A Single Student

​

The story of Central Florida Leadership Academy (CFLA) began with a single student.

 

When founding board member, Jody Litchford, saw her son struggling with all a parent’s worst fears, she searched for solutions.

 

That search brought her to The Hyde School, a boarding school in Bath, Maine focused on family partnership, leadership development and character formation. There, in the beautiful campus and environs of the Northeast, Jody’s son - and their entire family - had a transformative experience with education.

​

The Hyde School Difference

 

Jody and her family experienced a school focused on helping all students grow, regardless of where they were starting from. They cared about "growth" over results because they believed this pattern led to the best results.

 

They experienced a school that didn’t ask parents to “drop and forget” the kids, but rather one that worked alongside families because they believed the family was the primary teacher of each child's character. 

 

They experienced a curriculum and approach to developing leaders that has worked for more than 40 years. 

 

They experienced a vision set by the school that was more than empty slogans and vision statements. The school-day, down to each lesson, reinforced the mission of developing students who were ready to be leaders in their families and communities. 

​

The Founding

 

After her son graduated, Jody had a mission of her own: to bring the Hyde School approach to her hometown and make it accessible to every student. 

 

To make this dream a reality, she assembled a team of reputable Orlando-based leaders, most notably, Dr. Clara Walters. With her experience as the first African American female administrator in Orange County Public Schools and an extensive record of successful school leadership, Dr. Walters joined the Board of  Central Florida Leadership Academy to ensure it would be be exemplary as an upholder of the Hyde approach to education and as high-expectations academy in its own right.

 

The Story Continues

​

Since 2013, the school has proven successful at developing students in academics, character and leadership.

 

In 2022, Joshua Corlew became the third Principal of CFLA since its founding and he embraces the great work of maintaining and growing the school in excellence for years to come.