Luz Shosie and Ned Vare

on 8/5/02 12:27 PM, [email protected] at
[email protected] wrote:

> My biggest problem with public schooling is that it's compulsory. My
> second biggest problem is that it's paid for by tax dollars. But if
> we must use social programs to solve the problem of bad parenting,
> why make it school? Why not just have a place where kids can get 3
> hot meals a day if they WANT to, go play with educational toys and
> games (or even toys that wouldn't be labeled as "educational!" if
> they WANT to, have a cool staffed playground available for kids who
> WANT to be there. Have adults available to answer questions for kids
> who WANT to ask them. Maybe even a few OPTIONAL classes available
> for older kids who WANT to sign up for them.

Sheila has said it all in a nutshell here. Thanks, Sheila.

What she describes in the post is the Sudbury Valley School idea which has
now expanded to perhaps a dozen schools around the country. It can only
happen if it private, parent-funded and parent directed. A new one will open
this fall is CT that will the second in this state. Tuition is low, freedon
of self-education is total, nurturing is paramount. Who would want more. Go
to www.sudburyschool.org for their fine books about learning and to see
about starting one in your neighborhood.

Ned Vare

[email protected]

On Mon, 05 Aug 2002 16:13:17 -0400 Luz Shosie and Ned Vare
<nedvare@...> writes:
> What she describes in the post is the Sudbury Valley School idea which
has
> now expanded to perhaps a dozen schools around the country. It can
only
> happen if it private, parent-funded and parent directed. A new one
will open
> this fall is CT that will the second in this state. Tuition is low,
> freedon of self-education is total, nurturing is paramount. Who would
want
> more. Go to www.sudburyschool.org for their fine books about learning
and to
> seeabout starting one in your neighborhood.

I like the basic ideas behind the Sudbury model, but the reality, in my
places, has been problematic. In all the states I know about, a private
school must be registered with the state and follow state regulations, or
else the students they enroll are considered delinquent. In California,
at least, that means that when the children show up at school, they are
required to stay for at least 4 hours, to meet state attendance
regulations.

Also, often the flavor of these schools varies a lot depending on who the
founders are. Some are very anti-parent, some are anti-tv, few if any are
truly as democratic as they say, IME.

What I see as the real problem, though, is the idea that children need to
go somewhere away from their families to learn.

I like the idea of setting up learning resource centers where people of
all ages are welcome.I also like Ivan Illich's ideas about creating 4
networks of educational resources:

1.A reference service to educational objects (which ould be just about
anything).

2. Skill exchanges, where people who are willing to serve as models or
mentors for others trying to learn a skill list their skills

3. Peer Matching , which allows people to find others with similar
interests and skill levels

4.Educators at-Large , who would be more like career counselors or
learning facilitators than traditional educators - they might help a
person wanting to learn a foreign language find the methods that would
work best for him, for example.

Dar

Tia Leschke

>
>Sheila has said it all in a nutshell here. Thanks, Sheila.
>
>What she describes in the post is the Sudbury Valley School idea which has
>now expanded to perhaps a dozen schools around the country. It can only
>happen if it private, parent-funded and parent directed.

Actually . . . there's a Sudbury Valley type school in North Vancouver that
is publicly funded, has been for years now.

You're probably right in general that they need to be privately funded in
order to work, but it's these absolute statements that keep putting me
off. One of the things I've learned as I got older (number three
grandchild was born yesterday - a boy) is that there's way less black and
white than I used to think. Most subjects have a lot of shades of gray in
between.
Tia
Tia

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
*********************************************
Tia Leschke
leschke@...
On Vancouver Island

zenmomma *

>>One of the things I've learned as I got older (number three
>grandchild was born yesterday - a boy) is that there's way less black and
>white than I used to think. Most subjects have a lot of shades of gray in
>between.>>

Amen to that too! :o) Congratulations Tia!! What's the little guy's name?

Life is good. (And NEW life is grand!)
~Mary


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Tia Leschke

At 05:15 PM 06/08/2002 -0600, you wrote:
> >>One of the things I've learned as I got older (number three
> >grandchild was born yesterday - a boy) is that there's way less black and
> >white than I used to think. Most subjects have a lot of shades of gray in
> >between.>>
>
>Amen to that too! :o) Congratulations Tia!! What's the little guy's name?

They haven't settled on one yet. I'll try to remember to post when they do.
Tia

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
*********************************************
Tia Leschke
leschke@...
On Vancouver Island