“I want them to have a chance to soar before the world tells them they are too much, too loud, too curvy, too opinionated. I want them to learn how to embody their full selves in all of the spaces they exist. School is an important part of that.”
As every parent knows, nothing is one-size-fits-all when it comes to kids. This is true for schooling, especially. My friend, Sam, wants to move their kids from their current school to a private school where students guide their own learning. The Mission Statement for this school is: “The IDEA School provides a child-centered education that nurtures competence, creativity, collaboration and compassion through work that is meaningful to students and promotes lifelong learning.”
Sam is an educator and a caring parent who really knows school systems and how their own children best learn. Sam has been attempting to work with the girls' current school and, after three years of advocacy, was able to get some accommodations for their kids in the current school. It shouldn't have taken that long. And the girls need more supports than their current school can provide. And protection from bullies.
For those of us who had traditional K-12 schooling, it might sound wild, but IDEA School in Tucson, AZ has the right idea.
Remember when you were young, and you wanted to learn everything about ______ (dinosaurs, tornadoes, robots, doctors, ants, firefighters, trains, whatever)? And you did! More than likely by asking questions, reading books about it, watching shows on the topic, etc. until you discovered a suitable answer. This school bases their ideology off of the idea that humans intrinsically want to learn and grow, and allows them to follow their interests while also holding high academic standards. It is possible! (just not in overcrowded classrooms, unfortunately) To learn more about this idea, watch one of my favorite Ted Talks called "Hackschooling Makes Me Happy" by 13-yr old Logan LaPlante, listed on IDEA School’s “Our Inspirations” page (check out some of the other inspirations too!).
You may also want to just Google Arizona's classroom sizes, for funsies. I wish all public education had the capabilities and resources to provide the kind of education IDEA School offers to all students, but it’s not possible at this moment in time but, Sam's kids are in school now and the one they attend is unable to serve their needs.
What’s equally important to my friend and their kids is the focus on collaboration and compassion, “the bigger picture is that I want the girls to be able to have a say in their education and in the place where they spend most hours of their daily lives. I want their Blackness to be welcomed. I want them to be free from bullying and policing. I want them to be able to express themselves without being forced into a confining box. I want them to be freed from homework, free from over compensating, free from stress. I want them to be engaged in a community of peers who are thinking globally and uplifting one another. I want them to see a community that is free from coercion, free from childism and free from hate. I want them to have a chance to soar before the world tells them they are too much, too loud, too curvy, too opinionated. I want them to learn how to embody their full selves in all of the spaces they exist. School is an important part of that.”
Lastly, Sam has already secured scholarships for this school. Sam needs to advocate for school choice in the family court system. Sam is asking for sole legal decision-making rights, and they really want the kids have a say in their education. Until now, Sam has been doing all of this advocacy all on their own and has not been super successful, so, now, they need a lawyer’s expertise.
All donations will be used for legal fees.
