Who We Are
Our History
In 1971, behavioral psychologist Dr. Laura Phillips established the Institute of Human Behavior, Research and Education which included the school, the Children's Learning Center. Dr. Phillips established the school for her clients who were not being effectively served within the public schools. The school was founded on the belief that all students can learn if they are instructed properly. We became state certified in 1981 and moved to our current location in Alameda. We have worked collaboratively with over 16 Bay Area public school districts to serve the needs of students in special education for more than 55 years.
In the fall of 2012, the Children's Learning Center changed the name of the school to The Phillips Academy to honor the life and work of Dr. Phillips. While our program has changed and grown over the years, we have maintained our commitment to sustaining a nurturing learning environment built on positive relationships, to assessing the effectiveness of our interventions, and to providing students with personalized educational plans that reflect best practice. Today, The Phillips Academy proudly serves approximately 65-70 middle and high school students.
WASC Accreditation
The Phillips Academy received its third 6-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Our program was highly acclaimed for its dedicated staff and student support, its positive school climate, its individualized programming and its academic rigor. We continue to review and revise our schoolwide action plan and continue our efforts for school improvement.
Our Mission
The mission of The Phillips Academy is to provide an inclusive, comprehensive
educational program that offers positive, culturally responsive and personalized instruction for neurodiverse youth with complex social, emotional, and educational needs.
Through collaboration with our families and the referring school districts, The Phillips Academy strives to enhance the quality of students’ lives and enable them to reach their full potential in a supportive and nurturing learning environment. A positive attitude toward learning, as well as a sense of community, self-competence, a respect for diversity, and essential academic and social-emotional skills are developed through personalized education plans. We are committed to preparing students for successful transitions to public school programs if appropriate, to post-secondary educational institutions and to vocational training programs, upon completion of our program.
Our Staff
TPA is very proud of the school climate that we have collectively established. We have many long term staff with 20-30 years of dedicated highly skilled service. We have newer members of our team that we mentor to help develop the next generation of service providers for our children. This blend of the old and new allows us to maintain a core identity and set of values, while continuing to grow and innovate and be energized by new ideas in the field.
Visitors often comment on how positive the environment is and how impressed they are with how we interact with and speak to our students and how we work together as a team.