We do things by consensus.
Teachers and students collectively decide what happens at school. That means the student budget, the schedule, the classes and coops– everything is discussed, debated, and voted on– envisioned by students, guided by faculty, decided by consensus.
Every Wednesday at School Meeting we get together to to share gratitudes and stories, create policies and procedures, plan activities and field trips, and tackle issues that matter to our students: “What should the Off-Campus Certification look like? How is our Spanish language conversation class going? What speakers should we bring in for our seminar series? How can we address the challenges of social media and emotional health?”
Why is collaboration our most powerful tool? Because when young people are given the opportunity, the trust, and the guidance… they take ownership of their own education and their own lives. Instead of taking a class, they create it. Instead of cramming for the test, they learn for the joy of learning. Rather than act only for themselves, they embrace responsibility to their community. Rather than learn to follow, they learn to lead.
