About us

Lindsey and Janet met while searching for high school options in Jacksonville for our sons. While we had found innovative, forward-thinking schools for elementary and middle school, the high school choices were limited to:

• Pressure-cooker schools designed for accelerated and gifted students

• Schools for students with special needs

• Schools plagued by constant state testing, lock-downs and active shooter drills.

From our life experiences and research, we knew these approaches had long been debunked and overhauled and could not tolerate seeing our sons' creativity, joy and curiosity squashed for the ska eof keeping up with Joneses. Our first families to eventually enroll, like us, were entrepreneurs, educators, or both—parents who knew there was a better way and weren't going to settle.

Lindsey’s Story

Lindsey is a mom of three and former educator. Her oldest attends Episcopal, and she and her children previously attended Catholic schools. She knows first-hand that the prestige and price tag of elite private schools didn’t equate to innovative, best practice teaching, and that they followed the same outdated methods from 30 years ago, now burdened by:

• More AP courses, pressure, testing, and stress

• More homework, memorization, tutors, time sitting

• More focus on getting into “those” colleges than on thriving in life

Her children thrived in schools where:

• Learning took precedence over grades

• The goal wasn’t “getting in” somewhere but developing into successful adults

• Teaching methods were carefully curated based on how students learn best - engaging, hands-on, relevant approaches

Janet’s Story

Janet is a mom, therapist, and former school counselor with a doctorate in educational leadership. Having attended an elite high school herself, she saw that student “success“ was often due to the students and resources, not the teaching. Tuition dollars often went to facilities and extracurriculars rather than teachers and learning.

As a school counselor from inner-city public schools to Beaches Episcopal, she saw that schools could make or break students and their families.  In her local therapy practice, Janet witnessed teens battling anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse—not from family struggles, but from the overwhelming pressure of elite schools or the discipline and safety issues at others.  

After seeing our sons in both traditional and innovative schools during their younger years, we knew that sending them to the existing high school options in Jacksonville would be harmful to their well-being and our families. 

This began our two-year journey to create something better: Colossal Academy Jacksonville, which opened in August 2024.

Our Vision

We reflected on what had and hadn’t worked in schools, envisioning what could be better.

We wanted our boys to

• Learn, not just memorize facts for tests

• Experience rigorous but relevant, engaging learning

• Look forward to school—a place where they could develop grit, confidence, leadership, problem-solving skills, collaboration, self-awareness, discipline, responsibility, and real-world skills like managing finances, fixing a tire, or sewing a button.

We consulted experts, researched innovative programs, and discovered that the best schools shared key elements:

• Project-based, hands-on, relevant learning

• Mastery-based progress

• Strong connections between school, college, and the community through entrepreneurship and internships

• Encouraging, engaging learning environments

• Emphasis on life skills

This became the foundation of Colossal Academy Jacksonville.

Is Colossal Right for Your Family?

If your child thrives in a traditional school, we’re thrilled for you—every student deserves to belong and succeed. We’re not here to convince anyone.

But if your child struggles with the pressures of memorization, testing, or active shooter drills…

If your child learns differently but doesn’t fit at traditional schools or specialized programs like Greenwood…

If you want to prepare your child for the challenges of life in a meaningful way…

Take a tour. Talk to Lindsey and Janet. Speak with our first-year families and teachers. Let’s see if Colossal Academy Jacksonville is the right fit for your family.