The Farm School
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The Farm School, based on The Farm Community in Tennessee, provides alternative education for students taught by qualified members. Kids are taught to be socially conscious, creative, and critical thinkers. Most importantly, they put what they learn into practice and have a good time doing it.
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[edit] Philosophy
Farm School begins with the belief that all kids have a natural desire to learn and grow, and that all aspects of life are considered a part of a person’s education. The students are allowed to pursue their areas of interest, in a relaxed setting of encouragement and with a variety of resources. They use cooperation, not competition as a model. Intimidation and authoritarian means of implementing school programs are not part of the agenda so students have the freedom to be who they are without interference or judgment. Beliefs acknowledge one’s self, honesty and tolerance as important a part of a child’s education as academics.
The school's vision statement is: "We envision a world where all people live in peace and harmony with each other and our planet." Its mission statement is: "We seek to help our students manifest a peaceful and harmonious world."
[edit] Organizational structure
The Farm School is a consensus-democratic school that attempts to achieve consensus on all shared decisions and use voting to make decisions when this seems like the most peaceful path to a decision. Decisions about the daily functioning of the school are made during school meetings at which students and teachers each have equal voice. The Parent, Teacher, Student Association (PTSA) makes decisions about the daily functioning of the school that require the input of parents. Decisions specific to individual students are made during triadic meetings that include a student, her/his advisor and a family member.
The school board is accountable for the functioning of the school as a business entity (non-profit corporation). The Principal (currently Peter Kindfield, Ph.D.) is entrusted to make recommendations about how to achieve the mission and to make time-sensitive decisions.
[edit] What is taught
Students learn as they apply basic skills and content to real-world problems. They use the following lenses into the subject areas to focus our responsive curriculum and to connect what our students learn to a community’s needs, interests, experiences and values.
- Science, Math and Technology for Peace, Equality and Sustainability (Applying science, math and technology towards personal, community and planetary peace and sustainability).
- Social Science for Peace, Equality and Sustainability (Applying social science towards peaceful, equitable, and sustainable solutions to personal, community and international conflicts).
- Communication Arts for Peace, Equality and Sustainability (Communicating in the service of equality, peace and sustainability for all beings using multiple languages, music, art forms and media, including magazines, newspaper, radio, the Internet, bumper stickers, T-shirts, posters and banners).
