school is a completely opposite of what they claim to be! This is a school with the aim to make money from parents. I hope all the parents are able to get together and follow up on all the scam this school has done to all the families.
Parents need to be very aware of what can happen at this CHRISTIAN school. I have seen many kids, in my own family and many friends, who have struggled with the tremendous amount of pressures of drugs and alcohol in the public school system. My nephew, however, having been homeschooled his early years of education, always seemed to have a clear direction of what he wanted for his life. A fairly disciplined young man, he earned his black belt by the age of 13. He wanted to go to Fork Union Military Academy as it was part of his dream. First FULMA, then a collegiate military academy and someday the CIA!! He was accepted to FUMA in the 9th grade and blossomed! An honor student, self taught bagpipe player, swim team member, friend and counselor to other students (after another student committed suicide last fall), he rose in rank quickly and was touted by many of his teachers as a student "with great potential", "on the rise", "going places". The only demerits he received were his first year for chewing gum in chapel. The discipline system at FUMA is one of "sticks" (being caught in an act of wrong doing) where the student would then receive demerits which would lead to "tours" of marching for a specific amount of time. Of course one would think that demotion of rank might also be used as a form of punishment.
Having stated all of the above, the reason I write this report is to warn other parents. This young man ate, drank, slept, pooped FUMA!! He was there because he wanted to be, and was not SENT there by his parents as a troubled student. He had the FUMA sword over his bed. And yet, when he was 2.....TWO credits away from graduation as a senior, and an officer, he was "stuck". Found to have a tobacco violation. A TOBACCO violation. At the age of 17, this honor student without any demerits made a poor choice and made a mistake. As a parent of 4 I know that not always are children remorseful. My nephew, on the other hand was extremely remorseful, and devastated at his own indiscretion. Was he given the opportunity to be forgiven in some form by an administration of Christian teachers? Was this event used as a life learning experience for him? Do you think he was punished? Would you think maybe he would be given demerits? Tours of marching? Demoted in rank? Put on probation? NOOOO! None of those supposed usual forms of discipline were applied. He was expelled as a senior with only two credits left to GRADUATE. His parents and grandparents had spent the last four years working extra jobs, waiting tables, chopping and selling wood, etc. to pay the very large tuition bills each year, and this was how the school handled the situation. His parents entrusted not only his education to the school, but his emotional and spiritual and psychological training and teaching as well. It is extremely hard to understand how this could have taken place. If you have read this far, you might consider that I am just an Aunt with sour grapes, and that perhaps there is more to the story. But I can assure you, this was it. Tobacco infraction. No graduation for my nephew this year. He will need to repeat his senior year at another school. One of the Admiral's more ludicrous comments was that strength of character is built in adversity. Fortunately, my nephew already did have a strong enough character to deal with the blow he was given. He actually went to the school this spring to attend the graduation he should have been a part of, and to wish his friends well. He was met with cold stares and hostility...not by the students, but by many of the faculty of the school. I am going to continue to spread this word and will work fervantly to get the school to be held to a code of discipline that is very specific, where there can be no arbitrary dismissal of a student. There has GOT TO BE more ACCOUNTABILITY.
Fork Union Military Academy claims that it provides an environment that allows its students to develop in three ways: physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It presents the campus as a place where students are held to higher standards of behavior and decorum, that graduating from Fork Union means you have developed into an individual with a higher sense of ethics and eduction. Unfortunately, the reality of what actually happens on FUMA's campus is very different, almost entirely the opposite, of the image they present.
The greatest contributing factor to the problems of Fork Union is a negative attitude towards the kids that comes from the faculty. The vast majority of the faculty members view the students they teach as unintelligent, troubled, aggressive, or otherwise incapable of performing at normal levels. This attitude is used as an excuse to justify poor performances by the students. If a kid is failing, it is because he isn't capable, or has a bad attitude, or is lazy. This perception deflects from the issue of the faculty itself, and whether or not the people who work there are actually qualified to teach. Fork Union does not seek qualified educators to fill its teaching positions; rather, they hire individuals with no education background and place them in teachng positions so that they can hire them at a low salary (the average teacher is paid about $30,000 there). Teaching Algebra and geormetry is a former construction foreman and police deputy. One of the physics teachers was a chiropractor before coming to FUMA. Last year, a football coach intern was put in charge of teaching English II. All of the recent hires made by FUMA do not reflect a commitment to the level of academic progress they claim to provide.
Perhaps more troublesome than this, howerver, is the behavior exhibited by a large portion of the faculty while in the presence of students. It is not uncommon to hear faculty members using heavy profanity when in conversation with students. The use of such explitives as ""f**,"" ""s***,"" and ""d***"" are commonly said by the faculty when talking to the students on campus. Even worse is the context in which these words re used. Often, they are actually directed towards the students, used in a deragatory way to either describe them or to threaten. Here are few examples of true occurences that have happened within the last two years:
1. A Coach walking into the middle school wrestling room and saying ""what are you little f****** doing?""
2. A football coach discussing another player after the season, saying ""Once football season is done, I dont' give a s*** what happens to him.""
3. A teacher telling a studnet, during class ""you are f****** gay!""
4. A teacher telling a kid while in the dormitories to ""stop being such a p****. You're acting like a girl.""
Unfortunately, the culture at Fork Union promotes converstions like this on a regular basis. It is no surprise that the general atmosphere that resonates is one of negativity.
The immoral and shocking behavior by the faculty does not stop at just profanity. Over the past few years, many issues have arisen invovling extremely innapropiate behavior. Here are a few of the truthful things that have happend:
1. One of the female barbers regularly had sex with students.
2. The Commandant (head of military aspects of the school) had an affair with the mother of a student. He sent nude photos of himself by accident to the student's cell phone.
3. One librarian had an affair with another faculty member's spouse.
4. A TAC officer purchased contraband from the store and sold it to students at an inflated price.
There are many other problems that exist at Fork Union that this summary won't go into, but it should be clear that it is not a safe environment for students. The quality of educator and the treatment the students receive does not justify the school's 33,000 dollar price tag. I would strongly urge parents who are considering this school to ask the administration about these issues before making a decision.
Fork Union Military Academy Reviews
This school is touted for their discipline and Christian value. I thought it would be great place for my son. I spend a lot of money to send my son there for a year. Into the second year my son was kicked out of this school. When I asked the school what's the reason for them dismissing my son. They said my son broke school rules and regulation by taking alcohol. They didn't care to hold a hearing and they didn’t have any evidence of how my son broke the school rules and regulation. So I asked the school since you expelled my son without any evidence I would like my money back. The school refused to send my money back and instead I had to pay tuition for rest of the year as per my contract. I couldn't believe this. The administrative staff was rude, yelled at me, and demanded that I pay the leftovers! I was afraid, lost of words, and terrified.
After having a long discussion with my son I heard rest of the story. The school is not worth $30,000. They make it sound like they prep the student for higher college education but its all non sense. The good old public education is a better choice in comparison. In the night there isn’t any guard or anyone on duty. This allowed the kids to bring in alcohol and share among all the cadets. It seems as though the school setup this trap. They know most of the kids come from money, they don’t have the discipline yet, so let’s get their parents to pay big paycheck, sign them big contracts with strict rules and regulation and then let their kids break the rules at night and we’ll dismiss them by the day. It seemed to be a quiet lucrative way for this school to make money. At first I thought my son was the only one getting expelled from this school but later I found out there were more than 7 kids! This school has left countless families with broken heart. Sending my son there for more than a year I’ve realized this school is a completely opposite of what they claim to be! This is a school with the aim to make money from parents. I hope all the parents are able to get together and follow up on all the scam this school has done to all the families.
Parents need to be very aware of what can happen at this CHRISTIAN school. I have seen many kids, in my own family and many friends, who have struggled with the tremendous amount of pressures of drugs and alcohol in the public school system. My nephew, however, having been homeschooled his early years of education, always seemed to have a clear direction of what he wanted for his life. A fairly disciplined young man, he earned his black belt by the age of 13. He wanted to go to Fork Union Military Academy as it was part of his dream. First FULMA, then a collegiate military academy and someday the CIA!! He was accepted to FUMA in the 9th grade and blossomed! An honor student, self taught bagpipe player, swim team member, friend and counselor to other students (after another student committed suicide last fall), he rose in rank quickly and was touted by many of his teachers as a student "with great potential", "on the rise", "going places". The only demerits he received were his first year for chewing gum in chapel. The discipline system at FUMA is one of "sticks" (being caught in an act of wrong doing) where the student would then receive demerits which would lead to "tours" of marching for a specific amount of time. Of course one would think that demotion of rank might also be used as a form of punishment.
Having stated all of the above, the reason I write this report is to warn other parents. This young man ate, drank, slept, pooped FUMA!! He was there because he wanted to be, and was not SENT there by his parents as a troubled student. He had the FUMA sword over his bed. And yet, when he was 2.....TWO credits away from graduation as a senior, and an officer, he was "stuck". Found to have a tobacco violation. A TOBACCO violation. At the age of 17, this honor student without any demerits made a poor choice and made a mistake. As a parent of 4 I know that not always are children remorseful. My nephew, on the other hand was extremely remorseful, and devastated at his own indiscretion. Was he given the opportunity to be forgiven in some form by an administration of Christian teachers? Was this event used as a life learning experience for him? Do you think he was punished? Would you think maybe he would be given demerits? Tours of marching? Demoted in rank? Put on probation? NOOOO! None of those supposed usual forms of discipline were applied. He was expelled as a senior with only two credits left to GRADUATE. His parents and grandparents had spent the last four years working extra jobs, waiting tables, chopping and selling wood, etc. to pay the very large tuition bills each year, and this was how the school handled the situation. His parents entrusted not only his education to the school, but his emotional and spiritual and psychological training and teaching as well. It is extremely hard to understand how this could have taken place. If you have read this far, you might consider that I am just an Aunt with sour grapes, and that perhaps there is more to the story. But I can assure you, this was it. Tobacco infraction. No graduation for my nephew this year. He will need to repeat his senior year at another school. One of the Admiral's more ludicrous comments was that strength of character is built in adversity. Fortunately, my nephew already did have a strong enough character to deal with the blow he was given. He actually went to the school this spring to attend the graduation he should have been a part of, and to wish his friends well. He was met with cold stares and hostility...not by the students, but by many of the faculty of the school. I am going to continue to spread this word and will work fervantly to get the school to be held to a code of discipline that is very specific, where there can be no arbitrary dismissal of a student. There has GOT TO BE more ACCOUNTABILITY.
Fork Union Military Academy claims that it provides an environment that allows its students to develop in three ways: physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It presents the campus as a place where students are held to higher standards of behavior and decorum, that graduating from Fork Union means you have developed into an individual with a higher sense of ethics and eduction. Unfortunately, the reality of what actually happens on FUMA's campus is very different, almost entirely the opposite, of the image they present.
The greatest contributing factor to the problems of Fork Union is a negative attitude towards the kids that comes from the faculty. The vast majority of the faculty members view the students they teach as unintelligent, troubled, aggressive, or otherwise incapable of performing at normal levels. This attitude is used as an excuse to justify poor performances by the students. If a kid is failing, it is because he isn't capable, or has a bad attitude, or is lazy. This perception deflects from the issue of the faculty itself, and whether or not the people who work there are actually qualified to teach. Fork Union does not seek qualified educators to fill its teaching positions; rather, they hire individuals with no education background and place them in teachng positions so that they can hire them at a low salary (the average teacher is paid about $30,000 there). Teaching Algebra and geormetry is a former construction foreman and police deputy. One of the physics teachers was a chiropractor before coming to FUMA. Last year, a football coach intern was put in charge of teaching English II. All of the recent hires made by FUMA do not reflect a commitment to the level of academic progress they claim to provide.
Perhaps more troublesome than this, howerver, is the behavior exhibited by a large portion of the faculty while in the presence of students. It is not uncommon to hear faculty members using heavy profanity when in conversation with students. The use of such explitives as ""f**,"" ""s***,"" and ""d***"" are commonly said by the faculty when talking to the students on campus. Even worse is the context in which these words re used. Often, they are actually directed towards the students, used in a deragatory way to either describe them or to threaten. Here are few examples of true occurences that have happened within the last two years:
1. A Coach walking into the middle school wrestling room and saying ""what are you little f****** doing?""
2. A football coach discussing another player after the season, saying ""Once football season is done, I dont' give a s*** what happens to him.""
3. A teacher telling a studnet, during class ""you are f****** gay!""
4. A teacher telling a kid while in the dormitories to ""stop being such a p****. You're acting like a girl.""
Unfortunately, the culture at Fork Union promotes converstions like this on a regular basis. It is no surprise that the general atmosphere that resonates is one of negativity.
The immoral and shocking behavior by the faculty does not stop at just profanity. Over the past few years, many issues have arisen invovling extremely innapropiate behavior. Here are a few of the truthful things that have happend:
1. One of the female barbers regularly had sex with students.
2. The Commandant (head of military aspects of the school) had an affair with the mother of a student. He sent nude photos of himself by accident to the student's cell phone.
3. One librarian had an affair with another faculty member's spouse.
4. A TAC officer purchased contraband from the store and sold it to students at an inflated price.
There are many other problems that exist at Fork Union that this summary won't go into, but it should be clear that it is not a safe environment for students. The quality of educator and the treatment the students receive does not justify the school's 33,000 dollar price tag. I would strongly urge parents who are considering this school to ask the administration about these issues before making a decision.