I love the Judicial Committee(JC). I've said before that I didn't think the school could work without it and last week I read chap. 6, Judicial Power in the US and Its influence on American Society. I've decided to apply some of his thoughts to JC and see if holds up as a legitimate judicial power.
First he describes three characteristics of of the ordinary functions of judicial power:
1)Arbitration
2)It pronounces on special cases and not upon general principles
3)It can act only when it is called upon
So let's look at how JC functions.
Arbitration-definitely and I think effectively JC is really both a criminal and a civil court rolled up into one. I mean technically people are written up for violating a rule but some of the rules are written in a way to find a neutral way to tell someone that they are making you unhappy. Bullying behavior for example. If a third party observes bullying and writes it up then it feels more like a criminal charge with guilt or innocence to be determined but if a kid writes up another kid for bullying then JC is definitely the arbitrator between the two parties.
It pronounces on special cases and not upon general principles.- This is also true for JC. DeT also talks about how if a judge happens to make a decision that involve ruling on a general principle as a result he is still within his powers. I don't know if that happens in JC. I'm going to have to ask a staff if JC has ever recommended that a law be changed based on a case that they encountered. However, I'm pretty sure nobody has ever written up a law and asked JC to rule whether or not it is valid.
It can act only when called upon to do so.-Des will complain about people and I suggest writing them up which he doesn't do and I explain that if you can't solve it yourself JC is there to help you but they can't help you if they don't know about it. (It's funny,Amelia has had to learn moderation in the opposite direction, she was like the sheriff for a while. ) So JC can not go looking for problems to solve and even the people serving on it cannot sentence someone or refer something to school meeting just because they know it has occurred, they would still have to formally write it up.
So I think JC passes. The only thing that would make it more European(of the 1830's anyway) than American depends on whether or not it has the power to declare a rule invalid based on a larger law(American Judges hold everything up to the constitiution as the first law of the land, if a law contradicts the constitution it is invalid). I think the political power of JC is more European, it's scope is more limited.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
But what's the point of all this?
So re-reading my last post I wondered, will people get how this is beneficial to a student? In a set up like Sudbury nothing is handed to you. You have to work to get it-you have to work with people, you have to work within a certain framework and you need to understand the mechanics of that framework. You have to prioritize, not just to accomplish your goal but the goals themselves. You have to be able to speak up and sometimes you have to be able to sit still. this can't be taught with a textbook or as an abstract what-if situation. It has to be a habit.
How do you learn to be a self starter when your whole day is mapped out for you, year after year? I hate to harp on the inadequacies of traditional schools(not true! I love to harp on them!) but while they may pay a lot of lip service to encouraging students to be self motivated and learning critical thinking, the habits they teach are quite the opposite. The lack of freedom and autonomy(even down to the control of bodily functions like eating and using the bathroom) become so ingrained that they start to look to others to always tell them what to do. And when you do that you never have to take ownership of your failures and may feel insecure about the validity of your successes.
How do you learn to be a self starter when your whole day is mapped out for you, year after year? I hate to harp on the inadequacies of traditional schools(not true! I love to harp on them!) but while they may pay a lot of lip service to encouraging students to be self motivated and learning critical thinking, the habits they teach are quite the opposite. The lack of freedom and autonomy(even down to the control of bodily functions like eating and using the bathroom) become so ingrained that they start to look to others to always tell them what to do. And when you do that you never have to take ownership of your failures and may feel insecure about the validity of your successes.
Friday, September 26, 2008
boring but necessary
We had our first Halloween Fair Planning Committee meeting today. I believe it may be a sub-committee of the Fund Raising Committee which falls under the authority of the Assembly. As we talked about what needed to be done one of the things on the to-do list was to have a motion made for parents to come in during school hours to work on the fair. There was also discussion once again about the co ops working the fair but apparently they are a little dysfunctional right now.
At the end of the meeting talk turned to re writing the by laws of the committee and what, if any authority it should have over fund raising activities held by other groups. I guess there was discussion, at a meeting that I did not attend, about the possibility of all fund raising activities having to go through the fund raising committee, whether they were open to the public or not.
What the discussion was really about, and I had to be clued into this, was power. Yes, it would be nice if there was a coordinated effort among everyone so activities aren't duplicated etc. but how do you decide which group gets to veto another's ideas. One word or two in the by laws would make a world of difference, in this case the difference is between using the word notification vs. permission. It's the difference between being informed and being in control.
the whole point of the school is to empower the students as much as possible so making the co ops go to fund raising to get permission to have an event when the committee often has to go to school meeting for permission and the co ops are formed exclusively by school meeting members doesn't make a lot of sense. After a few minutes of this I said I wanted to be a dictator, one of the staff members turned to me and said "We talk about this stuff every day. This is all we do."
Another staff said that the way the school functions is a testament to the messiness of democracy. It is messy. It's messy and it's hard, really hard to get things accomplished when everyone can have a say.
At the end of the meeting talk turned to re writing the by laws of the committee and what, if any authority it should have over fund raising activities held by other groups. I guess there was discussion, at a meeting that I did not attend, about the possibility of all fund raising activities having to go through the fund raising committee, whether they were open to the public or not.
What the discussion was really about, and I had to be clued into this, was power. Yes, it would be nice if there was a coordinated effort among everyone so activities aren't duplicated etc. but how do you decide which group gets to veto another's ideas. One word or two in the by laws would make a world of difference, in this case the difference is between using the word notification vs. permission. It's the difference between being informed and being in control.
the whole point of the school is to empower the students as much as possible so making the co ops go to fund raising to get permission to have an event when the committee often has to go to school meeting for permission and the co ops are formed exclusively by school meeting members doesn't make a lot of sense. After a few minutes of this I said I wanted to be a dictator, one of the staff members turned to me and said "We talk about this stuff every day. This is all we do."
Another staff said that the way the school functions is a testament to the messiness of democracy. It is messy. It's messy and it's hard, really hard to get things accomplished when everyone can have a say.
Monday, September 22, 2008
The limits of freedom
From DIA:
"It was never assumed in the United States that the citizen of a free country has a right to do whatever he pleases; on the contrary, more social obligations were there imposed upon him than anywhere else."
It is a common misconception about Sudbury schools that the children simply run wild, Lord of the Flies like, without any attempt to curb or guide their behavior. One visit to the school should dispel this notion immediately. It is hard not to notice the sheets of paper up everywhere defining what can and cannot be done and who can and cannot do it. There are a number of lists of privileges and who has been granted them- how far out in the woods a student can go, the criteria for being allowed to use the pool table, which student can use which art supplies, who is allowed to use certain toys. There are also public agreements about snow ball or water fights and only people who have signed their name to this are allowed to participate.
When I try to explain this some people say "well, that seems a bit excessive. They're only kids." And yet they wonder how I can send my kids off to a school where they spend most of their day unsupervised and around much older kids. "Aren't you worried about safety?" I probably don't explain it well enough because these very explicit rules and regulations are what makes it possible for a school to run with 70 kids who can be in charge of themselves. There isn't the level of supervision at sudbury schools that you find in traditional school settings because there doesn't need to be. The expectations are so clear and there is also a clear cut way of dealing with rule-breakers(see my other post about the Judicial Committee).
Reading DeT's quote at the top of the page immediately brought HVSS to mind and now I'm realizing that at it's inception America must have appeared to be one gigantic Sudbury School. The idea that regular people could govern themselves from the bottom up without some prefect or other mandarin standing over them all the time making sure they didn't step out of line was an incredible concept to Europeans of the 19th century.
"It was never assumed in the United States that the citizen of a free country has a right to do whatever he pleases; on the contrary, more social obligations were there imposed upon him than anywhere else."
It is a common misconception about Sudbury schools that the children simply run wild, Lord of the Flies like, without any attempt to curb or guide their behavior. One visit to the school should dispel this notion immediately. It is hard not to notice the sheets of paper up everywhere defining what can and cannot be done and who can and cannot do it. There are a number of lists of privileges and who has been granted them- how far out in the woods a student can go, the criteria for being allowed to use the pool table, which student can use which art supplies, who is allowed to use certain toys. There are also public agreements about snow ball or water fights and only people who have signed their name to this are allowed to participate.
When I try to explain this some people say "well, that seems a bit excessive. They're only kids." And yet they wonder how I can send my kids off to a school where they spend most of their day unsupervised and around much older kids. "Aren't you worried about safety?" I probably don't explain it well enough because these very explicit rules and regulations are what makes it possible for a school to run with 70 kids who can be in charge of themselves. There isn't the level of supervision at sudbury schools that you find in traditional school settings because there doesn't need to be. The expectations are so clear and there is also a clear cut way of dealing with rule-breakers(see my other post about the Judicial Committee).
Reading DeT's quote at the top of the page immediately brought HVSS to mind and now I'm realizing that at it's inception America must have appeared to be one gigantic Sudbury School. The idea that regular people could govern themselves from the bottom up without some prefect or other mandarin standing over them all the time making sure they didn't step out of line was an incredible concept to Europeans of the 19th century.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
What is a co op?
First of all, am I supposed to hyphenate it? Probably or people will think I'm talking about coops, and by people I mean you, Jen.
At Sudbury Valley they are called corporations. Basically they are organizations of staff and students based on a similar interest or goal. They make the rules and certification procedures for areas under their purview, they maintain and purchase supplies/areas and they fundraise to buy stuff that they want or need.
Here are the co ops that I know of at HVSS:
Computer
Library
Playroom
Playground
Sports
Art
Kitchen
Photography/Multi Media
There may be others. Co ops arise when there is a need or desire and disband when either the need is met and doesn't need to be maintained or the interest has waned. I'll give you the story of two as an example.
The Playroom co op was formed last year because the playroom was constantly being trashed and sometimes it would be closed for days because nobody would clean up their mess or help with anyone else's. It was also getting junked up with all the generous but perhaps superfluous donations of toys from families. So the co op was formed, officers were elected, certification procedures were put in place as well as a mechanism for periodically weeding through the stuff. Now the playroom is much neater and I think it is because there is that next level of accountability, beyond "put it away when you're done with it". Writing about this has just given me the idea to do a post on the merits of certification. Yeh!
The Playground co op(I think its a co op, it may be a committee formed within the playroom co op-you can go crazy trying to keep up with this stuff) was formed because some of the younger kids wanted a sandbox and a playground. They began to fundraise and a sandbox was actually built this past weekend. I'm not sure if the co op will stay in existence after the playground is built because I think its maintenance would fall under the auspice of the physical plant clerk.
The clerkships are a whole other story too. I guess I'll be busy this week.
At Sudbury Valley they are called corporations. Basically they are organizations of staff and students based on a similar interest or goal. They make the rules and certification procedures for areas under their purview, they maintain and purchase supplies/areas and they fundraise to buy stuff that they want or need.
Here are the co ops that I know of at HVSS:
Computer
Library
Playroom
Playground
Sports
Art
Kitchen
Photography/Multi Media
There may be others. Co ops arise when there is a need or desire and disband when either the need is met and doesn't need to be maintained or the interest has waned. I'll give you the story of two as an example.
The Playroom co op was formed last year because the playroom was constantly being trashed and sometimes it would be closed for days because nobody would clean up their mess or help with anyone else's. It was also getting junked up with all the generous but perhaps superfluous donations of toys from families. So the co op was formed, officers were elected, certification procedures were put in place as well as a mechanism for periodically weeding through the stuff. Now the playroom is much neater and I think it is because there is that next level of accountability, beyond "put it away when you're done with it". Writing about this has just given me the idea to do a post on the merits of certification. Yeh!
The Playground co op(I think its a co op, it may be a committee formed within the playroom co op-you can go crazy trying to keep up with this stuff) was formed because some of the younger kids wanted a sandbox and a playground. They began to fundraise and a sandbox was actually built this past weekend. I'm not sure if the co op will stay in existence after the playground is built because I think its maintenance would fall under the auspice of the physical plant clerk.
The clerkships are a whole other story too. I guess I'll be busy this week.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Opportunity knocks
Went to a fundraising committee meeting today. Somehow I was able to squelch my volunteer urge and made it out without becoming an officer. The issue came up of setting aside certain areas of fundraising events for the coops and this guy, well the founder of HVSS actually, said he had an issue with things being just given to the coops. I'm telling the story backwards.
The co ops are responsible for raising their own funds and the fundraising committee will match them. They do different things, the playground co op let people make stepping stones, the art co op sold milk shakes, etc. So the question came up about letting the art co op have the proceeds from the penny social at the craft fair or run it or something like that. This is when the discussion began about why they should get anything special just because there would be a bunch of art there. He brought up the point, why aren't they here and why don't we offer something to every co op. What was suggested by another staff member was that an announcement would be made that the co ops could run their own fundraising activities with ours but they would have to come and present it to us and be a part of the process. It is such a good idea. There's incentive without coercion. There is a view on the outside world and an introduction to the larger processes involved in planning an event or capital campaign or what have you. And it's totally voluntary.
That's so sudbury. Provide the opportunity and let them run with it. I wonder if it gets frustrating when they don't. I would imagine that staff is better at not romanticizing or getting too invested in plans that don't come to fruition. I know, in my own evolution as a parent, this is something that I've had to learn. Or unlearn.
My last list:
Dream Jobs:
The co ops are responsible for raising their own funds and the fundraising committee will match them. They do different things, the playground co op let people make stepping stones, the art co op sold milk shakes, etc. So the question came up about letting the art co op have the proceeds from the penny social at the craft fair or run it or something like that. This is when the discussion began about why they should get anything special just because there would be a bunch of art there. He brought up the point, why aren't they here and why don't we offer something to every co op. What was suggested by another staff member was that an announcement would be made that the co ops could run their own fundraising activities with ours but they would have to come and present it to us and be a part of the process. It is such a good idea. There's incentive without coercion. There is a view on the outside world and an introduction to the larger processes involved in planning an event or capital campaign or what have you. And it's totally voluntary.
That's so sudbury. Provide the opportunity and let them run with it. I wonder if it gets frustrating when they don't. I would imagine that staff is better at not romanticizing or getting too invested in plans that don't come to fruition. I know, in my own evolution as a parent, this is something that I've had to learn. Or unlearn.
My last list:
Dream Jobs:
- Writer
- Sociologist(field work)
- Pilot(dream hobby really)
- Campaign Strategist
- Interpreter/Translator
- Own an Art Gallery
- Corporate Subverter(I go in and tell management why their policies are stupid and how their employees are going to get around them)
Friday, September 19, 2008
No More Playday
The enrollment committee met on wednesday and voted to cancel playday. Tuesday was a little nutty but I didn't realize how stressful it was for staff to keep playday going. I'm glad that I happened to be planning my own exit strategy for other reasons because if I hadn't I would have been pissed. I came home wed night to a message that basically said playday is cancelled and I hope you get over it. It didn't bother me at first but then I thought about it and realised that it was not the way to handle things. I suppose I'm not handling it well by posting it on my blog but nobody really reads this so no harm no foul. Anyway I talked to staff and it was brought up that a staff had to play an authoritarian role because Playday is not democratic. Which is true because preschoolers are not ready for that. It was an interesting way of looking at it that I hadn't thought of. I was under the impression that one of the goals of playday, in addition to introducing new families to the school, was to get younger siblings of students accustomed to sudbury. I don't know how the democratic aspect could be introduced. I mean Cady would happily vote on stuff, as long as what she voted for always won! Ha. I tried to think of a happy medium. Maybe a group that met once a month or something like that but really, I should be grateful that I was able to take advantage of it last year and now we will move on to other things. I haven't told Cady and I'm not going to. She will be disappointed but I don't want other people to be unhappy to indulge her. I'm just going to try and fill up our tuesdays until she forgets about it. There are some pluses to having a three year old!
Today's list:
Occupations that Fascinate Me
Today's list:
Occupations that Fascinate Me
- sandhogs
- demolition experts
- forensic accountants
- composers
- lighting
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
oops I forgot the list
Places I Would Love To Visit But Probably Never Will:
- Petra(the city carved in rock that is in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)
- India
- Jerusalem
- Lake Victoria
- Tuva
- Lhasa
- Nepal
- Angor Wat
- Galapagos
- Mt. Rushmore/Crazy Horse
More DIA
Here are some more thoughts from Tocqueville-
On the spirit of religion and the spirit of liberty:
"Religion perceives that civil liberty affords a noble exercise to the faculties of man and that the political world is a field prepared by the creator for the efforts of mind. Free and powerful in its own sphere, satisfied with the place reserved for it, religion never more surely establishes its empire than when it reigns in the hearts of men unsupported by aught beside its native strength.
Liberty regards religion as its companion in all its battles and its triumphs, as the cradle of its infancy and the divine source of its claims. It considers religion as the safeguard of morality, and morality as the best security of law and the surest pledge of the duration of freedom."
O that we would heed these words today!
An interesting observation about the remnants of laws and customs from the old country:
"The picture of American society has, if I may so speak, a surface covering of democracy, beneath which the old aristocratic colors sometimes peep out."
Something I had never thought about before:
"But the law of inheritance was the last step to equality. I am surprised that ancient and modern jurists have not attributed to this law a greater influence on human affairs. It is true that these laws belong to civil affairs; but they ought, nevertheless, to be placed at the head of all political institutions; for they exercise an incredible influence upon the social state of a people"
On the mediocrity of our intellectual pursuits:
"In America most of the rich men were formerly poor; most of those who now enjoy leisure were absorbed in business during their youth; the consequence of this is that when they moght have had a taste for study, they had no taste for it, and when the time is at their disposal, they have no longer the inclination.
There is no class then in America, in which the taste for intellectual pleasures is transmitted with hereditary fortune and leisure and by which the labors of the intellect are held in honor. Accordingly, there is an equal want of the desire and the power of application to these objects."
Plus the guy could wield a semicolon!
On the spirit of religion and the spirit of liberty:
"Religion perceives that civil liberty affords a noble exercise to the faculties of man and that the political world is a field prepared by the creator for the efforts of mind. Free and powerful in its own sphere, satisfied with the place reserved for it, religion never more surely establishes its empire than when it reigns in the hearts of men unsupported by aught beside its native strength.
Liberty regards religion as its companion in all its battles and its triumphs, as the cradle of its infancy and the divine source of its claims. It considers religion as the safeguard of morality, and morality as the best security of law and the surest pledge of the duration of freedom."
O that we would heed these words today!
An interesting observation about the remnants of laws and customs from the old country:
"The picture of American society has, if I may so speak, a surface covering of democracy, beneath which the old aristocratic colors sometimes peep out."
Something I had never thought about before:
"But the law of inheritance was the last step to equality. I am surprised that ancient and modern jurists have not attributed to this law a greater influence on human affairs. It is true that these laws belong to civil affairs; but they ought, nevertheless, to be placed at the head of all political institutions; for they exercise an incredible influence upon the social state of a people"
On the mediocrity of our intellectual pursuits:
"In America most of the rich men were formerly poor; most of those who now enjoy leisure were absorbed in business during their youth; the consequence of this is that when they moght have had a taste for study, they had no taste for it, and when the time is at their disposal, they have no longer the inclination.
There is no class then in America, in which the taste for intellectual pleasures is transmitted with hereditary fortune and leisure and by which the labors of the intellect are held in honor. Accordingly, there is an equal want of the desire and the power of application to these objects."
Plus the guy could wield a semicolon!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Crackdown!
JC is cracking down this year. I know I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating. I don't know what she did but Amelia is restricted from going outside for 5 days. Two kids have been suspended and were restricted to different rooms for 3 and 4 days respectively.
Maybe they felt like they just had to be tough from the get go to decrease recidivism. I wonder how the indefinite suspension/expulsion sentences will play. I thought it was ridiculous myself when I found out that someone could come back in the same school year after being expelled. That just seemed like a long term suspension to me. I wonder if that rule will be amended.
Amelia is serving on JC now but there hasn't been anything too juicy or she is just getting better at resisting my interrogation. :)
Here's my list for today:
Religions You May or May Not Have Heard Of
Maybe they felt like they just had to be tough from the get go to decrease recidivism. I wonder how the indefinite suspension/expulsion sentences will play. I thought it was ridiculous myself when I found out that someone could come back in the same school year after being expelled. That just seemed like a long term suspension to me. I wonder if that rule will be amended.
Amelia is serving on JC now but there hasn't been anything too juicy or she is just getting better at resisting my interrogation. :)
Here's my list for today:
Religions You May or May Not Have Heard Of
- Tenrikyo
- Ahmadi
- Vodoun
- The Cult of Scarro
- Jainism
- Juche
- Cao Dai
- Rastafarianism (Rastas!)
- Yoruba
- Candomble
Sunday, September 14, 2008
the real difference between us and animals
We make lists.
I love to make lists. I have a list of lists I intend to make someday. I have 3 or 4 different types of to-do lists. Lists make me feel like I have things under control. Lists can classify, they can bring order, they can help you focus on your true objective in any undertaking. Lists are great.
I don't like popularity contest type of lists like "top fives" or "all-time best..." They are too subjective.
I also don't like the term "bucket list". Lame to begin with, made worse by the movie.
I don't usually do themes but I think this week I will end each post with a list. If I remember.
For today:
Some Famous Men I Have Encountered And It Had No Discernible Impact On My Life Or Theirs
I love to make lists. I have a list of lists I intend to make someday. I have 3 or 4 different types of to-do lists. Lists make me feel like I have things under control. Lists can classify, they can bring order, they can help you focus on your true objective in any undertaking. Lists are great.
I don't like popularity contest type of lists like "top fives" or "all-time best..." They are too subjective.
I also don't like the term "bucket list". Lame to begin with, made worse by the movie.
I don't usually do themes but I think this week I will end each post with a list. If I remember.
For today:
Some Famous Men I Have Encountered And It Had No Discernible Impact On My Life Or Theirs
- Richard Nixon
- Bill Cosby
- Larry Hankin(maybe I'll save him for the sort of famous list)
- Kevin Bacon
- Mike Meyers
- Some people at a Soap Opera softball game(again, may be better on the sort of famous list)
- Stanley Tucci
- Arthur Ashe
- Robert Urich
- Mark Messier
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The Wall
Des called me from school today because he was having "a bad day." His friends weren't there and he was a bit at odds. "Nothing here is fun."
"Hitting the wall" is a phrase that is used when a kid is bored or is struggling to find out what it is that interests them. Staff members can probably recognize the condition faster than I can but take a hands off approach as a student works through it. This is another aspect of the school where the value of the process is not readily discernible or easily explained.
When our kids seem unhappy our first instinct is to help them. It's natural but at times wrongheaded. Boredom is a challenge not a problem. We all need to struggle to find our way because when we struggle with boredom or dissatisfaction we are also thinking about what is important to us, what we want, what we need to do to change the situation. If a kid complains about being bored a staff member might make a suggestion but they are not going to direct the student. It is a subtle but important distinction. Saying "have you been to the art room today?" is different from plopping them down with paper, supplies and a model for a project to complete. The first is a suggestion, a bit of advice, the second is a distraction from the real problem. Yes, the child now has something to do but it hasn't addressed the real problem of figuring out what it was they wanted to do in the first place.
"Hitting the wall" is a phrase that is used when a kid is bored or is struggling to find out what it is that interests them. Staff members can probably recognize the condition faster than I can but take a hands off approach as a student works through it. This is another aspect of the school where the value of the process is not readily discernible or easily explained.
When our kids seem unhappy our first instinct is to help them. It's natural but at times wrongheaded. Boredom is a challenge not a problem. We all need to struggle to find our way because when we struggle with boredom or dissatisfaction we are also thinking about what is important to us, what we want, what we need to do to change the situation. If a kid complains about being bored a staff member might make a suggestion but they are not going to direct the student. It is a subtle but important distinction. Saying "have you been to the art room today?" is different from plopping them down with paper, supplies and a model for a project to complete. The first is a suggestion, a bit of advice, the second is a distraction from the real problem. Yes, the child now has something to do but it hasn't addressed the real problem of figuring out what it was they wanted to do in the first place.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
I'm just a mom again
School Meeting decided that a staff member should be in charge of playday. Yeh! The system works! Well, it worked for me, not the staff member that may have been trying to get out of playday. I did have a twinge for a moment,you know, thinking, maybe it isn't that they don't want an outsider they just don't want me. But you know what? That's ok too. And I have a confession to make. I'm feeling very overwhelmed by the Hallowween fair enterprise and that motion is going to be discussed tomorrow. There is a small part of me that hopes I get a phone call saying school meeting doesn't want a Hallowween fair either. I know it could be really fun I just keep making lists of things I need to do or buy or make and they just keep getting longer and longer and longer...
I think there should have been a motion put before SM in the first place about whether or not to hold one although I can't imagine why they wouldn't. SM is a strange and mysterious entity to me. It's both a people and a place in my mind. Right now in Democracy in America I'm reading about the first New England Towns and Town Meetings and also came across a very interesting quote about religion and liberty which I will have to share with you at another point because the book is out of reach at the moment. anyway, School Meeting is based on the idea of governance through a Town meeting.
There is also a movie called Dogville that features a town meeting but in a very ugly way. The power of the meeting is abused to the point of absurdity. (somehow a character played by Nicole Kidman ends up wearing this odd iron collar attached to a an anvil that she has to drag around) The town is destroyed by violent criminals(in every endeavor people would do well to remember that there is always a bigger fish) and then during the credits there is just image after image of all sorts of nasty stuff that has happened in our country. I think the director, Lars Von Trier, was trying to say, you think this is a fable but look at the violence you yourself are capable of. He could have taken images from around the world and all of history to highlight that aspect of man's nature but he specifically chose to use only american images. I'm not sure why. I think europeans think we're deluded. I have veered way off topic here. Sorry. From sudbury to dogville. See if you can find those two in the same sentence anywhere else on the internet. :)
I think there should have been a motion put before SM in the first place about whether or not to hold one although I can't imagine why they wouldn't. SM is a strange and mysterious entity to me. It's both a people and a place in my mind. Right now in Democracy in America I'm reading about the first New England Towns and Town Meetings and also came across a very interesting quote about religion and liberty which I will have to share with you at another point because the book is out of reach at the moment. anyway, School Meeting is based on the idea of governance through a Town meeting.
There is also a movie called Dogville that features a town meeting but in a very ugly way. The power of the meeting is abused to the point of absurdity. (somehow a character played by Nicole Kidman ends up wearing this odd iron collar attached to a an anvil that she has to drag around) The town is destroyed by violent criminals(in every endeavor people would do well to remember that there is always a bigger fish) and then during the credits there is just image after image of all sorts of nasty stuff that has happened in our country. I think the director, Lars Von Trier, was trying to say, you think this is a fable but look at the violence you yourself are capable of. He could have taken images from around the world and all of history to highlight that aspect of man's nature but he specifically chose to use only american images. I'm not sure why. I think europeans think we're deluded. I have veered way off topic here. Sorry. From sudbury to dogville. See if you can find those two in the same sentence anywhere else on the internet. :)
I'm not an applicant...I'm a candidate!
I have to be elected to the Playday position. So a motion is in for hmm I don't know how they worded it. I guess a motion is in to hold an election to approve of me as director of playday. You can get bogged down in the procedural shit at this school. I understand that it is necessary but its tricky. I had three phone calls about how to word a motion so I can be at school when I need to be to plan for the Halloween fair.
Oh yes! Did I forget to mention that I had the fantastic idea to hold a Halloween fair and now I'm in charge of it. I must have been on crack when I opened my mouth. No, I kid. It's going to be fun.
In other news, JC is cracking the whip this year! Desmond has already had a tough sentence for being rowdy. He said "It's hard to get used to all these rules again after being away the whole summer." I said "You should bring that up in JC." He looked at me, rolled his eyes and said "But that's so embarrassing!" Two of his friends were written up for being rowdy...while they were in JC on a charge! I thought it was a first but my friend, who used to be on staff and coincidentally is their mom, said it happens more often than you would think.
Oh yes! Did I forget to mention that I had the fantastic idea to hold a Halloween fair and now I'm in charge of it. I must have been on crack when I opened my mouth. No, I kid. It's going to be fun.
In other news, JC is cracking the whip this year! Desmond has already had a tough sentence for being rowdy. He said "It's hard to get used to all these rules again after being away the whole summer." I said "You should bring that up in JC." He looked at me, rolled his eyes and said "But that's so embarrassing!" Two of his friends were written up for being rowdy...while they were in JC on a charge! I thought it was a first but my friend, who used to be on staff and coincidentally is their mom, said it happens more often than you would think.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Director of Playday
I've volunteered for this position. A promotion from Asst. or was it Backup Playday Director. there isn't a lot to it. Some paperwork and bringing a snack. Getting there on time. Playing.
The staffing committee is going to meet tomorrow to discuss it. I brought it up at dinner tonight, thinking the kids would be ok with it-I come to playday with Cady and Finn almost every week as it is. The kids said "So you're going to be a staff?" and they did not look happy about it. They asked if I could write people up and I said I didn't think so. I started to get nervous. Not so much about me being in charge of playday but what if they didn't like playday at all. So Amelia asked if there was anyone else who could do it. I said I didn't think so. I told them if they really didn't want me there they could go to the staffing committee and say so. I was very very tempted to tack on a lot of passive-aggressive manipulative comments to keep them from doing that but I didn't. I said to myself this is their school and their deal, let them have it. I did remind them how important playday is to Cady and asked that they not do anything to end it for her.
Of course Amelia forgot to say anything the next day. I wasn't going to remind her. I haven't heard anything. Maybe there is someone else who wants to do it. I don't care, as long as they have it. Cady loves going to sudbury.
The staffing committee is going to meet tomorrow to discuss it. I brought it up at dinner tonight, thinking the kids would be ok with it-I come to playday with Cady and Finn almost every week as it is. The kids said "So you're going to be a staff?" and they did not look happy about it. They asked if I could write people up and I said I didn't think so. I started to get nervous. Not so much about me being in charge of playday but what if they didn't like playday at all. So Amelia asked if there was anyone else who could do it. I said I didn't think so. I told them if they really didn't want me there they could go to the staffing committee and say so. I was very very tempted to tack on a lot of passive-aggressive manipulative comments to keep them from doing that but I didn't. I said to myself this is their school and their deal, let them have it. I did remind them how important playday is to Cady and asked that they not do anything to end it for her.
Of course Amelia forgot to say anything the next day. I wasn't going to remind her. I haven't heard anything. Maybe there is someone else who wants to do it. I don't care, as long as they have it. Cady loves going to sudbury.
Discussion
So why did I put these two quotes up last night?
For inspiration.
The first is to keep the deep purpose of a sudbury style education in mind-raising responsible effective adults in a democratic society. JC- "to purify its morals" school meeting- "to substitute a knowledge of statecraft for inexperience" the freedom to learn-"an awareness of its true interest for its blind instincts"
The second is to never despair when it seems like corporations have taken over everything. I think that's why this election is so important. It's like the electorate is waking up to what they really want from their country. It's terrible to think of democracy, "the vanquisher of kings", being subverted by a bunch of empty suits.
For inspiration.
The first is to keep the deep purpose of a sudbury style education in mind-raising responsible effective adults in a democratic society. JC- "to purify its morals" school meeting- "to substitute a knowledge of statecraft for inexperience" the freedom to learn-"an awareness of its true interest for its blind instincts"
The second is to never despair when it seems like corporations have taken over everything. I think that's why this election is so important. It's like the electorate is waking up to what they really want from their country. It's terrible to think of democracy, "the vanquisher of kings", being subverted by a bunch of empty suits.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Two Quotes
Which quote is from Democracy in America?
"The first of the duties that are this time imposed upon those who direct our affairs is to educate democracy, to reawaken, if possible, its religious beliefs; to purify its morals; to mold its actions; to substitute a knowledge of statecraft for its inexperience, and an awareness of its true instincts for its blind instincts, to adapt its government to time and place, and to modify it according to men and to conditions. A new science of politics is needed for a new world."
"Can it be believed that the democracy which has overthrown the feudal system and vanquished kings will retreat before tradesmen and capitalists?"
No peeking.
They both are.
"The first of the duties that are this time imposed upon those who direct our affairs is to educate democracy, to reawaken, if possible, its religious beliefs; to purify its morals; to mold its actions; to substitute a knowledge of statecraft for its inexperience, and an awareness of its true instincts for its blind instincts, to adapt its government to time and place, and to modify it according to men and to conditions. A new science of politics is needed for a new world."
"Can it be believed that the democracy which has overthrown the feudal system and vanquished kings will retreat before tradesmen and capitalists?"
No peeking.
They both are.
freakin' out
so now I'm completely paranoid and self conscious about my ears and my hearing. One-I've convinced myself that they feel different, like they feel plugged or something and I'm wondering if that's a symptom. So now I'm constantly touching them and you know, fiddling is the right word I guess. Two-It has made me more subdued. that might be a good thing. Normally I'm very outgoing but I was at a birthday party tonight and there was a person there that I didn't know and there was a moment where conversation would have been appropriate but I didn't initiate one because he was sitting a little far away and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hear him and I would have to keep asking him to repeat himself. Three-I'm constantly monitoring my hearing now and wondering what everything "really" sounds like.
I think this is a bit of an excessive reaction/adjustment because itisn't like I'm stone deaf. I did have to have this confirmed. I just have an overactive imagination.
I think this is a bit of an excessive reaction/adjustment because itisn't like I'm stone deaf. I did have to have this confirmed. I just have an overactive imagination.
I knew it was coming
It has been, not a joke, but a running discussion between me and Ray that my hearing is not fantastic. For a couple of years now. In the past few months though I did find myself turning up the TV and,according to witnesses, talk more loudly when I was on the phone.
so I finally got around to seeing my doctor about it today. She didn't even look at my ears, just took me into a room to do a hearing test. I think to placate me. As we're doing the test and I have those funky headphones on I'm sneaking peeks at the dials she's spinning and see that she is making a series of x's on a card. They are all next to each other so I think "Well, OK this can't be too bad, they're all on the same row."
We finish the test and the first thing she says is "Your hearing is atrocious. Really bad." And she kind of looked surprised to be saying it. She points to the neat little line of X's at the bottom of the card and then points to the top of the card and says "This is normal. I think you might be a candidate for a hearing aid." I wasn't surprised but I was surprised. At my age health care stuff is rarely as bad as or worse than you think it's going to be and she was so blunt but wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know. It was a really odd feeling. I have to see an audiologist now. It might not be that bad, I had finn on my lap and I may not always have been clicking as soon as I heard the sound. Oh who am I kidding? It's bad.
I was thinking about it, of course, and one funny thought I had was that I owe apologies to many people who I have been annoyed with for not, in my opinion, speaking clearly enough or projecting enough for me to understand them. HA! Turns out it really isn't you, it's me.
I also mentioned a problem with my toes and she recommended orthotics. a hearing aid and orthotics. Damn. I'm surprised she didn't send me out with a coupon for an Early Bird Dinner too. :)
so I finally got around to seeing my doctor about it today. She didn't even look at my ears, just took me into a room to do a hearing test. I think to placate me. As we're doing the test and I have those funky headphones on I'm sneaking peeks at the dials she's spinning and see that she is making a series of x's on a card. They are all next to each other so I think "Well, OK this can't be too bad, they're all on the same row."
We finish the test and the first thing she says is "Your hearing is atrocious. Really bad." And she kind of looked surprised to be saying it. She points to the neat little line of X's at the bottom of the card and then points to the top of the card and says "This is normal. I think you might be a candidate for a hearing aid." I wasn't surprised but I was surprised. At my age health care stuff is rarely as bad as or worse than you think it's going to be and she was so blunt but wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know. It was a really odd feeling. I have to see an audiologist now. It might not be that bad, I had finn on my lap and I may not always have been clicking as soon as I heard the sound. Oh who am I kidding? It's bad.
I was thinking about it, of course, and one funny thought I had was that I owe apologies to many people who I have been annoyed with for not, in my opinion, speaking clearly enough or projecting enough for me to understand them. HA! Turns out it really isn't you, it's me.
I also mentioned a problem with my toes and she recommended orthotics. a hearing aid and orthotics. Damn. I'm surprised she didn't send me out with a coupon for an Early Bird Dinner too. :)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Bossiness
A recurring complaint from Des is that his two best friends always want to play with him but sometimes he wants to play with the girls "and do activities". I guess his friends, according to Des, follow him everywhere and won't let him play with anyone else. Today Amelia complained about a new girl being bossy. I tell them how I think they should handle it or try and strategize with them and get to the heart of the problem. I recommend speaking honestly but kindly or writing them up if need be. Sometimes, though, I get sick of hearing about it and just want to intervene and solve the problem myself.
However, these are the things that they have to work out. And they really need to do it for themselves. We talk all the time about doing what's right and how hard it can be. I feel like if they get into the habit of standing up for themselves maybe when the time comes they won't feel the pressure to follow along into negative behaviors.
On another note Des said that he was feeling sad because he had no time to talk to me today. That was nice. Des isn't usually open like that.
However, these are the things that they have to work out. And they really need to do it for themselves. We talk all the time about doing what's right and how hard it can be. I feel like if they get into the habit of standing up for themselves maybe when the time comes they won't feel the pressure to follow along into negative behaviors.
On another note Des said that he was feeling sad because he had no time to talk to me today. That was nice. Des isn't usually open like that.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Mommy messes up
So the kids got on the bus today. Des had a lot of anxiety about the bus and most of it was my fault. Earlier in the summer we had talked about taking the bus and Des was quite resistant and had said something to the effect that he would just miss the bus everyday so i would have to drive him. I thought he meant he would miss the bus on purpose so I said if you miss the bus everyday, you aren't going to be going to that school. Sigh. Mommy's are not perfect. I am not perfect. We know we shouldn't threaten.
So this morning, Des is very anxious and upset about missing the bus on the way home. With tears in his eyes he says "If I miss the bus you're going to make me go to regular school." Boy did I feel like a jerk.
I was surprised by how much I missed them today. I called school twice to try and chat but they were too busy. I remember last year at the beginning Amelia would call 5 or 6 times a day. Even at the end of the year she would call a couple of times a week. I don't think that will happen this year. And that's fine. It just makes me wistful I guess. When she got off the bus she seemed like a new kid. Older. Well, I still have Finn to baby.
So this morning, Des is very anxious and upset about missing the bus on the way home. With tears in his eyes he says "If I miss the bus you're going to make me go to regular school." Boy did I feel like a jerk.
I was surprised by how much I missed them today. I called school twice to try and chat but they were too busy. I remember last year at the beginning Amelia would call 5 or 6 times a day. Even at the end of the year she would call a couple of times a week. I don't think that will happen this year. And that's fine. It just makes me wistful I guess. When she got off the bus she seemed like a new kid. Older. Well, I still have Finn to baby.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
I think I'm in love
the only problem is that he's been dead for 130 years. My RAL of Democracy in America finally started and I've only read the 100 page introduction and chapter 1 and I'm blown away. The scope of Toqueville's accomplishment cannot be overstated. Even the stuff he got wrong is fascinating because he should have gotten it right. Plus it makes me feel smart. Let me explain:
As my dedicated reader's know I think JC is why the Sudbury schools work so well. Read my other posts, I don't have time to get into it right now.
Well, Mssr. DeTocqueville called civil juries "the most energetic means of making the people rule, the most efficacious means of teaching it to rule well". Brilliant. God I wish I was that eloquent.
I wonder if he would mind if I called him Alexis?
As my dedicated reader's know I think JC is why the Sudbury schools work so well. Read my other posts, I don't have time to get into it right now.
Well, Mssr. DeTocqueville called civil juries "the most energetic means of making the people rule, the most efficacious means of teaching it to rule well". Brilliant. God I wish I was that eloquent.
I wonder if he would mind if I called him Alexis?
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