Full Text:

Progressive School Hopes To Offer An Alternative

(with cut)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

The Newtown Progressive School is currently interviewing students who are

considering alternatives to Newtown Middle School.

The new private school will accept sixth graders only, to a maximum enrollment

of 20, in its first year of operation.

In a public meeting held at the Booth Library on Sunday, Kathleen Green,

school director, described how the new school offers an interest-based

approach to learning.

She plans to give students key roles in deciding what they learn, how they

show that they have learned it, and even decision-making power in the school

itself.

The mission of the new school is to "prepare students for future educational

experiences by consistently encouraging self-initiative, nurturing creative

learning, and fostering a strong sense of responsibility and confidence

through community service."

With a student-teacher ratio of ten to one, Mrs Green feels confident that

students will get all the individual attention they need to reach these goals.

Mrs Green described the school as an eclectic mix of the best of many

educational systems, including both democratic schools and Montessori.

Four teachers have been hired for specialty areas: Marie Louglin (character

development) Laurie Borst (science) Daren Liker (English and social studies)

and Debra McCann (music and art).

Mrs Green commented that the Progressive School will circumvent problem areas

identified at Newtown Middle School by the Gordon Black customer survey done

in the fall of 1997.

She detailed recommendations from the summary report of the survey,

particularly regarding the presentation of curriculum. She reported that 45

percent of Newtown Middle School students said their English teacher did not

assign interesting homework, and 20 percent said they did not like what was

taught in social studies class.

With school planning already well underway when the Gordon Black Survey was

released ( The Newtown Bee , February 13, 1998), Mrs Green said she found

support for her goals with the alternative school.

Mrs Green wrote that with the new school "curriculum is strongly influenced by

what the students are interested in..."

In addition, the whole school organization is democratic. Students learn

social studies, independence and decision-making, in part, through the

management of their school.

At the Progressive School, students are considered equal partners in the

governing of the school itself. She described how students, staff, parents and

trustees will form a governing assembly.

Weekly meetings will be held like business meetings, with a student

chairperson who will orchestrate discussion on school issues and ideas. Then,

when it is time to vote, everyone's vote will be given equal weight.

Slated to open this fall, tuition costs -- $4,800 per year -- are less than

most private schools. Parents are expected to be involved in the school by

contributing ideas, being part of the decision-making body, and doing twenty

hours of service for the school each year.

For further information about the school or to arrange for a student

interview, call Kathleen Green at 426-1221.