Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Sep 28, 2008	Working Together Willing
"Our ultimate aim is not desegregation from a legal aspect. We seek the kind of integration where men come together willingly, not because there is a law." Dr. King spoke this idea in June 1958 in the midst of the early Civil Rights Movement and not long after the court-ordered...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Sep 5, 2008	Democracy Building in the United States
The institutions, culture and public policy that drive our society needs to be transformed so that adults and young people share roles more equitably within government, communities, workplaces, and families. With that assumption firmly intact, the development of new cultural and structural...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Aug 24, 2008	Democracy Schools
About five years ago, in one of my final conversations with Sasha Rabkin (whom I've mentioned before ), I learned about his conceptualization of "democracy schools," different from democratic schools. This isn't the same as some national programs already at work, but they aren't entirely...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Aug 21, 2008	DemEd in Public Schools: A Reality
My friend Melia just wrote a great blog entry about the challenges to democratic education in public schools. Five years ago Melia co-founded a nonprofit in the Bay Area that engages students in apprenticeships to explore professions; it looks like an innovative program, and Melia is a...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Aug 22, 2008	Why Schools Fail Democracy
Okay, so to continue from the last post, here's one reason why schools today are not democratic. Remember, this is why , not how. Schools in a capitalistic society are going to be... capitalistic. Working with an elementary school in Tampa, Florida, I learned about the reality of 3rd, 4th...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Aug 11, 2008	Democratic Education Workshops
At the International Democratic Education Conference in Vancouver last week I had the privilege of facilitating three open space workshops. The three were all exhilarating conversations, filled with questions and criticisms, hope and idealism, and contradictions. The people I met and the...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Jul 14, 2008	New Interview
The latest edition of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's Northwest Education magazine features an interview with me about meaningful student involvement. Its called " Students as Partners in Learning: Adam Fletcher Talks about Meaningful Student Involvement ," and its part of an...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Apr 3, 2008	Analyzing the Logic Behind Youth Voice
I've been concerned lately about why people are trying to do the youth voice activities they do. Too often their activities actually work against their stated intentions, actually defeating their goals and objectives. I have seen pattern emerge again and again in the programs I have learned...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Feb 28, 2008	Whatever It Takes
Youth workers and teachers are often guilty of the same thing: They call on the kids who raise their hands. You know who I'm talking about, because just like me you've done it before. She's the bright and articulate leader who knows the answer. He's the quick and deft analyzer of information who...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Feb 16, 2008	Learning about the Education: Basics for Students
As I completed the SoundOut Student Voice Curriculum I compiled a list of basic knowledge about the education system students need to have in order to be effective school change agents. This is based on my experience working with hundreds of students in schools across the U.S., as well as...... [view]

Posted By:  freechild Posted On:  Feb 7, 2008	Why I Love Summerhill School
A few days ago I excitedly shared links to a great new TV show about Summerhill School in the UK. A great recent ally of Freechild, Margaret, shared some wonderful reflections as well as her reaction to the show: Just like me, she watched every episode in a row! Its that good. But why...... [view]