Gratitude in an Upside Down Year
Jim’s 2014 blog post “I connected my laptop to the internet and fire trucks came” was published shortly before I began my tenure here at The Circle School. In my early days on staff, one of the first things Jim told me was that “At The Circle...
What Cool Things Outside means to me
My name is Lily Compton and I started the Cool Things Outside Corporation at The Circle School five years ago, and I’m still the chair of the corporation today. [“Corporations” at The Circle School are like clubs or interest groups. -Editor] I didn’t have...
Grow up, America! Polarized politics and democratic schools
I’m disappointed by America’s dysfunctional politics. And I bet you are, too. What really gets to me is the hyper-polarization and aggressive non-cooperation. I want to yell “Grow up, America!” — but that might be insulting to the kids I work with. For me it’s...
Circle School mornings again
Over the past six years I’ve spent on staff, I’ve grown to love my Circle School mornings. When the doors open at 8am, a few kids are usually already waiting on the stone bench out front. The rest follow in waves, on school buses, or trickling in by car. From the...
Silver Linings: What the pandemic is teaching us about schooling
School wasn’t so great before COVID, either…