This is a basic introduction to the complex process of starting a school. It analyzes various steps that founding groups have taken to get their schools off the ground and allow them to thrive in the early years. Included are dozens of stories describing triumphs and pitfalls encountered along the way.
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A comprehensive collection of materials designed to aid people in starting Sudbury model schools and in understanding the model in depth. Includes books, in-house publications, CDs, audio books, DVDs, a subscription to the Sudbury Valley School Journal, and many other items.
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In this book, two of this generation’s most provocative thinkers and practical doers have re-imagined education from the ground up. They draw on the latest scientific research, the most enduring human wisdom, and their unique personal experiences transforming institutions that resist change.
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“The seeds for having a sustainable school are planted at the outset. How you start is largely the determining factor in how long you’re going to stay in existence. I’m going to examine the things that are necessary from the beginning and see how they tie into keeping a school sustainable over the long run.”
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“Sudbury Valley School was consciously modeled on the American experience. Our book The Crisis in American Education stressed the theme that this school’s values parallel those of American society. Why is it so hard for Americans to accept its premises? Why is it such a hard sell to the rest of the world?”
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“Its judicial procedure is a community’s way of dealing with breaches of the rules that have been set up in order to deal with actions that derive from the tension between the individual’s desires and the community’s needs. Every social order, no matter how primitive, has some judicial procedure.”
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“The school is a culture. It’s defined by an organic complex of themes. What I want to discuss is what turns out to be a fascinating walk through the history of Sudbury schools – namely, the development of the various themes that have appeared over the years as those that define a Sudbury school.”
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The process of starting a school, from the first thoughts through the working out of the ideas and the building of a founding group, to the beginning year of the school and its struggles. This is a must-read for anyone contemplating stepping off the beaten track that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
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A collection of essays, letters, and email exchanges exploring in depth the unique role that adult staff members play in Sudbury schools.
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What should Information Age schools look like? How does Sudbury Valley School model the type of schooling appropriate for post-industrial societies? A socio-cultural analysis of the history of education presents the background for the development of 21st century schools.
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