Cookie cutter education is failing our children.
So we're reimaging school with personalized learning & an innovative whole-child model.
We're empowering kids to think critically, solve problems creatively, & discover their best selves!









What sets DLA apart from other schools & models?
We innovate.
We take the educational research and the information we have about human development and the curriculum and interventions that work in some cases and we mix and match them based on the needs of our learners, creating completely new things when necessary!
We personalize.
We celebrate our learners' unique interests, needs, and strengths. Based on assessments taken when they arrive at DLA, our learners begin exactly where they are (regardless of "grade level") in math, reading, and writing. They are also challenged to master concepts and ideas and to apply them in ways that are meaningful to them.
We iterate.
After implementation, we observe and reflect on and then adapt, reimplementing with the new information guiding changes. From our from our leadership team, to our instructional facilitators, to our learners, we are always aiming high, failing big, learning, growing, and trying again smarter & stronger!
We validate.
We appreciate that each member of our community is a whole person with feelings, thoughts, interests, fears, dreams, and talents. We believe social and emotional skills, independence, vigorous and respectful discourse, organization, creative problem solving and critical thinking are as essential as core academic skills.