The mission of MCA Academy provided a child-centered learning environment that motivated children to develop and achieve their personal goals and talents without sacrificing academic excellence. MCA Academy offered a challenging and rigorous academic environment, recognized and nurtured the unique potential in each student, encouraged individuality, emphasized cooperation among peers, and provided children with the tools to succeed in both their academic and social lives.
A note from the President and Principal Ingrid Acosta
At MCA Academy, we provided students with challenging but meaningful learning experiences in a safe, inviting, and supportive environment. Valuing excellence, fostering high expectations, and supporting each student’s unique educational track set our students on a strong academic path. We went beyond the academics by providing the students with a home away from home. We welcomed each student into our family where nurturing each child’s self-esteem was a top priority as this ensured maximum student growth and lead them to succeed within their educational and social lives. It further allowed them the opportunity to build leadership skills and become productive citizens in our world community. We take pride in having seen our students blossom as they enjoyed these special benefits that set us apart from other more traditional educational settings.
MCA Academy is the Originator of Alternative Schooling in South Florida
The idea of creating a school with an academic curriculum that embraces the needs of students who possess “talents beyond school,” like interests in the arts or involvement in sports, seemed the perfect solution Brigitte Kishlar was seeking for children who were talented musicians in her Miami Conservatory of Music and needed time to practice and attend competitions. That and the fact she had a pre-teen son at the time who was interested in auto designing and wasn’t excited by classes in conventional schools led her to create a unique concept that was been embraced by parents who want a challenging and enriched environment.
Kishlar’s vision for MCA Academy was a program that offered an opportunity for success for children whose passion eventually could take them into careers in professional sports, the arts, acting, and other nontraditional pursuits.
Using the nationally recognized Oak Meadow and Keystone National School programs and placing the lessons in a classroom setting with a low student-teacher ratio proved a winning combination. Students were four times more likely to pass Advanced Placement courses and many seniors have won academic honors.
While some of the students utilized MCA Academy‘s flexible scheduling to train and attend competitions, the majority of the student body had many students who were seeking a strong education to gain admission into college or professional schools.
“One of the draws was the fact that we had no FAST testing,” says Kishlar. “Without FAST testing, we were able to devote more time to core academics.”
The curriculum was structured to virtually eliminate massive amounts of homework, thereby leaving more time in the afternoons for student to pursue their outside interests. “This removed pressure off of parents who were time constrained and students actually retained more information through our intense classroom system,” Kishlar said of the lack of homework. “The upside was that children wanted to read more books outside of the school day and enjoyed seeking out knowledge and life experiences because we din’t make it seem like work.”
