Fairhaven School (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
Encyclopedia
Fairhaven School was founded in 1998 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland
. It is one of over 30 schools based on the Sudbury Model
. The model has two basic tenets: educational freedom and democratic governance. It is a private school
, attended by children from the ages of 5 to 19.
Fairhaven School practices a form of democratic education
in which students individually decide what to do with their time, and learn as a by-product of ordinary experience rather than through classes or a standard curriculum. Students are given complete responsibility for their own education and the school is run by a direct democracy
in which students and staff are equals.
Students may write up fellow students or staff members for breaking the rules in the law-book. A JC meeting unfolds as the following. First all available information is about the case is gathered, both the Defendant
, and Plaintiff
are given a chance to state their case. After a report has been approved the JC decides whether to charge any individuals with breaking school rules stated in the Law Book. If a individual is charged they have the right to plead either Guilty or Not Guilty. If the individual is found Guilty they are given a punishment, if they plead Not Guilty their case is sent to School Meeting for a final verdict. If a crime is considered to extreme to be handled by JC it is referred to School Meeting for further sentencing.
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Upper Marlboro is a town in and the county seat of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The live-in population of the town core proper was only 648 at the 2000 census, although Greater Upper Marlboro is many times larger....
. It is one of over 30 schools based on the Sudbury Model
Sudbury school
A Sudbury school is a school that practices a form of democratic education in which students individually decide what to do with their time, and learn as a by-product of ordinary experience rather than adopting a descriptive educational syllabus or standardized instruction by classes following a...
. The model has two basic tenets: educational freedom and democratic governance. It is a private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, attended by children from the ages of 5 to 19.
Fairhaven School practices a form of democratic education
Democratic education
Democratic education is a theory of learning and school governance in which students and staff participate freely and equally in a school democracy...
in which students individually decide what to do with their time, and learn as a by-product of ordinary experience rather than through classes or a standard curriculum. Students are given complete responsibility for their own education and the school is run by a direct democracy
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
in which students and staff are equals.
Philosophy
Fairhaven School is run on the concept that all students and staff members should have equal rights and voices in the running of the school. Students that attend Fairhaven are entirely responsible for their success in academics. Because the Fairhaven has no set curriculum or classes, students are allowed to request what classes they want to attend.School Meeting
Every Wednesday the School holds a meeting in which major decisions such as electing staff and approving the budget are voted on. The School Meeting is run by a Chair and Secretary. This meeting serves as a place for students or staff to make announcements, and approve motions. All students and staff have the right to vote during these meetings. The School Meeting also acts as a court for Referrals and Not Guilty Trials.Judicial Committee
There is a daily judicial committee which meets to address grievances and give consequences to students who break rules. Two clerks are elected every six weeks, along with the two alternate clerks. One staff member sits in on J.C. Every student in the school takes their turn on JC, and serves a two week term. There is a yearly election for Law clerks who act as overseers to the smooth functioning of JC, and Not Guilty trials in School Meeting.Students may write up fellow students or staff members for breaking the rules in the law-book. A JC meeting unfolds as the following. First all available information is about the case is gathered, both the Defendant
Defendant
A defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute...
, and Plaintiff
Plaintiff
A plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the term used in some jurisdictions for the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court...
are given a chance to state their case. After a report has been approved the JC decides whether to charge any individuals with breaking school rules stated in the Law Book. If a individual is charged they have the right to plead either Guilty or Not Guilty. If the individual is found Guilty they are given a punishment, if they plead Not Guilty their case is sent to School Meeting for a final verdict. If a crime is considered to extreme to be handled by JC it is referred to School Meeting for further sentencing.
Graduation Process
In order for a student to graduate from Fairhaven School, a student must write a thesis on how they have used the school's philosophy to become effective adults. This thesis is presented to tribunal of peers from other Sudbury schools, and thoroughly evaluated. During the process known as "Thesis Defense" the student is interviewed by the tribunal to ensure said student is ready to graduate. If the student passes both the "Thesis Defense" and the thesis review they are allowed to graduate, and provided with a high school diploma.See also
- List of Sudbury schools
- Education OtherwiseEducation OtherwiseEducation Otherwise is a registered charity based in England for families whose children are being educated otherwise than at school, and for those who wish to uphold the freedom of families to take responsibility for the education of their children...
British home schooling charity - Dartington School British residential educational trust
- Summerhill SchoolSummerhill SchoolSummerhill School is an independent British boarding school that was founded in 1921 by Alexander Sutherland Neill with the belief that the school should be made to fit the child, rather than the other way around...
- Democratic educationDemocratic educationDemocratic education is a theory of learning and school governance in which students and staff participate freely and equally in a school democracy...
- List of democratic schools
- UnschoolingUnschoolingUnschooling is a range of educational philosophies and practices centered on allowing children to learn through their natural life experiences, including play, game play, household responsibilities, work experience, and social interaction, rather than through a more traditional school curriculum....
Further reading
- Washington Post, No Tests, No Homework A brief look at the democratic school environment.
- Bayweekly, Christopher Heagy, Would You Send Your Kids To Fairhaven A brief look at the social atmosphere of Fairhaven School.
- CNN, Jacque Wilson, Unschoolers learn what they want, when they want An analysis of students taught by Unschooled learning.