Freedom to Teach

Freedom to Teach is about trust, honor, and respect.

Trust teachers. Respect the value of relationship: between teachers and administrators, among collaborating colleagues, between parents, students, teachers, and the entire school community. Honor the learning that happens inside and outside of books: in social emotional development, in experiential learning, in collaborative efforts and community service learning, and in student-driven endeavors. Freedom to teach means removal of the shackles of standardized test scores. While progress monitoring and goal setting is essential, making results a threat only creates a toxic relationship with academic performance. Freedom to Teach is a reminder that we don't teach curricula, we teach students. We guide them in a discovery of learning; we remember that they are part of a rapidly developing new way of living, learning, and working; and we support them and each other with flexible, engaging, highly rigorous coursework that capitalizes on strengths and reinforces areas of weakness.