Blue School - Independent School in New York City, Preschool, Elementary School, Middle School. The Trillium School. Sudbury: the Unschooling Schools, a Guest Post by Bruce L. Smith. I've wanted to share some guest posts on freeschooling and democratic schools on this blog for a while now, and with the recent article on CNN talking about both unschooling and Sudbury schools, this article seems particularly relevant!
So I am very happy to present to you Bruce L. Smith on the Sudbury model schools: After a few years’ teaching in the public schools of Columbia, Missouri, Bruce L. Smith left to find his true calling as an advocate for the Sudbury model of education. Bruce has founded and/or worked for Sudbury schools in Illinois, Florida, and Colorado, where he’s been on staff at Alpine Valley School since 1998. I’ve known about unschooling for a long time, and I’ve long been struck by its resonance with the Sudbury model of education. The Sudbury model was first unveiled in 1968 by Sudbury Valley School in west suburban Boston. While a number of schools talk this talk, I find Sudbury unusually thorough in also walking the walk. And these commitments are fairly modest. Sudbury Valley School.
The Brooklyn Free School: A Look Inside the Progressive Education Movement. Imagine a school where classes don’t exist, grades aren’t calculated, and tests are an anathema.
A place where students are never given homework, and arrive each day prepared to do whatever they want; where teachers don’t dictate or evaluate. This place is real: it’s the Brooklyn Free School, located in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 2003 by its current director Alan Berger, the school is built fundamentally on the principle that each child has an innate curiosity and passion for learning.
Sands School Ashburton, Democratic School Devon, UK. Sam Burns (16) Sands School is one of a kind as schools go.
I believe it’s a place where teachers and students alike can share their ideas and beliefs equally about the running of the school. I have enjoyed my time here immensely, Sands has been a great improvement over my last school because I have been able to sort out any issues I had with small groups of students and teachers. Because of Sands’ size the relationship between students and teachers is more like friends than anything else.
The freedom at Sands is only comparable to the stories of college I’ve heard. Michael Hirsch (15) I came to Sands because I hate the state school system. Paul Webber (16) I was at a state school for a couple of years until joining Sands in the 03 group about three and half years ago. Natalia Kneen (16) Sands school. Laura Cole (17) Did you value your time at Sands, was it a positive experience? Laurel Jo Stills (18) Did you value your time at Sands, was it a positive experience? Zielona Wieża – Democratic Nursery and Pre-school Montessori. Summerhill School - Democratic schooling in England. Village Free School. The Process Step One: Get clear about what it is you want out of your child’s school We would never recommend rushing into something as important as the choice of who to trust with your kids.
If you know what you are looking for, or are feeling like giving something new a good hard try, and our school looks like it might be a good fit, then you should come for a visit. We admit children ages 5 through 18. Step Two: Visit. Come to one of our regular Free School 101 Events, or one of our special events, and ask to be shown around. Step Three: Apply. You can use the online form found here. Step Four: Interview. After receiving your application, our admission coordinator will determine if we have the space and resources to offer your family an interview.
Step Five: Experience Days. Step Six: Conditional Enrollment. NYC's Agile Learning Center - A K-12 Independent School. The Sudbury Model of Education. The Responsibility Spectrum The fundamental difference between a Sudbury school and any other type of school is the student's level of responsibility.
In a Sudbury school the students are solely responsible for their education, their learning methods, their evaluation and their environment. In a public school, the state takes responsibility for most aspects of a student's education including curriculum and evaluation. The student is left with little responsibility except to learn what is taught, how it is taught, in the environment in which it is taught and then to reiterate it back at evaluation time. The Brooklyn Free School: A Look Inside the Progressive Education Movement. The Free School.