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 Scott Cooper | Dec 27, 2024 | Parenting, Stories
What do we really want for our children? For them to be happy, confident, and prepared for the future. For our family, finding the right fit wasn’t just about checking off boxes. It was about finding a place where joy and growth could flourish hand in hand. When we...
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...
by Cody Unger | Nov 13, 2023 | Daily life, Ideas, Pictures
Circle School staff continue to advance our staff initiative as adopted in fall 2022: Increase the quality of life for Circle School students and staff, particularly through three initiatives: Increase students’ access to resources. Increase staff’s...
by Jim Rietmulder | Oct 15, 2023 | Daily life, Ideas, Pictures
Drag-alongs, tag-alongs, stumble-ons, and happenings The Circle School describes itself as “self-directed” education, but that term can be misleading. Talking about student freedom, initiative, and self-direction sometimes creates the impression that each student is...
by Jim Rietmulder | Apr 14, 2023 | Ideas, Public policy
I want children in school to find happiness. Not momentary fireworks, but the saturating joy of purpose and meaning in life. Not someday, but now, as children. I’ve noticed that kids who live fulfilling lives as kids tend to build fulfilling lives as adults. I think...
