Academics were rough. Students collectively pushed back on doing work, and few teachers were…read morewilling or able to fail 70% of the class, so standards slipped across the board -- a student can graduate with a great-looking transcript and still be underprepared for math, science, etc. down the line. I remember an instance where a teacher assigned homework, and past the due date, 3/26 students had got it in. She can't tank everyone's grade, so her only choice is to either weigh homework lower or extend/devalue the deadline, neither of which actually serve the students as they move into higher education and careers. I watched one classmate who'd been absent three months and failing everything still walk at graduation, which stung given how hard most of us worked. These things really do devalue an FMS diploma.
Security is another concern: a cadet installed a hacking device on a teacher's computer mid-year and changed his friends' grades. He was expelled, but as far as I know the systems were never hardened afterward.
Socially, there's real camaraderie, but it can get cliquey, and cadet rank creates uneven enforcement -- some students effectively don't have to follow the rules. I was bullied a fair amount, mostly for taking my cadet leadership duties seriously.
Post-graduation, the school isn't on Parchment or similar systems, so transcripts are a hassle. Mine arrived SIGNED and incorrectly listed all my courses as standard-level instead of Honors/AP, tanking my GPA on paper -- which is how Valedictorian ended up going to the highest ranking cadet instead of me, despite my actual record being better. That one felt like a real injustice.
None of this is to discount the good people there. Christianna Herrera (Middle School Administrator) is a godsend -- goes above and beyond daily. Robert Loveland is excellent too. SGT Glass cares deeply and shows up despite chronic pain. Phillip Lacey made a real personal impact on me. JROTC staff, disagreements aside, genuinely want the best for cadets. Food service is better than most colleges', and admissions (Mike Payne) is solid.
Bottom line: as an alternative to public high school, it's compelling -- but if you're comparing schools nationally, I'd hold off until there's real infrastructure investment, including expanding the TAC office budget to hire more staff experienced in childcare and boarding school environments.
Ultimately, I had a good experience, but as a product review, it needs work.
