Posted by Former Sudbury student, a resident of another community, on Oct 12, 2007 at 2:48 pm

Ms. Allen makes some fine points. For instance, people do have a tendency to underestimate the trustworthiness of children which is a shame because they are far more deserving of it than most people realize. Parents are biologically hardwired to be concerned about their children. The public school system only wants children as a way to get money. Learning has not simply been pushed onto the back burner in schools, it has been pushed off the stove completely. Testing is not learning.

A Sudbury education, in essence, is a return to the basic principle of learning. The idea for such a philosophy is that all people are naturally curious. You would have to be quite daring to try arguing that learning terminates at age eighteen because it most certainly does not. It is saddening that so many children leave school not even having an idea of what to do with their lives. When I left school at eighteen I left with the skills to get a job as a computer programmer. The transition from childhood to adulthood by holding down a full time job is a lot more rewarding, I believe, than spending the next few years in college only to leave wondering what to should do next. This tragically being the case for so many people.

I as well hope that the Mountain View Whisman School District has success in CI, as it does benefit children when we discuss their developmental needs and education. It is important that we understand that everyone's brain develops differently, and that everyone learns at different speeds. Thus, a one size fits all program cannot work and has a lot to do with why the current public school system no longer works.