Building Community and Looking Forward
Last week I shared some thoughts on learning loss and the fact that there is no ahead and there is no behind. I ended with a question about what humane education might look like and that is where I’ll continue this week.
There are many of people asking questions about what a humane education looks like, not just because of the pandemic, but because they too are seeing the challenges that educators, youth and families are facing in our schools and in our learning communities. Universities are asking these questions, public and private K-12 schools are asking these questions, out of school time learning providers are asking these questions as are educational non-profits and policy organization.
I would like to take this opportunity to share a organizations who are working to make the world of learning more humane and progressive. It is my hope that these resources will help to build a larger community of human beings who are striving to make the schools and learning opportunities we need for a more positive and joyful future.
The first organization I want to share is The Human Restoration Project.
Human Restoration Project (HRP) is a 501(c)3 aimed at transforming school systems. We incorporate progressive education as actions toward systemic change. Rather than tweaking around the edges, we must transform schools toward human-centered policies that promote well-being and learning.
They were founded by two former public high school teachers, Nick Covington and Chris McNutt, who both found that in order to support systemic change in schooling it was necessary to step outside of schools and build a community around professional development and resources to promote transformation of schooling. In addition to providing professional development and conducting research on progressive educational practices, they also run a podcast and provide materials for educators to use in their classrooms and in the transformation of their schools. Their materials include resources such as the Ungrading Handbook, which has the following forward;
Young people are growing up in environments that are increasingly individualistic, competitive, and judgmental. Modern grading systems are a relatively recent arrival in the history of education that, despite our best efforts to reform them, have continued to rank and sort, isolate, and demotivate students –especially those at the margins. What if we could cultivate a classroom culture that allowed learning to flourish in the absence of grades and let students create their own learning narrative through iteration, evidence-gathering, and reflection? By reframing assessment in these ways, educators can truly create an engaged student-centered learning experience for all. This handbook offers the why and how of ungrading.
The Human Restoration Project is a relatively new organization, founded 2018, and they are beginning to fill the spaces left by organizations which have sunset, like the Coalition of Essential Schools that I discussed in an earlier issue of Traversing.
The second organization I want to share is aptly named, Institute for Humane Education. They were founded more than 30 years ago by Zoe Weil, an author, educator and advocate, and their mission is “to educate people to create a world in which all humans, animals, and nature can thrive.” They have a number of programs including a graduate program with Antioch University, where I earned both my M.Ed. and Ph.D. The institute also has a micro-credentialing program which is an excellent way for people to build understanding, knowledge and skills in Progressive and humane education.
The third organization that I want to share is The Progressive Education Network. PEN was founded in 2005 and became a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2009, it was a revival of the earlier Progressive Education Association, which was founded in 1919, during the genesis of many of the ideas that became the foundation of Progressive education, which we have discussed over the past year. PEN publishes a journal and holds an annual national conference. This year’s conference is in Seattle, Washington from October 7th-9th, if you happen to be in the area.
The fourth and final organization that I would like to share is a repost from October of 2021. The Coalition of Essential Schools (CES). The coalition was founded in 1984 but a group of educational reformers after Ted Sizer published the groundbreaking book, Horace’s Compromise. It grew to be a group of schools and educational organizations striving for a new vision for education in this country.
CES developed a set of 10 Common Principles, which could be adopted by any school in order to become a part of the Coalition. These principles have shaped my work dramatically since I was introduced to them more than 20 years ago.
They are:
Learning to use one’s mind well
Less is more: Depth over coverage
Goals apply to all students
Personalization
Student-as-worker, teacher-as-coach
Demonstration of Mastery
A tone of decency and trust
Commitment to the entire school
Resources dedicated to teaching and learning
Democracy and equity
If you have spent any time at City of Bridges, I bet you will see them in action. Ted Sizer passed away in 2009 and the Coalition of Essential Schools ceased operations in 2016. I look forward to building new coalitions and community as we continue on this journey together.
Thank you for beginning the second year of Traversing. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to explore together.
With Gratitude,
Randy