North Tampa Christian Academy

"I toured North Tampa Christian Academy earlier last year to see if this school would be a good fit for my son. If the school and I were both in agreement, my son Utah would enroll in the school with an IEP because he has Speech Apraxia. My son's diagnosis has been a journey, but I’m tough, and so is he. I’m raising my son to be able to contend despite his speech disability. Moving forward, I had the pleasure of communicating with Aubrey. She is the enrollment specialist. I sent Aubrey my son's IEP and some other information to be reviewed. The Administration board wanted to know if myself and my son would be able to meet them face-to-face so they could ask us more questions which I agreed. I reached out to my son's ABA therapist to see if she could accompany me to this meeting in case they had questions I may not have been fully able to answer. Walking into this meeting, I felt very uneasy. I felt the vibe to be very tense, and keep in mind this meeting was about a six-year-old. No smiles, only straight faces. The panel consisted of myself, my son Utah the principal, Deveen, the Special Ed teacher, and my son‘s ABA therapist, Maria. During the meeting, I could tell they weren’t a diverse school in acknowledging kids with an IEP, which became very evident. But with that said, I am fully aware that private schools aren’t obligated to the same standards as public schools. I asked what the teacher-to-student ratio was and was told its 16 kids to one student. In my opinion, that's way too many kids for one teacher. There's no teacher aid, and young kids need more attention. So with that alone, I was already out. Ms. Deveen went on to tell me what her role was as a Special Ed teacher, which made absolutely no sense. From my understanding and point of view. Ms. Deveen’s job is to be the coordinator and make sure that the teachers are helping the kids with IEPS meet their goals or needs for the year. But here’s the thing Deveen isn’t teaching the kids, so you are not covering whatever the kids need because how do you, the teacher with high-volume students, make sure the kids with IEPS are getting the help they need? Her duties as a Special Ed teacher were not adding up! Some of the questions both parties asked me became redundant and insensitive. You would’ve thought I rolled my son into this meeting in a wheelchair and that he was nonverbal. I checked out of this meeting several times and was cringing. These two people were highly judgemental, and to call themselves Christians would be an understatement. To any parent looking for a private school for their child who has an IEP or not I will tell you this feel the energy of the room and listen to that voice because you’ll hear it. Energy never lies. and what made this all worse was the fact that they had the audacity to want to pray before we had this meeting. Pray for what?? Before you try to slaughter and judge my son? I think not! So typical to try to hide behind Christianity. Good job, you two. I had more of a positive vibe from Aubrey in administration, and I never even met the lady. Versus the Special Ed teacher and the principal. I am so grateful that I am not a person that gets discouraged because the meeting I had with NTCA would've done it for me. But you know what they say “One Monkey Don't Stop No Show." A few days later, I toured another Christian School in the Carrollwood area, and the experience was beautiful! I had the pleasure of meeting the Principal and the Reverend. I didn’t feel judged; I could talk and felt heard. The school is beautiful and diverse. The energy all around from the moment I walked in was everything I was hoping for. If I choose to move forward, we will do the necessary things to make sure my son is a great fit and that he’s adapting. So as you can see, my experience with this school has been entirely different."

"I have two of my kids attending NTCA. Both have been since pre-k and they absolutely LOVE this school and the staff! They take the time to learn every child and parent name. These days are scary with the lack of security at school. Not at NTCA! They really go the extra mile to ensure every student is safe and have several armed security guards present at all times. This gives me a sense of comfort when dropping off my babies to learn. Not to mention, the teachers express and show love to the children. Many are parents themselves and I found that they will go the extra mile to help each child who needs it. Let’s also talk about nutrition…the only school in the area I know that cares about what the kids are consuming. Healthy and great hot lunch options that my kids enjoy! At night when my kids go to bed, they pray for their teachers and friends at this school. Anyone who wants a great school for your child, take a tour and see for yourself. Our family is very grateful for this school and all their staff!"

"If you're looking to place your kids in a school that nurtures kids' souls as well as their minds, NTCA will do it right! They have teachers that care. The religious aspect helps them with moral values and a healthy base. I highly recommend you take a look at this school"

"THEY LOOK AT GOOGLE REVIEWS!!! It's essential in today's world, no matter what's going on. :) I'm a happy camper - and I feel like my concerns have been 100% addressed. Thank you NTCA - that's really all I wanted. I know the school is expensive and yes we have to work a little harder to make sure our children have this type of environment to learn in, but I think it is worth it and this school is evolving and headed in the right direction. 5 Stars NTCA. Thank you for the response and thank you for the love and care you show our children. And one more marketing suggestion - offer direct contact information in your Google responses. When someone gives 1 star (especially with no explanation like I see a couple of) - you should 100% reply with a "Why the 1 star and what can we do to make it right? Contact me directly at...." - it's a professional move that shows good communication. Like it or not, it helps to pay attention to a website like Google."