Bachman Academy
Encyclopedia
Bachman Academy is a 6th-12th, co-ed college preparatory day and boarding school in Bradley County, Tennessee. It serves students with learning differences, like ADHD
, Dyslexia
, and NLD
, who have average to above average intelligence, but learn best in a non-traditional environment that is challenging, achievement-oriented and individualized. The Academy's alleged mission is to "empower students who have learning differences to develop the skills and values necessary for success in our global community".
Bachman was moved by the encounter and resolved to appeal to his Presbyterian church in Sweetwater, Tennessee, as well as his brother Jonathan’s church in Chattanooga, to help the children of Farner receive an education. They agreed, and Bachman School opened in 1912 with one teacher and one preacher.
In 1916, the school was officially given the title, “Lynn Bachman Memorial School.” Then, in 1925, the Jonathan W. Bachman Memorial Orphans Home was constructed on the grounds of the school. This addition to the school helped to augment the mission of the school. Over the years, the school added more cottages to the grounds to accommodate more children in need.
In 1934, with the addition of a new public school system in the area, “Bachman Home” was able to refine its focus on providing a home for orphaned or needy children of all ages in Farner. By 1936, 34 students from Bachman Home were attending the local elementary school and 12 were attending Ducktown High School.
In 1947, the board voted to relocate the school to provide the children access to better living and educational facilities. Sweetwater, Tennessee was the chosen location; however, due to budgetary constraints, the building program halted in 1949.
Soon after, the chairman received a letter from an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland, Tennessee
, informing them that there was land and a former Church of God
orphanage for sale there. This facility would meet the needs of the young people of Bachman Home and provide better housing arrangements. The board voted unanimously to move forward with this relocation to Cleveland. Bachman Home found a permanent location when they moved there officially in 1950.
By 1970, the Bachman Home expanded to include caring for children who came from less fortunate families in addition to orphans. They sought to keep siblings together and to get them into foster homes or back to their own families as quickly as possible.
During the 80’s-90’s Bachman Home served as a transitional point for boys referred from the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services. The goal of the then boys-only facility was to help young men learn to be independent, functioning members of society. Part of this program included an alternative school
on campus for boys with behavioral problems or who needed to catch up in schoolwork before they returned to a traditional school setting.
Although no longer operating as an orphanage, Bachman Home had always been and was still committed to serving children. As natural result of the previous decade’s work, the board began to see a need for addressing the learning differences that seemed to correlate to and result in behavior problems. In 1999, Bachman Memorial Home began doing business as Bachman Academy, and the school refined its focus to accept students – both boys and girls – with learning disabilities (learning differences) like dyslexia
, dysgraphia
, dyscalculia
, nonverbal learning disorder
, attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
With the need for appropriate education for learning differences growing exponentially, the Academy soon began accepting referrals from Educational Consultants across the United States. In 2004, the Academy became a SEVIS
approved school and was able to accept international students with learning differences. Since 1999, the school has served students with learning differences from 27 states and 8 countries.
(SACS) and the Southern Association of Independent Schools
(SAIS). The Academy is a member of the Small Boarding Schools Association (SBSA. Academics meet Tennessee State requirements. The curriculum adapts to the needs of the students with both traditional and hands-on instruction. The school provides two tracks, College-prep and Career-prep. Career-prep students may choose from Equestrian
, Mechanics
, Horticulture
/Agriculture
, and Woodworking
. College-prep students may select any career class as an elective. In 2009, the school added the Young Marines
Program to the curricula.
, Bowling
, and Equestrian. However other sports are offered from Bradley County Public Schools through the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association
. Many activities are planned for boarding students on weekends.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age.ADHD is the most commonly studied and...
, Dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
, and NLD
Nonverbal learning disorder
A nonverbal learning disorder or nonverbal learning disability is a condition characterized by a significant discrepancy between higher verbal and lower motor, visuo-spatial, and social skills on an IQ test...
, who have average to above average intelligence, but learn best in a non-traditional environment that is challenging, achievement-oriented and individualized. The Academy's alleged mission is to "empower students who have learning differences to develop the skills and values necessary for success in our global community".
History (1906-Present)
Bachman Academy’s story starts over a century ago in Farner, Tennessee, a small town in a hard-to-reach area of the Appalachian Mountains. In 1906, Dr. Lynn Bachman was walking along a stream and came across a young boy. He asked the boy why he wasn’t in school. The boy replied, “I looked up the crick, and I looked down the crick, and I said, ‘Ain’t nobody never going to come up here and larn us nothin’ [sic].’”Bachman was moved by the encounter and resolved to appeal to his Presbyterian church in Sweetwater, Tennessee, as well as his brother Jonathan’s church in Chattanooga, to help the children of Farner receive an education. They agreed, and Bachman School opened in 1912 with one teacher and one preacher.
In 1916, the school was officially given the title, “Lynn Bachman Memorial School.” Then, in 1925, the Jonathan W. Bachman Memorial Orphans Home was constructed on the grounds of the school. This addition to the school helped to augment the mission of the school. Over the years, the school added more cottages to the grounds to accommodate more children in need.
In 1934, with the addition of a new public school system in the area, “Bachman Home” was able to refine its focus on providing a home for orphaned or needy children of all ages in Farner. By 1936, 34 students from Bachman Home were attending the local elementary school and 12 were attending Ducktown High School.
In 1947, the board voted to relocate the school to provide the children access to better living and educational facilities. Sweetwater, Tennessee was the chosen location; however, due to budgetary constraints, the building program halted in 1949.
Soon after, the chairman received a letter from an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 41,285 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bradley County...
, informing them that there was land and a former Church of God
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. With over seven million members in over 170 countries, it is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world...
orphanage for sale there. This facility would meet the needs of the young people of Bachman Home and provide better housing arrangements. The board voted unanimously to move forward with this relocation to Cleveland. Bachman Home found a permanent location when they moved there officially in 1950.
By 1970, the Bachman Home expanded to include caring for children who came from less fortunate families in addition to orphans. They sought to keep siblings together and to get them into foster homes or back to their own families as quickly as possible.
During the 80’s-90’s Bachman Home served as a transitional point for boys referred from the Department of Corrections and the Department of Human Services. The goal of the then boys-only facility was to help young men learn to be independent, functioning members of society. Part of this program included an alternative school
Alternative school
Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional...
on campus for boys with behavioral problems or who needed to catch up in schoolwork before they returned to a traditional school setting.
Although no longer operating as an orphanage, Bachman Home had always been and was still committed to serving children. As natural result of the previous decade’s work, the board began to see a need for addressing the learning differences that seemed to correlate to and result in behavior problems. In 1999, Bachman Memorial Home began doing business as Bachman Academy, and the school refined its focus to accept students – both boys and girls – with learning disabilities (learning differences) like dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
, dysgraphia
Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a deficiency in the ability to write primarily in terms of handwriting, but also in terms of coherence. It occurs regardless of the ability to read and is not due to intellectual impairment...
, dyscalculia
Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability involving innate difficulty in learning or comprehending simple arithmetic. It is akin to dyslexia and includes difficulty in understanding numbers, learning how to manipulate numbers, learning maths facts, and a number of other related symptoms...
, nonverbal learning disorder
Nonverbal learning disorder
A nonverbal learning disorder or nonverbal learning disability is a condition characterized by a significant discrepancy between higher verbal and lower motor, visuo-spatial, and social skills on an IQ test...
, attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
With the need for appropriate education for learning differences growing exponentially, the Academy soon began accepting referrals from Educational Consultants across the United States. In 2004, the Academy became a SEVIS
Sévis
Sévis is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming village situated in the Pays de Bray, some south of Dieppe, at the junction of the D48 and D15 roads.-Population:...
approved school and was able to accept international students with learning differences. Since 1999, the school has served students with learning differences from 27 states and 8 countries.
Academics
Bachman Academy is dually-accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS) and the Southern Association of Independent Schools
Southern Association of Independent Schools
The Southern Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based voluntary organization of more than 340 independent elementary and secondary schools through the South, representing more than 180,000 students...
(SAIS). The Academy is a member of the Small Boarding Schools Association (SBSA. Academics meet Tennessee State requirements. The curriculum adapts to the needs of the students with both traditional and hands-on instruction. The school provides two tracks, College-prep and Career-prep. Career-prep students may choose from Equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
, Mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
, Horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
/Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, and Woodworking
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
. College-prep students may select any career class as an elective. In 2009, the school added the Young Marines
Young Marines
The Young Marines is a youth program in the United States, open to children from the ages of 8 years old through the completion of high school.- Role and purpose :* To promote the mental, moral, and physical development of its members...
Program to the curricula.
Activities
Many extra-curricular activities are offered including clubs and sports. Sports offered: Cross CountryCross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, Bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, and Equestrian. However other sports are offered from Bradley County Public Schools through the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association
Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association is an organization which administers junior and senior high school sporting events in Tennessee.-Description:...
. Many activities are planned for boarding students on weekends.