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Was the science teacher with his own curriculum Lt. Col. Gene Doremus? If so, he is at Excelsior Classes for this coming semester and year. Several teachers have joined that group. They are offering a $120 special per class to help out those who have lost teachers including English classes. They may add others. www.excelsiorclasses.com/classes

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I received an email from Landry today confirming they have not been able to pay their teachers in full for the past few weeks.  In the email, Greg asked that parents refrain from emailing about specific classes until some decisions are made.  From the message, I gather more information will be forthcoming later this week.  I was so hoping the email would be decisive one way or the other, but I also understand Greg and his staff need time to make decisions.  Honestly, it doesn't sound very positive to me, but I'm continuing to pray.

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I can't believe this....I am definitely nervous and out quite a bit too if they don't continue.  I hope they let us know soon so we can have some time to figure out what we will be doing the rest of the year...always something!  :confused1:  Thankfully this year I only have one kid in one class (Latin 2), but know so many who are in many classes...hugs to you all!  How stressful!  I am just shocked, they have been up and running for so long I felt safe.  :(

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I had direct contact today from people working for Landry (not as official spokesmen) and they said that things are still being worked out.  They said from their perspective it looks very hopeful and Greg Landry is working very hard to deal with the financial hiccup (one person says they believe from what they heard through the grape vine that this was possibly caused because of restructuring that didn't work out as planned) but no guarantees regarding classes resuming in the Spring yet.  They confirmed that teachers/administrators/department heads were not paid at all or only partly paid a VERY reduced amount during the last couple of months or so.  Teachers mostly kept teaching to the end of the semester out of loyalty to their students and to Landry so I give them a solid round of applause for that.  Many are still hanging on and are planning for classes to resume as normal.  Others already left because they were unable to wait.  This is why registration was abruptly closed.  They are not certain at this time what classes will still be offered.

 

I know this is stressful.  I hope the school can work out whatever the issue is.  I have been told that we should hear something more definitive by the end of this week or beginning of next but that was not from Greg Landry, that was from an employee.  They did want to reassure me that from having worked with Landry for years and years and from contact they have had with Greg Landry over this issue in particular (whatever it may be) that they strongly believe Mr. Landry and his wife care deeply about the students and the teachers, feel terrible about the situation and are trying very hard to deal with whatever the issue is.

Edited by OneStepAtATime
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We received the email, as well. We have had great experiences with Landry, even done summer camps and such. Our daughter is scheduled to go on the Feb 1st. Bahamas trip, however, and we knew something was wrong when the 6-week class they take prior to leaving didn't start at planned on Dec 15th with no communication as to why or when it would reschedule. Praying things work out. This was an expensive trip for my daughter to pay for with her own money. Anyone else happen to have trips scheduled in the spring?

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We received the email, as well. We have had great experiences with Landry, even done summer camps and such. Our daughter is scheduled to go on the Feb 1st. Bahamas trip, however, and we knew something was wrong when the 6-week class they take prior to leaving didn't start at planned on Dec 15th with no communication as to why or when it would reschedule. Praying things work out. This was an expensive trip for my daughter to pay for with her own money. Anyone else happen to have trips scheduled in the spring?

I got the email from Greg Landry, too, just about an hour or so after I posted above. I'm glad he sent something out but there really isn't much information despite the length of the post.

 

When I talked to the two people I heard from earlier they seemed to think the trips were still planned but just like with the classes it is all still up in the air as of this moment. Hoping this will work out and soon.

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Was the science teacher with his own curriculum Lt. Col. Gene Doremus? If so, he is at Excelsior Classes for this coming semester and year. Several teachers have joined that group. They are offering a $120 special per class to help out those who have lost teachers including English classes. They may add others. www.excelsiorclasses.com/classes

Yes, he was the instructor. Thank you very much for the info!!!

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This the email that was posted on the Landry FB page.  My son is enrolled but I have not received it, but there was also a post that it is being sent out in cycles to all of the families:

 

 Dear Landry Academy Families,
 
Although long, this is an important message.
 
Roughly nine years ago, my wife, Nancy and I held 
our first summer camps - the beginnings of what is 
now Landry Academy. They grew out of some field
trips I was offering to homeschooling families.
The field trips were to the human cadaver lab at
the university where I was teaching at the time in
North Carolina.
 
The field trips were very popular with families
and they asked for longer, more in depth sessions
in the lab for their high school students. Thus, 
week-long Anatomy & Physiology Summer Camps
were born. The first couple of years were only
Anatomy & Physiology; later, we also began
offering summer camps on other topics and grew
to offer over 20 camps on a wide variety of topics.
 
A few years before we started offering summer 
camps, I was teaching middle school and high school 
level science classes to homeschooled students at our 
house. Those classes started as me teaching our 
daughters and gradually grew as homeschooling 
students from our town and surrounding areas joined us.
 
At the request of parents who didn't want to travel
to our house for science classes, I started
teaching those classes online. At first by myself, until
I could no longer handle the teaching load alone. A couple
of other teachers came on board to help me with science
classes and the following year we gradually started
adding classes other than sciences. Our online classes
grew from there.
 
A few years later, our youngest daughter graduated 
and headed off to college. The nest was empty. That
was a difficult transition for us, but it also gave us the
opportunity to try something that homeschool moms
had been asking for - Biology labs in their local area.
 
So, Nancy and I loaded our old Suburban with Biology lab 
equipment and supplies and started doing our two day 
Biology lab intensives at over 40 locations throughout the
country. We spent the school year doing that and they 
were very popular. That year was exhausting, but it was
good to be out meeting homeschooling families across 
the country, teaching Biology, and having lots of time
to spend with each other on long drives from one 
intensive location to the next.
 
We later began offering other science lab intensives 
such as Chemistry, Physics, etc. And, as the demand 
was there, we continued to add new online classes, 
summer camps, etc. The Lord brought us some great 
teachers for those online classes, summer camps, and
two day lab intensives, and a great administrative staff.
 
Because we wanted students to have great lab kits for 
their science classes, we began ordering pieces for, 
assembling, and shipping over 1,000 lab kits at a time. 
We started doing this in our house and eventually in an 
old barn where we built shelves to handle the huge 
volumes of supplies.
 
We have met so many of you over the years at camps,
mom retreats, trips, intensives, etc. - what a joy that
has been. Many of you we haven't met in person but
you've taken our online classes (some of you for years)
and you are like family to us.
 
The Lord has given us a heart for homeschooling
families and to serve you in every way we can. We have
worked hard to provide high quality, affordable online
classes, lab intensives, mom retreats, etc.
 
So, why am I telling you all this? 
 
To let you know that we've poured our lives, our time, 
our money, and our hearts into this business for years.
Recently, we have been put into difficult circumstances 
beyond our control.
 
This has left us unable to pay our teachers their full 
compensation over the past few weeks. Obviously this is 
heartbreaking for us and very difficult for our teachers.
 
--- We are fighting to keep Landry Academy alive!
 
As you know, our teachers are top notch! I appreciate their
graciousness in this difficult situation. A few of them 
have decided to leave Landry Academy - which we certainly 
understand. Some of the teachers in that situation sent
email to our students and families to recruit them away from 
Landry Academy. That has made our struggle to recover from 
this situation more difficult. I'm sorry if you received one of 
those messages. 
 
But, the bottom line is that Landry Academy is my 
responsibility and I am (and have been) doing everything I 
can to keep Landry Academy's doors open. Nancy and I are 
heartbroken for all involved and continue to work hard on
this.
 
In recent weeks we've had such encouraging messages
from so many of you - thank you! That means so much
to us.
 
We are asking for your prayers and support as we continue
to work toward a solution. We realize that we are close to the 
beginning of the spring semester, some upcoming trips, etc.
 
--- We will email you later this week.
 
For now, please hold off on any questions about classes 
etc. as we work through this. 
 
I don't know what's next for Landry Academy, but I do know 
that we serve a sovereign God who loves and cares for us
regardless of circumstances. We continue to pray for His
wisdom and guidance and appreciate your prayers as well.
 
Greg
 
Greg Landry
Homeschool Dad
Founder and Director, Landry Academy
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Hrm. I wonder if the email only went out to certain people? I definitely didn't get an email from anyone at Landry - and neither did DD.

 

I wondered if publishing those science books put a financial strain on the whole enterprise?

I think they may be going out in batches or something because some people got emails very early this morning and others later on this morning and I got mine mid-afternoon.  Maybe you will get one soon?

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I wondered if publishing those science books put a financial strain on the whole enterprise?

 

A post on the fb page mentions something about this past summer the IRS stating they needed to change the teacher status from independent contractor to employee. There may have been fines involved if true. 

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Hrm. I wonder if the email only went out to certain people? I definitely didn't get an email from anyone at Landry - and neither did DD.

 

I wondered if publishing those science books put a financial strain on the whole enterprise?

 

I'm not sure how they are sending them out.  I got 7 copies sent at 5 different times, DS (who is not enrolled because he graduated) got 2 copies with two different times and my two kids who are enrolled each got one copy with the same time stamp.  However I never got the one DD's teacher sent directly to students.  so if I hadn't read it here I would have had no idea she was leaving.

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I'm not sure how they are sending them out.  I got 7 copies sent at 5 different times, DS (who is not enrolled because he graduated) got 2 copies with two different times and my two kids who are enrolled each got one copy with the same time stamp.  However I never got the one DD's teacher sent directly to students.  so if I hadn't read it here I would have had no idea she was leaving.

There was a list of teachers that were leaving on the FB page where this was being discussed, I can no longer find it.

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I'm hoping and praying that at least the year-long classes will continue since the students have committed so much time already.  My daughter is in chemistry now, but is registered for a spring elective and an intensive.  I would be less stressed teaching an elective unexpectedly compared to finishing up chemistry with its labs.

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Thanks to blessed3x for posting the letter. I still haven't gotten it, but did get an email from dd's chem teacher with the note that final grades are posted & she'd see everyone in a few weeks.

DD is worried about her month-long language trip, but she's got until 2018 for that - so that's a long time from now.

 

I hope Landry gets it figured out - for everyone's sake.

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Ah, that makes sense.  I could see something like that happening.

According to FB posts the teachers took sometimes significant pay cuts just prior to fall semester, which is also when a number of veteran teachers left. I didn't find the email from Landry helpful, other than to finally admit that there is a problem.

 

I'm not sure why the list of teachers that are leaving was removed from FB, it was helpful as not all are communicating well with their students.

Edited by melmichigan
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There was a list of teachers that were leaving on the FB page where this was being discussed, I can no longer find it.

 

I saw that post and was happy to see it because I didn't know who was staying or leaving.  I saw two names on it but since I've been sick in bed the last couple of days I didn't get back to see who else was added and then it was gone.  I did see that my son's english teacher is staying which was a relief since that class hasn't shown up as one being offered by someone else.  I can switch DD english if need be but I'm waiting to see if they get a replacement teacher. So now I'm waiting on DD's math.  I can teach that one if necessary. 

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I have a senior with one semester left who had an Excercise Physiology and Science class. No word on the staus of that, but it's needed for graduation as a science elective.

Also I have a sophmore in English halfway through. His teacher indicated in an email to me she expected to be back, but was hoping to hear more. Her name is Jess Woods and I think she's been a fine teacher.

We've also a few hundred invested in generics. I'd recently

given one generic as a gift too and that family was just getting signed up.

 

RootAnn you mentioned a daughter said never an online class again. Is this bc of the Landry debacle or something else?

 

We are praying for them. So many futures up in the air. Students, teachers and families left scrambling, money that may be lost and trust affected. Hoping and praying this is resolved well.

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The teacher for dc's English class has left. If she isn't replaced, I'd be happy to transfer the credit to my other dc to take a different class this semester, if they'd allow that. I guess we just have to wait and see.

I emailed Landry since I was unhappy with the change in my child's class, and they said I could change the class if I wanted to.

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RootAnn you mentioned a daughter said never an online class again. Is this bc of the Landry debacle or something else?

 

Nope. She's taking a class with a different provider & just doesn't do well with the online class stress. (She's doing fine in the class academically as it is in her strongest subject, but struggles to get herself to participate in the textbox and on mic. Unless she changes her mind, she'll be my no-online-classes-in-high-school kid.) Eldest is the one in a Landry class. I was considering Landry for another foreign language for her next year, but we might end up at something a lot more expensive - but more certain (like CLRC, if the reviews are good). 

 

I was considering Landry for a semester-long course for dd#3 next year, too. Now, who knows? 

 

I, too, gifted a semester recently & the same family bought another off me so their daughter could do Japanese next year fairly cheaply. I don't know what I'll tell them . . . 

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I, too, gifted a semester recently & the same family bought another off me so their daughter could do Japanese next year fairly cheaply. I don't know what I'll tell them . . . 

 

For what it is worth, Landry's Japanese instructor, Charlotte Royal, is now listed as an instructor for Excelsior Classes. I believe she will be teaching for them, and not Landry, this fall. All though, I suppose it is possible she will teach for both companies, if Landry will allow that.

Edited by Mom2boys
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For what it is worth, Landry's Japanese instructor, Charlotte Royal, is now listed as an instructor for Excelsior Classes. I believe she will be teaching for them, and not Landry, this fall. All though, I suppose it is possible she will teach for both companies, if Landry will allow that.

I noticed the number of teachers at Excelsior appears to be growing over the last few days.

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I noticed the number of teachers at Excelsior appears to be growing over the last few days.

 

Just found my daughter's French teacher listed at Excelsior.  Not feeling warm and fuzzy about that.  I emailed her earlier this evening to see if I could get confirmation that she would continue teaching for the spring semester, but no word back yet.

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Just found my daughter's French teacher listed at Excelsior. Not feeling warm and fuzzy about that. I emailed her earlier this evening to see if I could get confirmation that she would continue teaching for the spring semester, but no word back yet.

I hope she responds and gives you some sort of difinitive answer.

 

I heard from DD's Art History teacher that she is moving forward as if her Spring Semester classes at Landry will be happening but she has no confirmation yet from Landry that they will. She is hanging on as long as she can.

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I understood most teachers with Excelsior were planning to teach there in the fall and are/were committed to teaching with Landry through this calendar year before their compensation stopped. All of the posts on the Excelsior page mention teaching next school year, but I am sure your teacher can explain his or her own details. I think there is more to this issue than disgruntled teachers.

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I understood most teachers with Excelsior were planning to teach there in the fall and are/were committed to teaching with Landry through this calendar year before their compensation stopped. All of the posts on the Excelsior page mention teaching next school year, but I am sure your teacher can explain his or her own details. I think there is more to this issue than disgruntled teachers.

 

There are spring courses being offered.  I'm not sure how many of the instructors teaching them were formerly with Landry, though.

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I have $6000 invested in this company in the form of generic credits right now, and my kids were just starting their very first classes this coming spring. They have not even taken ONE CLASS with Landry yet. I am beside myself right now. I have purchased their books for the upcoming classes as well. So many people spoke so highly of them. :(

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I have $6000 invested in this company in the form of generic credits right now, and my kids were just starting their very first classes this coming spring. They have not even taken ONE CLASS with Landry yet. I am beside myself right now. I have purchased their books for the upcoming classes as well. So many people spoke so highly of them. :(

I am in the same boat as you with a large investment of generics. We have been with Landry for 3 years and thought enough of the classes to take a leap and purchase in bulk. I'm very nervous about this investment primarily and also troubled because this was our plan for junior high and high school for our youngest child.

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Teachers that are planning on staying with Landry are commenting on the FB page I posted above. It has been confirmed that the situation does have to do with the change of teacher status from independent contractor to employee.

I hate to be a doubter but something doesn't smell right. It seems like something else is going on besides the change of teacher status. For some reason, I just had a feeling not to sign DS up for a class this semester. Right now I am very happy I listen to that.

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I hate to be a doubter but something doesn't smell right. It seems like something else is going on besides the change of teacher status. For some reason, I just had a feeling not to sign DS up for a class this semester. Right now I am very happy I listen to that.

 

Perhaps, but I've worked from home (not for Landry) for a long time, and have been involved in cases in which the IRS determines  that a company made a mistake in  classifying their workers.  There are fines, can be back pay, legal cases, (I've been in a class action), etc. One company, I lost my job because they couldn't hire me as an employee in my state (licensing issues, etc.).  It can become a pretty big thing. The companies I worked for were a lot bigger than Landry, though, so were able to weather those storms.

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I hate to be a doubter but something doesn't smell right. It seems like something else is going on besides the change of teacher status. For some reason, I just had a feeling not to sign DS up for a class this semester. Right now I am very happy I listen to that.

If it was found that their instructors were treated as contractors when they technically should have been employees, that is a huge deal. It could mean being responsible for years of back taxes that the company would have been responsible for paying if the teachers were considered employees. Probably fines too.

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If it was found that their instructors were treated as contractors when they technically should have been employees, that is a huge deal. It could mean being responsible for years of back taxes that the company would have been responsible for paying if the teachers were considered employees. Probably fines too.

 

Usually in these cases, it is reversed: teachers are classified as contractors (can make their own hours usually, other regulations apply), but are treated as employees.  At least, those are the cases I've been involved in. 

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