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Lives of Passion, Schools of Hope: The Alumni
Project for the Jefferson County Open School
by Fredric G. Posner
Education Researcher & Former
Teacher, Administrator, and Parent, Jefferson
County Open School
This project entails an in depth follow-up of
the graduates of an unusual public school: the
Jefferson County Open School in Lakewood,
Colorado. The Open School (as it is usually
called) is a public school that goes against the
grain of current educational practice. For
nearly 36 years, the Open School has thrived as
an alternative to conventional schooling. The
pre K-12 school is non-graded, self-paced and
experiential. No grade point averages or
academic credits cloud its approach to the
education of the heart, mind and spirit. Every
student has a personal advisor on the staff or
in the community as well as a personal learning
plan with goals in the social, personal and
intellectual domains.
*****
Goals of the Open School
Rediscover the joy of learning
Engage in the search for meaning in your life
Deal with and understand the world that is
Prepare for the world that might be
Help create the world that ought to be
*****
Students have a direct say in school governance
and curriculum as well as in the hiring of staff
and administration. Students move out of program
levels based on the completion of
rites-of-passage projects and their development
as self-directed learners. In fact, they
demonstrate they are ready to graduate or become
members of the adult tribe by writing their own
narrative transcripts. Thus, the skills and
attitudes learned at Open School are not meant
to be disposable. The idea is to create an
educational experience that sticks with you,
that you can actually use to live a full,
meaningful life – a sustainable education, if
you will.
The intent of the Alumni Project is to follow up
on the former students of the school (estimated
at 1,100 since the first graduating class in
1976). Where are they now, what do they do, how
do they view their lives? Do they live according
to the goals of the school? What does a
sustainable education look like for the alumni
of the Open School?
The outline of this project includes the
following sections, each, in some way, an
elucidation of the Open School’s vision of what
the important outcomes for its students really
are:
Relationships: How important is
the building of meaningful relationships in
adult lives? What kinds of influence has the
Open School experience had on this process?
College: How do you get into
college coming from a school without grades or
credits? How do the alumni perform in college?
How much and what kinds of influence do they
attribute to their Open School experience?
Work: What do alumni do for a
living? How do they feel about their work? How
much and what kinds of influence do they
attribute to their Open School experience?
The Joy of Learning: How
important is continual, joyous learning in the
adult lives of alumni? What kinds of influence
on their ability to enjoy learning do they
attribute to the Open School?
Search for Meaning: How
important is the search for meaning in the adult
lives of alumni? What kinds of influence do they
attribute to the Open School in the process?
Dealing With and Understanding the World
That Is: How much and what kinds of
influence has the Open School experience had on
the adult lives of alumni and their ability to
interact with the world that is?
Preparing for the World That Might Be:
How much and what kinds of influence has the
Open School had on the ability to prepare for an
uncertain future?
Help Create the World That Ought to Be:
How has the Open School influenced the
desire and the ability (of the alumni) to create
the world that ought to be?
The project also includes two questions that
were asked 75 years ago as part of the Eight
Year Study (the seminal follow-up study of the
graduates of non-graded, democratic schools in
the United States):
Did your school experience have any bearing on
your capacity to enjoy life? and Did the school
emphasize the right things, the important
values?
The material for each section is based on
responses from personal interviews, a detailed
questionnaire, and video and audio tape
recordings.
The end product will be a manuscript that
incorporates the stories, quotations and
reactions of alumni as well as my own personal
experience as a staff member, administrator and
parent at the school. The intent is to paint a
composite portrait of the Open School alum as an
adult that reflects the goals and vision of the
school.
Update
At this point, I have over 800 former students
on my network. I have interviewed about 100 of
them on videotape. The rest have been filling
out questionnaires or engaging in personal
interviews that have been structured to address
the 5 goals of the school and their relationship
to their lives as adults. At this time, I have
based the updated results on 431 responses,
almost half of the entire Open School alumni
group.
Results at this point indicate that 91% of these
former students went on to college or
university. This is a frequent concern of
prospective parents and critics of the school:
“How do they get into college without grades?”
Even more interesting: a full 84% of these
college students have actually earned degrees.
The national average for completion is a
whopping 45%! 26% of those who attended college
earned graduate degrees including Master’s
degrees from Harvard and M.I.T. as well as
Doctorates from Yale and California Berkley.
However impressive these conventional kinds of
measures may seem, I am really more concerned
with levels of life satisfaction, attitudes
about lifelong learning and active involvement
in communities. Although I don’t have the final
results, these more meaningful measures are
running very high. Most former students seem to
be very happy, especially with their
relationships with friends and family. When
asked to rate the importance of certain things
in their lives, 96% are reporting that being
able to maintain meaningful relationships is
“extremely important” to them. The Open School’s
influence on the ability to develop and maintain
significant relationships is rated very highly.
Apparently, most of the graduates tended to
define “success” in more spiritual, less
material ways. Many said they “were happy with
who they were” not how much money they were
making or the prestige of what they were doing
for a living.
Over 90% of these former students (some of whom
are 49 years old) say they value the inherent
joy in learning. Again, overwhelmingly, they
give credit to the school for igniting their
passions for the learning process itself.
Over 95% of respondents state that they are
constantly engaged in the search for meaning in
their lives. Many trace this search back to
their Adventure Passage at the Open School,
where one embarks on a meaningful quest with all
the appropriate risks and challenges. Thus,
another recurring theme is the view of life as a
great adventure. Most respondents say that they
see no distinction between living their lives
and pursuing a lifelong education. Many simply
say: “The Open School taught me how to live!”
Another recurrent response is: “The school saved
my life!” Most of the time this is meant
figuratively but sometimes not. For those who
came from the world of conventional schools, one
is tempted to redefine the term “at risk” to
include each and every student in that setting.
Most of these former students came to the Open
School to escape the humiliation and the mind
numbing effects of an overly standardized
education.
Community involvement also runs very high. Over
85% say they are engaged in some way of creating
a better world. Many graduates refer back to
their Global Awareness Passage when they had to
identify and do something (locally) about a
global issue.
Once again, the heart of this project is
comprised of the stories of
individual graduates - their passions, dreams
and hopes - how they see the influence of a
democratic, progressive education. This book is
really all about passion and hope. What happens
when people are set free to follow their dreams
and how much can schools encourage and guide
instead of hinder and restrict?
Summary
I can’t say enough about the importance of this
project. Today’s educational climate is
foreboding to so many children, parents and
educators. High stakes testing and its ensuing
pressures and limitations are just part of the
gloomy picture. School violence, student
alienation, and a general lack of engagement
(even from straight “A” students) are
widespread. Anger, fear and frustration mark the
educational landscape while the political powers
that be keep pushing for more testing, homework
and academics.
The Columbine killers were both products of this
large, impersonal system. In fact, they were
considered “good students” by most conventional
school measures – good grades and higher test
scores. Because of the avoidance of real issues
and the lack of attention to the social and
personal needs of students, these angry boys
were able to “hide out.” As Art Combs once
asked: “Why, in our schools, do we have to make
a choice between smart psychotics or
well-adjusted dopes?”
Why indeed! It is time to take a good look at
some alternatives that are proven and well
entrenched in the public school system. That’s
why we desperately need to examine the long-term
effects of a public progressive education. What
happens to these kids when they graduate from a
program without grades, devoid of artificial
rules and limitations? What becomes of students
who were encouraged to follow their passions,
not just prepare for standardized tests? Might
an advising system (where every student has at
least one positive, in-depth personal connection
with an adult) and an empowered student
government help mitigate the prevalence of
violence and alienation in our schools today?
An educational program should be measured by its
outcomes. Moreover, the graduates of a school
should model the program’s goals and mission.
Too often, conventional schools have nebulous
mission statements or give lip service to the
social and personal development of their
students. The Open School, with its emphasis on
these domains, should turn out well-rounded,
productive members of adult society. These
people should also be self-directed, joyful,
lifelong learners who see change and personal
growth as the frameworks for their lives.
Unfortunately, there is very little information
on the long-range impact of authentic open
school programs. The Eight Year Study is over 60
years old and open schools are still struggling
to defend their programs to dubious parents and
fellow educators. It is time to say: look at our
alumni. Consider this project as an open
invitation to discover what kind of people they
are and how they look back on the impact of a
truly progressive education.
We also need to find out what improvements are
needed in such programs so that we can provide
the best possible confluence of mind, spirit and
heart in our schools today. Just listening to
the stories of these former students should help
us frame an argument for meaningful school
reform. Portraits of these adults will provide
visions of hope for the future of educational
programs that emphasize the growth of
compassionate, joyous, lifelong learners.
*****
Sample Student Responses from Lives of Passion,
Schools of Hope
“The school taught me how to live my life to the
fullest! I think of the Open School everyday
because of how it influences my behavior. I was
given the opportunity to look at my life and my
education as one and the same. I was also
allowed to follow my heart as well as my mind;
so, now I just sort of naturally integrate the
different aspects of my life. My work, my family
and my recreational lives seem to merge because
I was taught that I needed to put things to
together to make real sense out of everything.”
-Attorney, 44
“Through my experiences at the school and my
relationships with classmates and staff, I
gained a strong sense of self. My confidence
increased dramatically. I left the school with a
feeling that everything was possible and my life
since then has proven this to be true.”
-Businessman, 38
“I learned from the school that I had to wrestle
with the fact that this was my life and my
education and I was responsible for both. I also
had to learn to make choices and learn from my
mistakes. The school environment was supportive,
even nurturing!”
-M.A. Outdoor Education Instructor, 30
“The travel experiences and the school program
allowed me to develop skills I needed in
everyday life, especially in enabling myself to
have a better understanding of people. These
experiences have helped me in my work and
especially in raising my children. I also have a
happy and healthy marriage because I learned
that relationships are so important”.
-Laboratory Assistant, 27
“Family! We fought; we played together. We
supported each other in times of need and
together, we learned to love the challenges of
learning.”
-House painter, 26
“The school taught me to believe in myself and
my ability to achieve my dreams and goals in
life.”
-Graduate student in education, 23
“My experience at the school taught me how to
respect the environment and how to learn from
anything. However, most importantly, I learned
how to listen to and understand different kinds
of people. I also learned how to use skills I
never knew I had and how to use those skills to
contribute to my community and the world.”
-Mother, 37
“The Open School helped me with academic rigor
because I learned that you had to motivate
yourself and meet the challenges that learning
presented. I had to find resources, set up my
own hypotheses and there were no limitations on
how far I could go. As a scholar, I feel that
the school encouraged critical and divergent
thinking.”
-Doctoral candidate in International Relations,
35
“I learned how to make choices and how to give
back to my community. I really felt a sense of
power and control from having to run Governance
and be a leader in the school.”
-Pharmacy technician, 32
“I did my Adventure Passage at the Open School
on baking and flying. I actually put myself
through flight school by being a baker. I think
the Open School shows you that anything you want
to do is possible.”
-Female airline Captain, 34
“My values reflect those of the Open School. My
work, as well as my relationships, are deeply
satisfying and fulfilling. I want to love, give,
build and create a life, not simply react to
circumstance and situations.”
-Psychotherapist in New York City, 42
“Advising and triads taught me about being
supported and supporting others. The Open school
gave me the confidence to express myself. I was
able to discover the strengths and talents
within myself. I now know how to direct my own
education.”
-Graduate student at London School of
International Journalism, 29
More information available at
http://www.rickposner.com
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