Values based schools as epicentres for active citizenship
It’s a working title, but I think I’m on to something.
The concept of values has been at the forefront of my mind for a while now. Not the rhetoric we hear politicians spout to persuade constituents of their highly politicised “shared values,” but rather as an active process. I’m referring to being grounded in core values which inform our choices in life – as people as well as institutions.
In this post, I’ve unpacked my recent and past experiences with values based decision making in education.
Taking notes from social entrepreneurs
I founded a swing dancing school in 2011 called 1929 Studios. A couple of years into running the school, I participated in a 6-week professional development course with the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
The small group of Melbourne based, socially motivated business owners, met fortnightly to improve skills that enhance positive outcomes in society. The course challenged us to dive deep into our core values in order to sharpen our mission and message to potential investors.
I understood why I was running my business – I wanted to make the world a better place. I didn’t (and still don’t) understand why people think issues that hurt others don’t affect them as well. I felt (and still do) that social integration is key to unlocking compassion in society. So – if people shared a dance and a smile with someone new (swing dancing really does make you smile) then maybe they would be more tolerant of others and make kinder decisions politically and in their communities.
The challenge set forth by SSE though was to boil this story down to value words to communicate with powerfully. My flowery feelings translated into concrete values such as: inclusivity, respect, community and joy.
Tina Rizza and Lexi Keeton smiling at a 1929 Studios dance event, Melbourne 2016
Inclusivity informed my decision to keep our monthly dance free so that everyone could come and experience some joyonce a month – regardless of financial circumstance. Respect informed my commitment to paying the teachers full rates even when class attendance was slim. Community informed our practice of feedback and underpinned basically everything we hosted.
Having values known to the community held me accountable to the decisions I made, and I appreciated it. Sometimes it’s hard to know the right choice to make, because there isn’t just one right choice – thankfully, core values guided hard decisions more than once in my 8 years of running 1929 Studios. It’s now happily continuing on in the hands of new owners who wholeheartedly share in the values.
My own high school experience
Let’s backtrack now though, to the year 2000, when I was a student at Humanities Preparatory Academy in New York City. I was lucky enough to be chosen as the Valedictorian of my graduating class, for my commitment to Prep’s core values.
Re-reading my graduation speech, confirms that I understood our school was unique for its 150 student size and use of Portfolio Based Assessment Tasks (PBATS) rather than standardised testing – but I didn’t know just how revolutionary it was at the time. Now that I’m embarking upon a career shift to become a high school teacher myself, themes keep popping up in the literature that evoke memories and enthusiasm as deeply impassioned values surface…all going back to “Prep.” * For my Australian readers, ‘Prep’ is the nickname we gave our high school, year levels 9-12, not akin to Prep, aged 5 in Australia.
Clearly inspired by Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (check out this summary if you’re unfamiliar with his seminal book), Prep had (and still has) a strong commitment to social justice, democracy, respect and peace. These core valueswere (and still are) infused into every aspect of school administration and structure. Classes had no bells, teachers were called by their first names, inquiry-based curriculum was co-constructed, and classes were multi-aged as chosen by students each semester.
“We are committed to inspiring the love of learning in our students. This mission can best be accomplished in a school that is a democratic community. As a democratic community, we strive to exemplify the values of democracy: mutual respect, cooperation, empathy, the love of humankind, justice for all, and service to the world.”
Lexi Keeton and Eleanor Boynton hanging out in Prep Central circa 1999
A large, couch-filled room called “Prep Central” was available at all hours for students and teachers. “Town Meetings” took place here for the whole school to discuss relevant topics, which included quite difficult topics such as police brutality. Student voice was heard loud and clear by teachers through democratic discourse.
Respect amongst student-teacher and student-student relationships through was built through multi-aged “Advisory” groups. These served as a more personal space for discussions to occur and were often where topics were researched to share at Town Meetings. Though housed within a much larger and busier public school building, Advisories created home-like continuity for students throughout high school.
Beyond My Ken, Bayard Rustin Educational Complex 18th Street west entrance, CC BY-SA
Prep’s core value of social justice was demonstrated in the “Fairness Committee,” an embodiment of restorative justice as the means for conflict resolution. Students and teachers alike could raise issues for discussion in a small group of balanced representation of the school community. Together they would arrive at solutions through peaceful discussions – total opposite to a punitive and hierarchal system of power.
To this day, my Prep friends on social media prove that they have carried the values into their adult lives – they are knowledgeable about politics, considerate of social inequities and feel comfortable voicing their (generally left leaning) views.
A vote for values based teacher practice
I believe it is Prep’s commitment to core values which resulted in my own dedication to promoting similar values in the community. I left high school with a sense of duty to hear the voices of others and to share my own in support of my core values. In Prep I had the fortunate experience of living the type of world that commitment to socially just values creates – a harmonious and engaged community of learning.
This trip down memory lane is not just for fun. As I come to learn more about the teaching profession, I understand that reflective practice is how we continuously build our teaching philosophy to improve our practice. The rich, values based education I received shaped my ability to positively influence the world. Most traditional school settings are not like Humanities Prep, so unpacking it is essential to understanding my own teaching practice.
I’m sure that making the “right choice” will be just as challenging as a school teacher as it was as a business owner, but with higher stakes as the agency of young people relies upon it. My teaching practice will be grounded in my values – and hopefully along the way will inspire learners and teachers to do the same.