Recommended Reading
Books and articles to further your journeyRecommended Reading
Resources to view online or read in print. Dig deeper into democratic schooling theory and practice, and related ideas.
Books
When Kids Rule the School
by Circle School
co-founder & staff member
Jim Rietmulder
Free to Learn
by Peter Gray
Empowered Kids / Liberated Parents
by Cassi Clausen
& Aaron Browder
Online and download
The Meadow Campaign Five Years Later
In 2016, The Circle School broke ground to build our forever home on the Meadow Campus. Five years later…
Wanted: A Few Good Females
A discussion of why it’s important to consider self-directed democratic schooling for our daughters. By former Philly Free School staff member (and current Circle School parent) Michelle Loucas.
Mission and Methods
A 2-minute outline of the school’s mission, beliefs, values, and methods.
Circle School Graduates in College
A 2015 look at Circle School graduates
Self-Directed Education's Optimizing Conditions
The Alliance for Self-Directed Education lays out six “optimizing conditions” for self-directed education. Here’s how The Circle School meets them.
Ends We Seek
Thirteen ideals The Circle School strives for. Built into the school’s bylaws.
School Governance
The Circle School has three governing bodies. Each has certain responsibilities and duties. Each defers to the other two in certain ways. Three full-page diagrams illustrating how the school is governed — structures, functions, and ideals.
What Are Teachers Good For?
Three things that teachers are good for, and three things they’re not. By Aaron Browder, staff member at The Open School in California.