Non-Traditional or Progressive Elementary Schools?

[Augiec]

houstonsudburyschool


Take a look at this.

[lucy2000]

I don't see this is a venting. This is one data point, based on real facts, for people considering this school. A child yelled by the teacher and bullied constantly is not something you see every day -- especially in a private school.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Augiec

houstonsudburyschool


Take a look at this.

Wow. Cool that Houston is getting a Sudbury school. I love the concept.

[Augiec]

Originally Posted by nana053

Wow. Cool that Houston is getting a Sudbury school. I love the concept.

I think it's fascinating, but I just don't trust myself to have done well. I also know my son to be very much like I am. My capacity for wasting hours of time playing video games or watching tv is vast...

Maybe it would work for a kid who doesn't need as much structure in his/her life, but my kid would go weeks without learning a thing.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Augiec

I think it's fascinating, but I just don't trust myself to have done well. I also know my son to be very much like I am. My capacity for wasting hours of time playing video games or watching tv is vast...

Maybe it would work for a kid who doesn't need as much structure in his/her life, but my kid would go weeks without learning a thing.

You should read the history of the original Sudbury school. I think that for many kids, they start out by not wanting to do much because they have been too structured in regular schools. The big thing about Sudbury is putting the responsibility for their own education on the student. They believe that kids are inherently motivated to learn. I think that parents do need to trust their children to send them to this kind of school.

The Sudbury Model of Education | Hudson Valley Sudbury School

I cannot count the number of times that a parent has told me, "it sounds great, but my child would just play all day and never learn anything _ she needs to be pushed". Out of politeness, I do not question this belief. In my mind however, my response is, "if your child is not motivated, she would still be lying in her crib, crying for food when she was hungry". The child was motivated enough to learn how to walk, how to eat solid food, how to talk and many, many other skills. It would truly be easier for children to just lie in the crib and cry for food, but they choose to take the harder path of learning to move from babyhood to childhood. Likewise, children will choose to take the difficult and empowering path of moving from childhood to adulthood.

[HighFlyingBird]

Check out St Stephens. Excellent Montessori school. Episcopal but not religious. They teach about all sorts of world religions. Very progressive and liberal.