Review of the Vision Statement Podcast
Leonard and Jason Tally Up the Catch
After the podcast we made a list of things to put into a mission statement. Here they are in the concisest form.
- This is a democratic school. There are Meetings that resolve disputes between people, make laws, and help in the running of the school. At Meetings everyone has an equal vote and right to speak irrespective of age or job title.
- It is a democratic community.
- Children have freedom of choice within the community but they must respect the freedoms of others. They do not have to take part in classes or activities if they do not want to. They are free to choose their own activities.
- Teachers offer lessons. There is a timetable and school calendar.
- Teaching focuses on a reduced formal curriculum with the emphasis on literacy, numeracy and science.
- Teachers have contracts- they do not have the same freedom of children. The school offers a democratic free curriculum for children created by adults.
- Even if a child goes to all lessons there will be a lot of time for children to enjoy their freedom.
- The school environment absorbs the energy and interests of the children. It is not chaotic.
- There are discreet Age Appropriate Environments for Project and Academic activity
We think this is not bad to start with, though we think there are some parts that could be more concrete. The mission statement is not something you do in one day. This good start is enough for now.
We have some different motivations for Designing a School but we are on the same path re: Our Mission Statement.
That’s Critical
