A multi-ethnic group of preschool students is sitting with their legs crossed on the floor in their classroom. The mixed-race female teacher is sitting on the floor facing the children. The happy kids are smiling and following the teacher's instructions. They have their arms raised in the air.
A multi-ethnic group of preschool students is sitting with their legs crossed on the floor in their classroom. The mixed-race female teacher is sitting on the floor facing the children. The happy kids are smiling and following the teacher's instructions. They have their arms raised in the air.
Airdate: Thursday, February 11, 2022
Almost 51 million students attend public schools in the U.S. Another 5.7 million are educated at private schools.
However, traditional academic curriculums that the great majority of these schools offer are not for everyone.
There are other non-traditional, often called progressive schools including self-directed, democratic schools. The Circle School in Harrisburg is one of them.
A democratic school is a school where students are trusted to take responsibility for their own lives and learning, and for the school community. At such a school, students choose their own activities and associate with whom they please. If courses are offered, students are always free to take them or not. Most such schools accept students across a wide range of ages and do not segregate students by age, so that students can learn from interacting with others who are older and younger than themselves.
Jim Rietmulder, founder of the Circle School is on Thursday’s Smart Talk to discuss democratic schools.
