Overview

How self-directed democratic schooling builds fulfilling lives and can lead the way back to a civilized society Education is ripe for democratic disruption. Students in most schools are denied fundamental social ideals such as personal freedom, public government, rule of law, and free enterprise. In our increasingly authoritarian post-truth world, self-directed democratic schooling offers a timely alternative: educating children in civilized society and showing that self-motivation outperforms coercion in its power to educate and fulfill. When Kids Rule the School is the first comprehensive guide to democratic schooling, where kids practice life in a self-governed society-empowered as voters, bound by laws, challenged by choice, supported by community, and driven by nature. Through heartwarming stories and hard-headed details, this book covers: Democratic schooling philosophy, theory, and practice School governance by students and staff together Student self-direction and day-to-day life Deep play, cognitive development, and critical thinking Why democratic schooling is morally right and effective Model bylaws and guidance for starting a democratic school. Created for educators, parents, and scholars, When Kids Rule the School will immerse you, heart and mind, in a promising new approach to education, and stretch your thinking about what school can be.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jim Rietmulder
Publisher:   New Society Publishers
Imprint:   New Society Publishers
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.80cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.487kg
ISBN:  

9780865719040

ISBN 10:   0865719047
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   21 May 2019
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Stories Prologue: Taming the Wild Introduction Part One: Self-directed Democratic Schools 1. What's a Democratic School?     Small-scale Democracy     Sudbury Schools     Summerhill School     Integral Education     Free Schools 2. The Circle School     Scaled-down World     Foundation Principles Part Two: A Case for Democratic Schooling 3. Integral Education: An Emerging Era     Traditional to Modern to Integral     Fill a Bucket, Light a Fire, Fan a Flame     The Radical Difference 4. Democratic Schools: A Better Fit     Aligning School with Society's Ideals     Alignments Within the School     Aligning School with Children's Lives     Bliss It Isn't     Human Development and Democratic Schooling     And Finally There's This 5. Seven Ideas     Democratic Schooling in a Nutshell     Community: Less Obvious, More Important?     Intrinsic Motivation and Autonomy     Optimal Challenge: Children Reaching Higher     Embodied Cognition and Deep Learning     Coercive Curriculum Harms Children     Practicing Life Part Three: Thinking about Thinking 6. How and What Do They Learn?     Worldviews, Culture Wars, Concerts, and Railroads     Expanding the Scope of Education in School     Old Ways     Integral Learning Patterns Enabled by Democratic Schooling 7. Critical Thinking     Capable Cognition     Provocations     Culture of Critical Thinking     Deep Play and Critical Thinking     Critical Thinking in Perspective Part Four: In Practice 8. Jargon     School Meeting     Ends We Seek     School Meeting Committees     School Meeting Officials     Corporations     Certification     Lawbook     Judicial Committee     Board of Trustees 9. A Typical Day?     Walking Tour     Bulletin Board     Room Reservations     Daily Schedule     What You See and What You Don't 10. School Government     Elections     School Meeting     Corporations     Staff     Management Manual     Laws     Enforcement and Empowerment     Judicial Committee     Formal Governance     Legal Structure 11. The Chore System 12. Safety, Safety, Safety     Standards     Laws     Safety Practices 13. Moving On: College and the World     High School Diplomas     College Admissions     Not Going     College and Degrees Part Five: Frequently Asked Questions     Basics     Curriculum     Assessment and Reporting to Parents     Getting into a Democratic School Epilogue: Seeking Infinity Acknowledgments Appendix A: Management Manual Table of Contents Appendix B: The Circle School Corporation Bylaws Appendix C: Colleges Attended by Circle School Graduates Index About the Author A Note about the Publisher

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Author Information

Jim Rietmulder is a founding staff member and educator at The Circle School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a pioneering democratic school, where he has worked for 34 years. With his support, students at The Circle School practice freedom and responsibility in a scaled-down version of the larger world, becoming experts at life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Jim also tutors students to take college entrance exams, plays mixed-age soccer at every opportunity, and anchors the daily Critical Thinking Discussion Group. Prior to, and overlapping with, The Circle School's early years, Jim was a history magazine editor, business analyst, independent software developer, and management consultant to manufacturers. Jim is married to co-founder Beth L. Stone and is the father of two Circle School graduates. He lives in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.

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