A PLACE WHERE KIDS LOVE SCHOOL
Written By: Denise Chasin
Printed in Pathways Magazine, June 2007

We all have memories of growing up that include dreading school, homework assignments, tests, mindless lectures, and all the rest that is part and parcel of being told what to learn and when. Many of us have spent (or I should say are still spending) a good bit of our adult life determining who we are, what we want and how to pursue our goals. Truly discovering one’s passion in life is an intense learning process. What if we all went to schools whose primary goal was to teach you about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? That is what the Sudbury model of schooling is all about.

In 1968 a small school in Framingham, Massachusetts opened called Sudbury Valley School. Sudbury Valley was the first school in the US that based its educational model on self-initiated learning, democratic governance, and individual responsibility. Since 1968, Sudbury has become successful at producing children that are highly motivated individuals making their mark on society. There are about two-dozen or more schools like Sudbury throughout the country. The next one to open will be here in Upper Montgomery County, MD called The Freedom School.

Being Responsible

Children that attend a Sudbury school are given the sole responsibility to determine what they wish to learn, how, and when. Sudbury schools are the only educational option where all the responsibility is with the student, beginning at age 5. At the heart of this philosophy is the willingness to trust that children learn what they need to in order to pursue their dreams. If you walk into a Sudbury school on any given day you will find some children working on a computer, making music, studying art, reading, writing, or engaging in conversations with other children or adults. Whatever it is you find them doing, it is part of the freedom they are offered in order to determine who and what they are about. To many, this simply looks like play. To the children, it is real responsibility that gives them experience in making decisions and handling the consequences of their choices.

Democracy in Action

Students that attend Sudbury schools have control over their environment. The school is run through a democratic process that emulates an American democratic environment. All of the students and staff are part of the democracy and all of the students have equal vote in all decisions. A five year old has the same vote and power as a school staff member. Through participating in the school’s democratic process, the students gain experience working with others to make decisions. They gain experience advocating their positions on important issues that affect their day-to-day life. They come to understand that their opinions matter and have an effect on the larger community. The school is a place where children get to practice life.

What if…?

When learning of Sudbury Schools, some ask the question, “What if a child never wants to learn to read? Write? Do Math? “ The answer is that this just doesn’t happen. In life, reading, writing and arithmetic are important tools. People are inherently motivated to learn what they need to be successful. It is when we force them to learn on a specific time schedule, with a specific agenda that motivation seeps out, sometimes for life. Students learn because they recognize that in order to survive and prosper in our culture it is needed. Students also learn because they have the freedom to identify their own interests and learn about things that matter to their pursuit of happiness, which is relevant to their life’s work.

How do you measure success?

There are no formal evaluations at Sudbury Schools. Children naturally evaluate themselves by determining their own sense of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with what they have done. Traditional report cards are not needed in this environment. In fact, research has shown that testing and reporting actually diminishes a child’s curiosity. The exact opposite occurs in this environment. When children work in small groups or one on one with staff members, engage in social successes and failures, or participate in a real-life democracy some form of self-evaluation is guaranteed. It is interesting to note that, children are more critical and develop higher standards for themselves when they are pursuing a self-imposed goal versus passing a test or passing a course. As a result, children become successful at the most important skill they could master, how to be life long learners.

Teachers that do not teach

There are no teachers and there are no classrooms. The staff is available to support student’s educational choices and to help achieve their goals. This can be done actively or by recommending a book or material, helping to identify an outside source or setting up an internship. If a student wants to learn something new, they either ask a staff member for help or another student or they learn it on their own. The staff is there to participate in the democratic process and for the on-going operation of the school. They are expected to be role models of responsible adult behavior and offer their insights to school meetings and discussions as they provide the continuity of the school community and culture.

Life after School

Most of the children that attend these schools do go on to college. It was discovered in a recent study that about 90% of the graduates attend college. And many of the students go on to pursue entrepreneurial situations or self-employment. This is not surprising given the large amount of responsibility and “CAN DO” attitude of Sudbury students. The bottom line in sending your child to Sudbury is trust; trusting that when given the opportunity to follow their innate instinct to increase their understanding of themselves and their environment, the outcome will be a life of intense exploration and growth.

Traditional education worked for a while in our country. Now, it really does a disservice to our students by hindering their ability to function capably and responsibly in a democracy. If we want our kids to grow up to be effective adults, we have to structure our schools to mirror society and produce confident and capable students. Schools need to be a place where children are able to practice life.
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