An Essay by Jim Andersen
Former Greenwood Staff Member
Beneath the Town Offices in the old Elementary School on Route 97 in Hampton is a private school that has been there since 1993. Its name is Greenwood Sudbury School. It is one of a number of Sudbury Schools that are springing up all over the country—in fact, all over the world. The prototype—Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, MA—has been in existence for over thirty years and continues to thrive. Greenwood, like other Sudbury Schools, has adopted many of the principles and much of the philosophy pioneered by Sudbury Valley, and has attracted students from all over Northeastern Connecticut and beyond.
Greenwood is different from most other schools. It is founded on the idea that all children are naturally curious, and will, if given the opportunity, educate themselves through that which interests them most. Learning occurs at a natural, individualized pace, without curriculum, mandatory classes, tests or grades. The only requirements are regular service on the school’s Judicial Committee (more about that later) and a little help in keeping the school clean. Greenwood accepts all applicants for admission between the ages of 5 and 19, and currently has students enrolled ranging in age from 7 to 17. The school is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, and students may stay all, or any portion, of those hours.
One of the first things you notice at Greenwood is that students of all ages mix freely throughout the school, throughout the day. They are not divided and separated by age. Thus you might find a seven year old working on the potter’s wheel with a sixteen year old, a group of fifteen year old girls working on a dance routine with a boy who happens to be eleven, or a 40 year old staff member engaged in a chess match with a student less than half his age. At Greenwood, students are free to study whatever they like for as long as they like, unconstrained by structural imperatives that limit enthusiasm and creativity. Throwing pots, choreographing a dance, or playing chess may continue until all interested parties finally leave for the day, and then resume as soon as they return the following day. No limitations are placed on any student’s desire to participate as fully and completely as he or she chooses. Because students choose how to spend their time, the problem of motivation disappears, and as a result learning occurs effortlessly and without compulsion.
One of the remarkable things about Greenwood Sudbury School is that it is a self-governing—participatory—democracy: one person, one vote, for staff and students alike. It is structured in such a way that everyone has a voice in all important decisions affecting the school. The two primary institutional components that empower students are the School Meeting, and the Judicial Committee.
School Meeting takes place once a week. All students are free to attend and may vote on any issue that comes up, including electing staff members, approving or disapproving financial expenditures, passing new laws, amending or repealing old ones, etc. In short, School Meeting is the legislative branch of the school’s government, and it is a government in which everyone—regardless of age—has an equal voice. Examples of school laws range from prohibitions of physical force, verbal abuse, theft or destruction of school and personal property, to regulations about where to eat, what school supplies may be used for, and what games may be played indoors. The function of the laws—to protect the rights of each community member—is certainly important; but what is just as important is the participation of everyone in creating them.
The purpose of the Judicial Committee, or JC, is to resolve conflicts that arise within the school community. It consists of one staff and four students, each serving a rotating two-week term, and acts, in essence, as a jury to hear complaints made regarding infractions of school laws. What students learn from direct involvement in this process is that they have a right to hold others accountable for the their behavior, and, in turn, that others have the same right. What is astonishing to see is how conscientious even the youngest children are when entrusted with the power to make important decisions; in fact, it is often the youngest who take matters the most seriously. Because students are empowered, they learn to wield authority responsibly, not to fear it.
As you no doubt see, our goal is to teach many of the life skills commonly neglected by more conventional forms of education. But this does not mean that more practical interests are ignored. Indeed, students choose from a wide variety of activities, both on and off campus. They work alone and in groups; in classes and with individual staff; and sometimes apprentice with professionals in the community. Students pursue studies in science, history, literature and languages, along with the fundamentals of reading, writing and math. Artistic pursuits include music, painting, dance, photography, woodcarving and costume design. Physical activities include baseball, softball, skating, skiing, horseback riding and tennis. Student projects have included building a log cabin, staging theatrical performances, construction projects for the school, building a school float, and organizing dances.
The Greenwood Sudbury School experience is democracy lived, not objectively studied; it is developmentally friendly to accommodate individual differences; it fosters personal responsibility through hands-on participation in the legislative process; it teaches the values of freedom and the awesome task of carving out a self-directed path amidst social and educational choices; and, foremost, it graduates students with both the relationship skills and practical abilities that enable them to succeed in the larger world. Long term studies (available on request) have borne out the success of the democratic model in preparing students for future endeavors. Students enroll in their college of choice without grades or standard curriculum. Many run their own businesses because they have learned to be self-reliant. And nearly all exhibit the pure joy of learning for its own sake because they have experienced it as part of the natural flow of their daily lives.
If Greenwood Sudbury School sounds intriguing to you, please feel free to contact us by phone, e-mail, or visit our web site. We provide a range of opportunities to experience our community for all those interested in learning more. Greenwood invites all families who are interested in alternatives to conventional education to explore the democratic option. We are different, and it shows.