Description

Book Synopsis

How self-directed democratic schooling builds fulfilling lives and can lead the way back to a civilized society

Education is ripe for democratic disruption. Students in most schools are denied fundamental social ideals such as personal freedom, public government, rule of law, and free enterprise. In our increasingly authoritarian post-truth world, self-directed democratic schooling offers a timely alternative: educating children in civilized society and showing that self-motivation outperforms coercion in its power to educate and fulfill.

When Kids Rule the School is the first comprehensive guide to democratic schooling, where kids practice life in a self-governed societyempowered as voters, bound by laws, challenged by choice, supported by community, and driven by nature. Through heartwarming stories and hard-headed details, this book covers:

  • Democratic schooling philosophy, theory, and practice
  • School governance by

    Table of Contents

    Stories
    Prologue: Taming the Wild
    Introduction

    Part One: Self-directed Democratic Schools
    1. What's a Democratic School?
    Small-scale Democracy
    Sudbury Schools
    Summerhill School
    Integral Education
    Free Schools

    2. The Circle School
    Scaled-down World
    Foundation Principles

    Part Two: A Case for Democratic Schooling
    3. Integral Education: An Emerging Era
    Traditional to Modern to Integral
    Fill a Bucket, Light a Fire, Fan a Flame
    The Radical Difference

    4. Democratic Schools: A Better Fit
    Aligning School with Society's Ideals
    Alignments Within the School
    Aligning School with Children's Lives
    Bliss It Isn't
    Human Development and Democratic Schooling
    And Finally There's This

    5. Seven Ideas
    Democratic Schooling in a Nutshell
    Community: Less Obvious, More Important?
    Intrinsic Motivation and Autonomy
    Optimal Challenge: Children Reaching Higher
    Embodied Cognition and Deep Learning
    Coercive Curriculum Harms Children
    Practicing Life

    Part Three: Thinking about Thinking
    6. How and What Do They Learn?
    Worldviews, Culture Wars, Concerts, and Railroads
    Expanding the Scope of Education in School
    Old Ways
    Integral Learning Patterns Enabled by Democratic Schooling

    7. Critical Thinking
    Capable Cognition
    Provocations
    Culture of Critical Thinking
    Deep Play and Critical Thinking
    Critical Thinking in Perspective

    Part Four: In Practice
    8. Jargon
    School Meeting
    Ends We Seek
    School Meeting Committees
    School Meeting Officials
    Corporations
    Certification
    Lawbook
    Judicial Committee
    Board of Trustees

    9. A Typical Day?
    Walking Tour
    Bulletin Board
    Room Reservations
    Daily Schedule
    What You See and What You Don't

    10. School Government
    Elections
    School Meeting
    Corporations
    Staff
    Management Manual
    Laws
    Enforcement and Empowerment
    Judicial Committee
    Formal Governance
    Legal Structure

    11. The Chore System

    12. Safety, Safety, Safety
    Standards
    Laws
    Safety Practices

    13. Moving On: College and the World
    High School Diplomas
    College Admissions
    Not Going
    College and Degrees

    Part Five: Frequently Asked Questions
    Basics
    Curriculum
    Assessment and Reporting to Parents
    Getting into a Democratic School

    Epilogue: Seeking Infinity
    Acknowledgments
    Appendix A: Management Manual Table of Contents
    Appendix B: The Circle School Corporation Bylaws
    Appendix C: Colleges Attended by Circle School Graduates
    Index
    About the Author
    A Note about the Publisher

When Kids Rule the School

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    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Fri 19 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Jim Rietmulder

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      View other formats and editions of When Kids Rule the School by Jim Rietmulder

      Publisher: New Society Publishers
      Publication Date: 21/05/2019
      ISBN13: 9780865719040, 978-0865719040
      ISBN10: 0865719047
      Also in:
      Educational systems and structures Independent schools, private education Moral and social purpose of education

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      How self-directed democratic schooling builds fulfilling lives and can lead the way back to a civilized society

      Education is ripe for democratic disruption. Students in most schools are denied fundamental social ideals such as personal freedom, public government, rule of law, and free enterprise. In our increasingly authoritarian post-truth world, self-directed democratic schooling offers a timely alternative: educating children in civilized society and showing that self-motivation outperforms coercion in its power to educate and fulfill.

      When Kids Rule the School is the first comprehensive guide to democratic schooling, where kids practice life in a self-governed societyempowered as voters, bound by laws, challenged by choice, supported by community, and driven by nature. Through heartwarming stories and hard-headed details, this book covers:

      • Democratic schooling philosophy, theory, and practice
      • School governance by

        Table of Contents

        Stories
        Prologue: Taming the Wild
        Introduction

        Part One: Self-directed Democratic Schools
        1. What's a Democratic School?
        Small-scale Democracy
        Sudbury Schools
        Summerhill School
        Integral Education
        Free Schools

        2. The Circle School
        Scaled-down World
        Foundation Principles

        Part Two: A Case for Democratic Schooling
        3. Integral Education: An Emerging Era
        Traditional to Modern to Integral
        Fill a Bucket, Light a Fire, Fan a Flame
        The Radical Difference

        4. Democratic Schools: A Better Fit
        Aligning School with Society's Ideals
        Alignments Within the School
        Aligning School with Children's Lives
        Bliss It Isn't
        Human Development and Democratic Schooling
        And Finally There's This

        5. Seven Ideas
        Democratic Schooling in a Nutshell
        Community: Less Obvious, More Important?
        Intrinsic Motivation and Autonomy
        Optimal Challenge: Children Reaching Higher
        Embodied Cognition and Deep Learning
        Coercive Curriculum Harms Children
        Practicing Life

        Part Three: Thinking about Thinking
        6. How and What Do They Learn?
        Worldviews, Culture Wars, Concerts, and Railroads
        Expanding the Scope of Education in School
        Old Ways
        Integral Learning Patterns Enabled by Democratic Schooling

        7. Critical Thinking
        Capable Cognition
        Provocations
        Culture of Critical Thinking
        Deep Play and Critical Thinking
        Critical Thinking in Perspective

        Part Four: In Practice
        8. Jargon
        School Meeting
        Ends We Seek
        School Meeting Committees
        School Meeting Officials
        Corporations
        Certification
        Lawbook
        Judicial Committee
        Board of Trustees

        9. A Typical Day?
        Walking Tour
        Bulletin Board
        Room Reservations
        Daily Schedule
        What You See and What You Don't

        10. School Government
        Elections
        School Meeting
        Corporations
        Staff
        Management Manual
        Laws
        Enforcement and Empowerment
        Judicial Committee
        Formal Governance
        Legal Structure

        11. The Chore System

        12. Safety, Safety, Safety
        Standards
        Laws
        Safety Practices

        13. Moving On: College and the World
        High School Diplomas
        College Admissions
        Not Going
        College and Degrees

        Part Five: Frequently Asked Questions
        Basics
        Curriculum
        Assessment and Reporting to Parents
        Getting into a Democratic School

        Epilogue: Seeking Infinity
        Acknowledgments
        Appendix A: Management Manual Table of Contents
        Appendix B: The Circle School Corporation Bylaws
        Appendix C: Colleges Attended by Circle School Graduates
        Index
        About the Author
        A Note about the Publisher

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