Anderson, Nick. “Learning on their own terms: Md.

school with no curriculum challenges

conventions of modern education,” The Washington Post, April 24, 2006, p.A12.

Overview

This article gives an account of Fairhaven School, an environment where

students are free to learn through discovery without homework, grades, curriculum,
course requirements, or assessments. The institution is the absolute opposite of most
public and private schools in America. In fact, some people doubt its existence as a
school because it challenges formal education which requires accountability to
governance through standardized testing and “academic rigor.”

Fairhaven School is a protégé of the Sudbury Valley School, created in 1968 in

Massachusetts. Parents of homeschoolers developed the organization in 1998 as an
alternative to traditional educational methods.

As the nation moves toward higher standards and evaluations through the
implementation of Common Core, Sudbury schools move oppositely toward freedom of
choice, without teachers and principals as they are known in most contexts.
Surprisingly, students and leaders have equal power.

Students are free to come and go as they please, as long as they spend five
hours at school, which is basically the only requirement. There is no penalty for
tardiness or early checkout. Awards for perfect attendance do not exist.

The school operates democratically, with the youngest to the oldest participating
in decision-making processes. There is also a disciplinary committee made up of
children who enforce rules constructed by students and staff, though there are few
regulations which prevent attendees from doing whatever they please, to learn whatever
sparks their curiosity at any time.

Relatively non-evaluative, Fairhaven School has no affiliation whereby

accreditation is granted. Few students have met the requirements to receive a diploma,
which includes writing and defending a thesis on “responsibility for becoming effective
adults.” Though few in number, some graduates of Fairhaven have attended colleges
and become successful in their field of choice.

Personal Opinion

I must say that this article critically challenged my view of education. Although I
am a strong advocate of students having a voice and choice in their learning, I believe
discipline and standards are necessary components for success. Children do not
always know what is best for them, nor is it their innate instinct to act rationally;
therefore, it is the responsibility of adults to model higher order thinking processes,
appropriate behavior, and acceptable social skills.

Traditional education, without a doubt, has its flaws. Many students’ creativity
has been hampered through the years due to restrictive classrooms run by close-
minded grown-ups. However, the pendulum is swinging in favor of more expressive
classrooms taught by a new generation of innovative and technologically advanced
educators, those who realize the power of facilitation and the ineffectiveness of lecture
only. These classrooms offer choice boards, flexible grouping, collaborative learning
models, and research, among a plethora of other strategic initiatives which promote
creativity, expression, multiple intelligences, and diverse learning styles.

It is my strong belief that, to become academically successful, an incredibly high

percentage of children must have a high-quality, systemic curriculum, learning and
behavioral discipline, and the direct leadership and guidance of trained educators who
are motivated and student-focused. In my educational career, I have seen only one
child who was intrinsically motivated enough to possibly succeed in a setting likened to
that of Fairhaven.

I think the element of choice provided at Fairhaven School is beneficial. Students

should be allowed to become experts in fields of their choice, but not without being
accountable to standards which ensure mastery of basic foundational principles.

Another problem I foresee is that students may develop a false perception of the
real world, where deadlines, boundaries, and consequences exist. Allowing them to do
as they wish is not conducive to healthy work ethic. Individuals will always have to give
an account to a higher power. In some instances it is a boss; in others it is government.
Reality is that rules must be followed; otherwise, there is a penalty to be paid.

Significance to the Course

This article is significant to the course because leaders must be open to

unconventional ways of learning, while simultaneously balancing the implementation of
a state-mandated curriculum. It is advantageous to leaders to research initiatives that
have proven successful at other schools, gleaning cutting-edge best practices and fresh
ideas. After all, taking the good and leaving the bad is a good motto to live by.

Also, I see a correlation between Fairhaven and Career Academies like the one
being created in my district. Students who are turned off by traditional methods can
focus solely on a particular profession with hands-on experience. As the system
redirects to become more multi-faceted in its delivery, administrators face the challenge
of leading their staff to embrace vast changes in both education and society.
 Summary

This article highlights the stark differences between the free, discovery-oriented
learning model at Fairhaven School and traditional “academic customs.” With
philosophy grounded in choice, students at Fairhaven are free to learn in a setting void
of rules and regulations. Inquiry-based, it promotes autonomy, independence, and
responsibility. Though criticized for lack of structure, curriculum, testing and
accountability, advocates remain convinced that it is a better alternative, while
opponents insist that it does not adequately prepare students for college, careers and
life.