Travis Academy of Fine Arts TAFA Beware Home Schoolers! Public School philosophy lives here! Fort Worth Texas

Lori Rooke has not been truthful.  Since we have a parent who insists on saying I am "off base" I will show the public the REAL face of Lori Rooke and Travis Academy.

In this below email Lori insinuates that she and her staff are working with excellence and that the Parents are not working excellently at home keeping their children accountable.  This message (one of MANY) is not only insulting but when you see how I was KEPT from being ABLE to keep my child accountable at home, you will see what I am talking about.  There was ZERO communitcation about these chair tests and this message came in the late afternoon on SUNDAY! A day where most people are having family time instead of checking email.....the weekends are times for FAMILY and YAHWEH in our home but obviously Lori loves to work on the Christian Sabbath (the real Biblicaly Sabbath is on Saturday btw but Lori is a Christian who right here proves to break her own Sabbath by working against her God's commands for the Christian declared Sabbath.  I told her we don't do work on the weekends as it is guarded family time and she totally disrespected that though I was kind in asking her to share emails, especially DUE DATE EMAILS prior to the DAY BEFORE something is due.)  This was the beginning of the experience with Ms Lori Rooke in learning of her arrogance, disrespect for parents and families, disrepect for familyl time, her willingness to push her disobedience onto everyone else, her absent and then late communication to parents about assignments, and furthermore, her refusal to make any changes to honor families and parents wishes. Lori is a rude, disrespectful woman to any parent who communicates their needs that go against her set in stone agenda to do things her way when she hears from parents that her way is not working for them, the people who are PAYING her.  Lori thinks that putting "Christianese" (i.e. kind words to shroud her insults) in her messages covers her rudeness.  Not so.  Obviously some accept this sort of rude message suggesting I as a parent am not fulfilling my role at home but I DO NOT!  She is HIRED HELP! How DARE SHE especially when she refused to give me the information to do my job at home well (i.e. the assignments due in a timely manner!)

On Oct 12, 2014 2:56 PM, "Lori Rooke" <lori.rooke@tafaclasses.com> wrote:

If you have not yet turned in scale chair test either on Smart Music or on Charms you must turn it in tonight!  If you can not play it on mart music it is fine to turn it in via charms.  The scales include  - all concert pitch -  F, Bflat, G, D, A, E and chromatic beginning on concert bflat.

 

Parents,

 

Please help your child honor their commitment to band by having them turn in their assignments. We have many students who have not yet turned in their scale assignments as well as many who have not turned in practice charts.  

 

Progress reports will be sent out next week and will require a parent signature.

 

Mrs. Whaley, Mr. Whaley, and I are all dedicated to teaching with excellence for the Lord and want to be able to help your children become the best they can be in the band program.  We need your support and help in holding your student accountable in their commitment to this class.

 

I appreciate all the parental support we receive and hope that you each will come alongside us as we work for excellence in every aspect of TAFA.

 

Blessings,

Lori Rooke

 

 

I never check email on the weekends but happened to see an icon on my phone from TAFA.  I responded to Lori's late notice but it was 15 mins before my children's bed time!  No time to even figure anything out and of course Lori didn't respond!

Were these scales gone over in class or do you expect the kids at this level to know them?

This is after class on Monday night.  My daughter is totally deflated having been put into last chair and being accused falsely of not doing her assignments on time.  Lori's system of communication fails but she fails my daughter who is working her behind off!  My children practice as much as possible.  Even the days that we say "we didn't practice" I still have the kids do something.  What I meant by "not practicing" was that we didn't practice what was assigned because we didn't know!

Hannah is saying one thing and you another and she is my reliable kid so I'm confused. Hannah didn't have any assignment written down anywhere and I didn't know anything about chair tests (ie what they entailed) until your email late Sunday night. I haven't gotten regular email assignments weekly to know what she's to be practicing. She said she is last chair? That seems a bit strange considering her ability.  Hannah has completed ALL of her assignments online and submitted them early so I see no reason for her being put last chair for "not turning in assignments on time."  Hannah also knows her scales from being first chair in her Public School program. She is not a beginner and frankly doesn't feel challenged by this program at all.  

I think we may need to have a conversation

Thanks.

Still no response from Lori!!!  No response from Sunday night!  No response from Monday night!  We are totally in the dark and she is unavailable.  I tried to talk to her Monday after class but she was once again, not available.  Lori takes money as a "teacher" but is totally unavailable to parents.  Monday, Daniel comes home and tells me "Mom I have to give my trombone a bath before I can play it."  I called Lori Monday night asking for directions so he could practice but ZERO response.  We were dead in the water with Daniel practicing anything until she responded.  No written directions sent home and she didn't even verbally explain to Daniel (which would have not been enough anyway) how to "give a trombone a bath."  I am NOT going to do any such thing to a VERY expensive instrument without explicit instructions from the owner of the instrument!!!!

1) I have no idea how to wash a trombone as you told Daniel to do
2) Hannah is wanting to quit and is discouraged because of being put in last chair for not knowing what her chair test was as I didn't.  She thought she did everything she was supposed to do as her online SmartMusic entries indicate. 
3) I have no idea what the kids are supposed to practice this week. I thought we'd  get emails to let us know and I have not received any correapondence.

Thank for calling soon. I don't know what they are supposed to practice and Daniel said he can't practice until he cleans his instrument so we are dead in the water until we talk.

Thank You

Still no response from Lori the next day so I email again because now Daniel has not practiced ALL WEEK!  I saw what happened to Hannah - Lori disciplining my child when in fact the DID her work and my little guy surely doesn't need to be disciplined for HER lack of communication which is glaring!

FINALLY at 11:05pm Lori get around to responding with her excuses and her refusal to provide timely communication regarding assignments.  She had sent an email with links to a YouTube video about how to bath the instrument LATE Wednesday night AFTER my son's bedtime.  She answered NONE of my questions about my daughter and instead blamed my children for not writing down their assignments.  My children are not disobedient kids who simply don't do what they are instructed to do.  My oldest daughter was at the time 13 but going on 23 and is dedicated to playing clarinet and had ZERO motive for not writing down assignments.  Lori is blaming children and parents for not being diligent when in fact it is LORI who is not diligent as an instructor as these messages prove.  She is unavailable during the week and even after class on Monday.  What you get is what you get and there is ZERO parental communication to speak of regarding assignments.  

I was not at home and was not able to get emails all day today. I work at another job on Thursdays.  This is the first opportunity I have had to reply to your emails from today.......It will be rare that I will email out assignments by Monday night.  I work from 7:30am - 6:30pm at TAFA every Monday with one, less than 30 minute, break to eat lunch when I am usually dealing with students and parents instead getting to eat lunch. When I get home I am then a wife and mother trying to get dinner for my family and meeting the needs of my family........

Lori called me during SABBATH and a few times over the WEEKEND after having said she "respected" our family time and our keeping of Yahweh's Sabbath.  She called with a caller ID block which I do not answer. She claimed to have lost my phone number (which was a lie) and called my husband Friday but when I called her back I got voicemail.  Lori did everything to NOT communicate with me and to leave us hanging.

 So to the person who is happy with TAFA suggesting I am "off base" (and I'm sure it is one of the staff at TAFA who are trying to raise more money to build a bigger building!!!!  Surprise Surprise from Christians who build their buildings rather than build their obedience to Yahweh and their love for others) if you experienced what I did and what my children did with this program you would not be saying I am off base.  I tried desperately to communicate and was  met with silence and refusal to meet our needs and instead had my children blamed and myself blamed for not be diligent in our at home responsibilities.

 This program is terrible and the owners are just trying to protect themselves from bad reports.  MANY people have left TAFA unsatisfied.  I have met them personally.  MANY have quit the band program specifically due to poor communication by the Lori and her staff.  These people are just the type, however, who don't want to rock the boat for the place they  have to dump off their kids to have others educate them.

Good riddens to Lori Rooke and TAFA.

Google ANY public school arts program and you will see EXCELLENT productions!  No one ever said public schools don't have good productions.  What they lack is obedience to Yahweh's Word.  Disrespect for parental roles do not = bad productions honey.  If you are more interested in productions that is GREAT for you.

I am more interested in obeying Yahweh and training my child up in His ways.

Like I said, there is a niche TAFA caters to in the "home school" community. People who love to hand over their parental responsibilities to another will fit in just great. MOST parents are quick to hand their MOST important God given Duty to raise up and train our children in the way they should go. That is why so many choose public school. TAFA is just a public school that is "Christianized" made to look like "home school" (in name only).  It is a place to drop off your kid, let someone else take over your role completely, leaving you a peripheral role and out of the loop just like public school, so you can relax while others do your job. MANY want this! I see that! It's an epidemic in our society. I said many do want that.

I however, do NOT want that which is why I left TAFA. It didnt' take me long to learn the truth and yes I left quickly when I realized how set in their ways they were and how I was not going to be respected as the lead of my home school. The band teacher's arrogance is astounding! I hired her as HELP yes, but I did NOT know that TAFA would remove me as the lead of my Home School for the class I signed my child up for. Hired help does NOT take over....they are hired help! This band teacher takes over without a doubt. She even told me how she's had to talk to parents who "disturb her class by parenting their child." LOL

I was refused communication of reliable, regular, weekly home work assignments and told it would not be provided to parents under no uncertain terms. That is ridiculous and NOT supportive of the concept of HOME SCHOOL! Do you wish a copy of the email communication from the Band teacher????  How about a recording of the rude Administration?

You and TAFA are a GREAT fit! You both blame the child (so very public school minded) and support a parent in the dark mindset. I however, see that since I am with my children 168 hours per week and the TAFA teacher is with my children 1 1/2 hours per week, that it's reasonable that I as the parent should be in the KNOW about weekly assignments so that I can train up my child in the way they should go. In the event they don't write down or understand the verbal assignments clearly, me having the assignment keeps our work week a success and gives me an opportunity with my child to TRAIN them not blame and shame them and set them up for failure! It is a waste of money to let a child go all week long practicing the wrong thing because of a failure to communicate - a I'll tell you the communication with this band teacher is TERRIBLE! She told my son to "give his instrument a bath" and told him to not play it until he had done so. She sent NO directions on how to do this!  I won't touch an instrument in this way without direction as I'd owe money if we broke it!  This teacher is incompitent and has zero time in her busy life to do this band job adequately....she's told me over and again she works 3 jobs and has no time and expected me to accept her poor performance.

If my child was the problem (which is NOT the case but let's consider your desire to blame a child for the teacher's failings) then I the parent having the assignment FROM the TEACHER privately would put me in a position to correct and train my child! It's really quite an easy concept!  I'm sure your kids are perfect and never make mistakes but mine are human and young and they do make mistakes and they learn by their mistakes and I don't shame and blame them for it.....you must be so proud of your super humans!!!! If you want to hand over your divine role to a stranger who has 1 1/2 hours of influence over your child once per week, be my guest by all means! I however, will not give up my Divine role as parent/teacher/leader of my children under NO circumstances. All this said, the teacher was the one at fault as her many notices telling parents they were failing at their jobs at home proved.

Anyone who choses TAFA has the TAFA mindset which is a drop off your kid, leave your responsibility as head teacher at the door, let someone else take charge..... they are public school minded but with "Jesus" inserted.  TAFA is a cheap private school labeled as home school but bares NO likeness of the true home school mindset.   

Glad you are happy with that. That's NOT what home schooling is though. Home schooling is PARENT LEAD 100%. I have other hired help and they do not take over my role. It works out great!  We maintain mutual respect for each other, we have great communication, and we know our roles and are faithful to keeping them in tact.

I am sharing my experience because I believe there are still many parents out there who understand the true meaning of home school and the serious call to train up our children. We were NEVER commanded to hand over our roles to another. Shame on people who call themselves followers of Yahweh but who don't obey the commands of the Bible to parents. Shame on TAFA for teachering others to disobey Yahweh in His commands to parents.

Matthew 5:19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands (The Whole Torah) and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Wow! This parent appears to be way off base from what we have seen. We have not had this kind of experience with TAFA. Our experiences have been excellent in both private lessons and in classes that are offered!  Almost all of the teachers are homeschool parents as well as godly and passionate teachers and educated in the classes they teach.  They understand the mindset of homeschooling and are a valuable asset to our homeschool education.  

Travis Academy fills a huge need in the homeschool community by providing education in areas that are difficult for us to do at home such as band and choir simply due to the nature of the training needed to teach these courses and the number of people needed to participate in these types of classes. 

There mission is to "partner with families to provide the highest quality training in the Arts in a family-oriented, Christ-centered environment", and we feel they strive to do that. No organization is perfect, but they do a wonderful job and a are a great asset to homeschoolers and we are very pleased.

They have hundreds of homeschoolers involved in their program and our conversations with others are similar to our experience.  We are so excited to see how God uses this program to continue ministering to our kids and other homeschoolers. 

It is sad that someone would bash an entire program because they appear to have had one bad experience because they feel a teacher didn't communicate in a timely manner although it appears by their comments they did give information out to their students but they must not trust their students to write down assignments. ???  Besides they say they only stayed in the school for a little over a month and since classes only meet one day a week that means they only attended 5 or 6 times and came to this conclusion. Wow! We have been involved for 4 years so we can speak with just a little more experience. 

Here is a great video found on their website showing what they do.

youtube.com/watch?v=VlItJhAxfWg