by Jim Rietmulder | May 3, 2025 | Daily life, Ideas, Public policy
Left and right don’t agree on much, but on narcissism it’s unanimous: bad for kids, schools, and politics. Commentators of all stripes say society is more self-obsessed and entitled than ever. People care too much about status and getting attention. Social media makes...
by Jim Rietmulder | Mar 21, 2025 | Daily life, Ideas, Parenting
or Ten Things That Matter More Than Grades Grades get way too much credit. Sure, they might tell you how well you memorized for a test, but they don’t measure your ability to manage your life, work with people, or find happiness. So, what actually matters? For...
by Jim Rietmulder | Feb 19, 2025 | Ideas, Public policy
DeepSeek, a Chinese company, released its R1 artificial intelligence model last month, causing American tech stocks to crash. Why? Because R1 represents a better way to develop intelligence—by applying an essential Circle School method! R1 caused panic in the American...
by Jim Rietmulder | Jan 26, 2025 | Ideas, Public policy
In the week since Donald Trump’s inauguration, I’ve been musing about democracy, kids, and our roller-coaster world—the ups and downs and twists and turns. I’m comparing America with The Circle School. At two very different scales, both are democratic entities that...
by Cody Unger | Nov 20, 2024 | Daily life, Ideas, Stories
In public school I studied math, science, social studies, and English. As a student at The Circle School, I planned every detail of a two-week field trip to Europe, contributed to the school’s chore system and judicial system, and helped to host admissions...
by Cody Unger | Oct 24, 2024 | Daily life, Ideas, Pictures, Play
We all have cycles in our lives. At The Circle School, we know a better way to educate is one that works with these cycles, not against them. Each day on staff at The Circle School includes dozens of interactions with kids seeking me out. Sometimes it’s...
