I am an educator at a public institution. I believe in the power of education, and having only attended public schools ourselves, we never planned to send either of our kids to a private institution.

For years, I tried desperately to work with our school district to help my child reach the potential I knew was there. T.’s problem was not behavioral. T. was not disruptive. Instead, T. was ignored and neglected, and T.’s social skills withered away even before COVID started. We were hopeful that an in-person high school could bring much-needed change, but it was more of the same, this time complicated by questions around gender identity and relentless bullying. 

T. is a very intelligent, compassionate, and sensitive kid, but although our neighborhood elementary school had an amazing program, our child fell through the cracks the moment middle school started. The many impersonal teachers combined with the high-stimulation environment were too much for our neurodivergent kid. Then the lockdown from COVID hit during sixth-grade year. 

In November of T.’s 9th-grade year, we pulled T. out of the overcrowded public high school that was walking distance from our house. We briefly attempted homeschooling, but ultimately selected Orinda Academy, which was only 22 miles away, but a 3-hour daily commute when factoring in taking both the bus and BART.

To say that enrolling my child in Orinda Academy was a good decision is an understatement.

When T. first started Orinda Academy, anxiety was still an issue. T. was reluctant to doing anything social, even with the few friends that T. had managed to keep since elementary school. T. avoided exercise and didn’t enjoy eating. Things didn’t change overnight, but T. finally felt safe and accepted at Orinda. Slowly, T. started to engage in more physical activity. T. started to make friends. T. started to enjoy food again. We were pleasantly surprised that this sophomore, who had once hated mornings, was waking up early. To this day, T. believes the commute was worth waking up early.

T. finally felt engaged in math and challenged to try more. In fact, one summer T. did an intense summer math class to get ahead. T.’s favorite subject may never be history due to lingering troubles with dyslexia, but T.’s teachers have worked so diligently to bring out the best. (And quite frankly, I am impressed that O.A. challenges their students to read classics like Les Misérables and Cyrano de Bergerac instead of Hunger Games.) T. never fell too far behind because the teachers reached out to me whenever anything was amiss.

Orinda Academy is defined by more than its academics.

During the first parent-teacher conferences, I realized how invested O.A.’s teachers are in the lives of their students. Hearing the art teacher talking about my child, I was deeply moved. I could tell she loves what she does and knows the importance of not just teaching students specific skills but helping them build their resilience during these challenging times.

T.’s confidence has expanded so much! Even extended family tell me that they have seen T. smile more. T. is no longer fearful and has matured immensely under the guidance of caring and invested adults.

~Roxann Schmidt, parent of a 2026 graduate.