Posted on 03/04/2024 3:13:09 PM PST by algore
At The Clearwater School north of Bothell, the voices of students and staff are equal. One person, one vote — whether it’s a 5-year-old or the school’s founder, Stephanie Sarantos.
The Daily Herald put the school’s direct democracy model into action recently. Before a reporter could come to Clearwater, students debated whether to allow the visit.
Clearwater, founded in 1996, is part of a loose network of about 45 schools following the Sudbury model of direct democracy and student-controlled learning. It’s the only accredited school in the state using the model.
This year, the state Department of Commerce approved a $136,900 grant for Clearwater to explore opening a bilingual preschool based on the alternative education model.
At the weekly meeting, the only mandatory event, Clara rushed through a list of announcements: plans for a pizza party, news about a potential foosball table donation and the talent show that afternoon.
Some students engaged with Clara. Others stared at their screens.
Tuition is $10,300 a year. According to Private School Review, that’s more expensive than the average private school in Snohomish County ($8,532), but cheaper than average tuition in King County private schools ($19,599). Sarantos said many students are on financial aid.
“Having a participatory democracy, where everybody has these long conversations, and you listen to all these different perspectives, in some ways, it feels tiring and inefficient,” she said. “But in other ways, I think it’s really efficient. Because eventually, everybody figures it out. So there’s more buy in.”
Arlo Dolven, 24, attended school his entire life at Clearwater. Last spring, he graduated from Evergreen State College.
After getting his driver’s license and earning a 4.0 GPA in college, he felt “pretty smart.” He still didn’t know the multiplication tables.
(Excerpt) Read more at heraldnet.com ...
I’d put money on XY.
Their moto:”No job for me only thee.”
Who is in the ‘in’ crowd? Who are the nerds?
Shouldn’t they be paid at least minimum wage or going to school?
I agree ... XY, and permanently fscked in the head.
“I always thought Bot Hell was known as Artificial Intelligence”
No, it is the bots controlled by the AI-Christ that will make your life hell, and you will live in ‘their democracy’
You misspelled Dumbocracy.
The articles I have read about other schools that operate similarly are so contrived and pathetic. All this affirmation and encouragement and the students teaching younger students.
This is really a wonderful era. Can’t wait until it is introduced in Philadelphia, Chicago and DC. / ha ha ha
Here is the bio of one staff person:
“ Bryer Newlin
Bryer has worked in community-based education and youth empowerment for over a decade both as a youth and as an adult. They love asking and answering questions about how our bodies, minds, and souls learn, unlearn, and thrive, which led them to their self-designed major: “Queering Education Through Social Justice, Creative Expression, and Somatic Psychology”. At Clearwater they love to listen to student’s passions, help problem-solve, and support them in materializing their ideas. Bryer’s skills and interests include: music and songwriting, herbalism, creative writing, zine making, trauma studies and psychology, community organizing and event planning, and queer history and theory. In their free time, they like to watch sports anime, because it makes them feel like they can do anything.
They’re witches and pagans!
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