Although I am an optimist and believe wholeheartedly that schools will change, especially if parents and students speak up, I can still get discouraged at how slowly things change. So I was thrilled when a reader sent me a link to School for Tomorrow, a new private 6-12 school in Rockville, Maryland, that cites The Case Against Homework in the FAQs discussing the school’s homework policy. Discovering something like that, and a school that is really interested in tapping in to kids’ interests, makes all the work feel worthwhile.
Stop Homework 
Ah….this school sounds like it’s got high school figured out..and it sounds like it respects students and parents. I wonder if there is a Canadian equivalent anywhere?….please post if you know of one.
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Hi, Sara, I’m the one who sent you that, right? I was ready to pull my daughter out and ship her over there, but alas, he’s adding grades slowly and my daughter would have to go back in time to be eligible.
I’m going to create a high school. There are so many well educated passionate committed parents on this blog. I believe the paradigm shift is to create our own spaces and schools and leave the public schools behind. I realize that’s not realistic for most people, finances precluded it for us as well. And I listen when people tell me, it’s not fair that our tax dollars go to support other people’s education while we must leave because school did not meet our needs, did not listen to our concerns.
But all that energy, all that campaigning, all that letter writing could be put to some real positive use. We are pioneers, charting unknown territory. People like that can be a formidable force for change.
I’m not saying don’t stay in and fight. But for many people, there don’t seem to be any alternatives and so they slog through public school, afraid, suppressed, resentful, helpless. That is no way to live and sets parents and their children up for depression.
The average person can’t afford private school. But even for those who can, the alternatives are so slim. Even the more vocal people on this blog, who claim to like aspects of their private school, are still privately chagrined and dismayed at the traditional argument for homework (it builds responsibility, it allows parents to see what the child has learned in school, if you protest, you are teaching your child she doesn’t have to follow directions and she’ll wind up flipping burgers, it’s a partnership, good parents do the school’s bidding, three hours of 6th grade homework prepares her for six hours of high school homework, yada yada yada).
We need more Schools for Tomorrow. Detractors will argue. That’s not the point. That’s why we have vanilla and chocolate. Pick your flavor.
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This is very encouraging!
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It is isn’t it….it’s like someone, somewhere, gets what we’re talking about and has started a school that addresses these concerns. I know that nothing is perfect, but to find a school that appreciates what education is about, it gives one hope that maybe this will be a wider concept some day.
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Indeed Psych Mom. My point was there is a state of emergency here and we need many more of those.
Of course, you can’t sprout them too quickly. It takes a visionary, it’s a slow cultivation, we don’t want too many copycats or it won’t work right.
Reminds me of a story my husband reminds me of. When my daughter finished 4th, we needed to contemplate a change from private. We were eying the neighboring county’s gifted talented program. We needed to move fast to get her in, and getting in is not such an easy process. I will say this. The director of the county wide program pulled some strings, allowed us to bypass the entire process, accepted testing we already had, waived the teacher recommendations, and got her in. For what it was worth.I do thank that official regardless. She helped us out. I know, you’ll say, beware of what you wish but for that moment, she helped us.
We visited one public school with such a center (they are scattered throughout the county), knowing we’d have to move FAST. My daughter had applied to a progressive private school months before but was wait listed, for only one reason, we were told, no spaces had opened up. We referenced that school. Oh, we’re just like them, the principal beamed. We do what they do, they just have the better plant! We tried to be positive. Newbies, idealistic, pure and good and ready to help and take on a brave new path.
Not. Not anything close. Progressive? Puh-leeze.
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Just read the FAQ’s on School of Tomorow’s website. Sounds really impressive. It would be wonderful if this school concept took off. The FAQ’s are really a blueprint for a dynamic 6-12 school. One that incorporates college prep and independent learning within a set school day. Maybe we should e-mail this document to our local school boards.
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I’m ready to move. In the meantime, I’ll add this school to our list of Success Stories in the hopes that others will be inspired. How about letting the President know about this model school?
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Things seem to have changed at this school since this was posted.
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So I’ve heard. How do you think the school has changed? I know a mom who pulled her kid out but I don’t have all the details.
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