Yes! Our staff has specialist training in a variety of areas. We are confident with most disabilities.

We are also aware that, for many students, a learning disability means frustration that may present as “behavioral issues” in the classroom. Please don’t be afraid to discuss this with us as many of our learners struggled in a traditional classroom but they’re doing fine here at Linder.

In fact, we’re built for students that struggle with traditional learning methods. Due to our small size and tremendous flexibility, we’re often a great fit for students that vary from the “norm” in their academic and social abilities.

And since we offer the best evidence-based intervention as our core curriculum (not private pull-out), we don’t have to single out students for targeted interventions. All students progress through our Orton-Gilingham program and are placed in skill-based cohorts, not age-based groups for instruction. This means that a group might be composed of 6-9 year olds all working on the same concepts in their literacy progression.

Our Problem-Based Learning model also means that students can shine - and gain confidence - in their abilities without the limitations of a reading-based lecture class. For students with disabilities, this is often liberating and empowering. They get to be “good” at school again and play to their strengths. Even forget their struggles for a while.

For students that are gifted, this means they can tackle components of a problem intellectually that are well above their “age level” norms of instruction, and be a lot less bored!

Please learn more about our application process and how you can see if Linder is the right fir for your child.

In our Lower School, we do not. Research is unequivocal that homework at the elementary level has little or no impact on learning. Further, we see mental health concerns in children that are finding themselves in school or interventions for 10+ hours a day. This is not sustainable, productive, or healthy for children or their families.

Our elementary program is meant to be all-inclusive—everything a child needs, all during the day. We build the goals of “homework” in most schools (repetition of skills to build fluency) into our Cognitive Capacity blocks for elementary. We make that part of the school day, and more explicit and efficient than homework worksheets, so children can be kids after school. By middle and high school, our students are organizing and executing large projects, as well as working on long term research papers, all of which hone executive functioning skills.

For parents concerned about the development of executive functioning skills that homework might provide, consider our program. At Linder, we build time management, planning, agency, and accountability into our problem-based weekly learning. We make children more independent by building a school around those skills, instead of hoping that homework teaches them broader lessons. We are confident our students are prepared to manage the many components of their learning when they graduate on from Linder — and to do so with the lesson that mental health and being a kid are as important as subject material.

Our goal at Linder is to partner with families and provide radical transparency and real data on your student's progress. Linder conducts standardized testing twice a year, including a full suite of IOWA testing and iReady reading assessments. Even more frequently, we conduct Orton-Gillingham (OG) and Singapore Math assessments. Data from these varied sources, alongside feedback from families, inform cohort placements.

Formal report cards and parent-teacher conferences twice a year provide updates on student growth. However, you can expect feedback far more often than this.

Our teachers pride themselves on maintaining open communication. They provide updates on student work and progress through Blackbaud, and families always have a direct line to their child’s teachers via email or a chat feature in the ParentSquare app.

Because of this extensive communication, we firmly believe that come parent-teacher conferences, nothing should come as a total surprise.

Why yes, we are!

Linder is preparing to open its Upper School on N. Washington Street in Old Town Alexandria in Fall 2026. A $7M renovation will transform the former Ross building into a state-of-the-art learning space.

We welcomed our first Upper School students in Fall 2025. While renovations are being completed, Upper School classes are being held in the classrooms within the historic Christ Church (directly next door to the future Upper School).

Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year are currently open and will be considered on a rolling admissions basis.

Learn more about how to apply, or contact us to learn more.

The Linder Academy has been actively working toward accreditation through the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. This is an exciting milestone for our school, reflecting our commitment to providing exceptional education.

The accreditation process takes 3-5 years, and includes a thorough review of everything from our curriculum and teaching methods to student support services and overall operations.

We’re proud to say that Linder already exceeds required standards in key areas that set our students up for success, including:

- Testing protocols
- Progress monitoring
- Evidence-based instructional practices

Our expectation is full accreditation by the spring of 2026, further solidifying Linder as a leader in fostering academic excellence.

Yes. We build in blocks of time each day for interventions for students that need extra support. Upper School students have a daily designated Study Hall they use to complete assignments, perform group work, or engage with their instructors.

Yes. Our priority is always to ensure your child receives the support they need, which may include appointments during the day to visit specialists. We are flexible and happy to work with each family to have our program fit with any needed outside appointments.

We collaborate closely with families to provide personalized and flexible solutions tailored to each child.

• Additional math and reading support with one of our learning specialists is available on an as-needed basis.

• For occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology (SLP), we welcome outside providers to work with students during the school day, either in a pull-out or push-in setting. Families often appreciate the convenience of having these services seamlessly integrated into their child’s schedule, eliminating the need for after-school appointments.

We currently partner with Wholesome Foods Services to provide lunch from a variety of local restaurant partners. Ordering is easy and flexible! Read more.

Yes! We offer an after-school program from 3:30-5:30pm for grades K-5.

We’re so glad you asked! We aim to make the application process as transparent and straightforward as possible. Read more here.

The Linder Academy works on rolling admissions.

We are a unique school with a very specific approach to education. As such, we feel a student is either the right fit for our program or better served in other programs.

We tend to be a “first choice” school for a child if indeed the student aligns with our mission and services.

Our goal is to fill each school year with children that match our mission, so we offer rolling admissions. We are happy to discuss your child and if The Linder Academy is the right fit for your family. If we both agree that The Linder Academy is a place for your child to excel, you can enroll at any time if there is remaining space.

Learn how to begin the application process.

At The Linder Academy, we focus on academics. We allocate our resources in order to offer an affordable option for highly specialized instruction in a small school environment. Please see Tuition & fees for more.

Yes. Linder makes every effort to award financial aid when circumstances require it. The vast majority of resources are dedicated to families with financial need, with a limited allocation based on merit.

Linder Academy staff reviews each application in confidence and makes award decisions based on the information you provide in your application.

All families are strongly encouraged to check their local community agencies for scholarships in addition to those that may be provided by Linder Academy. Many organizations offer scholarships for educational and leadership experiences.

Scholarship applications must be received by our office no later than May 1st.

Please note that all scholarship applications require submission of the first page of the parents’ most recent 1040 US Tax Form, showing Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Scholarship decisions cannot be made without the required tax information.

No. Preference is always given to current students that decide they would like to remain in our program another year, but our goal is not to secure a student long-term. Our goal is to help your child, and your family, succeed. For some, that might mean a year with us to work on reading intervention and return to a public school. For others, that might mean multiple years with us to capitalize on the flexibility of our program and lead their child into 9th grade advanced track courses.

We look at each child and each family and discuss goals and if, for this year, The Linder Academy makes sense in helping to reach them.

Yes. We value the strong sense of community that grows when families are part of the school together. While admission for siblings cannot be guaranteed, siblings of current students are given priority during the admission process.