In conversations about education and educational methods, we hear a variety of terms. The following is a list of some of the terms we hear, and a rough sketch of our relationship with that term. We identify strongly with some of these, others only a little.
…an integral school. The Circle School is an integral school. Integral schools trust in the innate human drive to self-actualize, support kids’ spiral growth through stages, and foster growth along multiple lines of development. Sound interesting? Check out our Introduction to Integral Education!
…a democratic school. The Circle School is a democratic school, managed by students and faculty together. Democratic education emphasizes self-governance; democratic schools tend to follow a one-person, one-vote structure, but can have other widely varying program features. The Circle School could be said to most closely resemble a constitutional republic, balancing majority rule with protection of minority rights such as freedom of speech, assembly, and self-determination.
…an independent school. The Circle School is an independent school because it is operated and funded individually rather than by the government or other central organization.
…a Sudbury model, or Sudbury school, or Summerhill school. The Circle School’s program represents an evolution of A.S. Neill’s Summerhill School, and is similar to that of Sudbury Valley School, Fairhaven School, or Alpine Valley School. However, we do not use the term “Sudbury school” as we’ve realized that there is confusion about what this term means, and significant variation in philosophy and program among schools using the term.
…an alternative school. The Circle School can be considered an alternative school in that it operates a non-traditional program. However, this phrase has also increasingly come to refer to schools being operated expressly for the accommodation of students whose special academic or behavioral needs are not being met in the local public school — a description which does not apply to The Circle School. With or without particular gifts or needs, The Circle School welcomes all who can thrive here.
…a free school. The Circle School is not a free school, although it shares with free schools a belief in the importance of the rights of the individual. Free schools, which gained popularity in the 1960s and ’70s, often have philosophical roots in anti-authoritarianism and anarchy, and may focus on these principles rather than on the development of individual-empowering alternative structures. Less frequently, the term “free school” is applied to schools charging no tuition. The Circle School is not a free school in this sense either, although we do offer significant financial aid to most families.
…an integral self-directed democratic independent school operating a Sudbury-like program. How we’d refer to ourselves, if it weren’t such a mouthful!