Our Mission Statement |
The Miami Sudbury School is a K-12 democracy where young people have human and civil rights. We give the time and space for young people to learn who they are, what they like, and how to achieve their goals while working authentically within a mixed-age community based on respect, responsibility, and self-direction. We are an absolutely unique place where ages 5-18 are encouraged to play and literally help run the show, where the driving force is personal growth instead of forced academics.
|
We are Miami's only K-12 with
No homework or testingStudents are not divided into grade levels and don't have to follow any kind of predetermined curriculum.
|
Learning by living & playIn mixed-age community learning happens in a natural, not forced way by self-chosen activity.
|
Success without stressSudbury students learn sooner than their peers what really matters and what's really needed to succeed in college, business, and life.
|
What is a Sudbury school?
Sudbury schools are based on the model first applied in The Sudbury Valley school founded in 1968 in Massachusetts. They now operate in more than 20 countries and build on a 50-year history of success helping young people to learn through curiosity and community. They follow simple but powerful principles:
Trust childrenand they learn to trust themselves
|
Give children a voice and they learn to speak for themselves
|
Give children their timeand they learn how to use it
|
Give children choicesand they learn how to choose
|
Treat children as capable people and that is what they will become
|
What a school day's like
|
At almost any time of day, you can walk into the room and find a free-flowing conversation, game, or project going on that anyone is welcome to join and that can cover almost any topic.
Activities can change quickly throughout the day or students can get so involved that the activity can extend into the next day. There are often meetings called by students to plan activities or to put together a budget request proposal. Learning through play while managing time, social interactions, meetings, and a direct democracy they have a valuable vote in are rare and precious features of a Sudbury school. |
Since students can decide how to spend their time (constantly building their executive functioning muscles), it’s hard to generalize about what they do. Here are some common activities that might be observed: talking, reading, making art, playing games, playing sports, dancing, discussing, planning... and all the while learning.
When young people are allowed to follow their interests, they often surprise us all in what they become interested in. They may not even realize that by making choices of what to do all throughout their school day, their “typical day” is a robust preparation for the rest of their lives as confident, independent human beings capable of doing just about anything. |
Watch a PechaKucha video on Sudbury"PechaKucha" talks are like TED Talks condensed into 20 slides of 20 seconds each. Miami Sudbury Co-Founder Christen Parker-Yarnal spoke at Miami's PechaKucha Night January 2022 on "Reimagining Education". |
|
FAQ
What is the curriculum?
We have an individualized curriculum that highlights civics, leadership, problem-solving, and creativity.
will my child be able to get into college?
Every Sudbury graduate that wants to get into college is accepted, usually to their first school of choice (Legacy of Trust). There are many ways to do so, e.g., sending SAT/ACT scores and a portfolio of work to the school in lieu of transcripts, scheduling a personal meeting with the admissions dean of the desired school, etc. (1)
How will my child learn math, science, writing, etc.?
When a child is ready and willing, basic subjects like reading, writing, and math are quite easily learned. Traditional schooling forces children to learn these at the same age and at the same rate - often before a child is ready or interested. Thus, the process seems to be difficult and time-consuming. The fact is that Sudbury schools have seen children teach themselves to read, some at age 4 and some at 12, with absolutely no instruction. By age 13, you can’t tell the difference between the child who learned to read at 4 from the child who learned to read at 12. As for math, it has been demonstrated that all of the math content from K - 6 can be learned in just 6 weeks when the child is ready for it and even more complex academics beyond that in a similar fashion (2). Imagine all of the time and frustration saved!
(For another perspective, watch the TED video Why Math Instruction Is Unnecessary.)
(For another perspective, watch the TED video Why Math Instruction Is Unnecessary.)
Don't you need to tell kids what to learn and test them to make sure they learned it?
Once you shed the notion that “real learning” must be measured, you will begin to see your child in a different light and trust your own instincts about their growth. In this post-industrial information age, children know that traditional schooling wastes a lot of time, and many are tuning out. Giving them ownership of their learning let's them tune back in.
What if my child wants to play computer games or draw all day?
Most parents see their children decompressing after a long work day at school, "recharging their batteries" after a draining day or week (adults do this too!). That doesn't mean that your child will only play video games when given a fully day of free choice. In fact, it's amazing to see what children choose when they're fresh and able to be curious!
Even if they do play computer games or draw for hours during school, it's important to remember that your child is always learning. They are constantly absorbing information from the environment around them and the task on which they are focused. There is no way for adults to predict where a child's interests will lead them (Einstein was made fun of for watching objects float in a bucket of water for hours...). Sudbury schools have seen video gaming turn into greater interest in literacy, computer programing, or something unrelated all together. Just because we have been taught to divide activities as "academic" or "non-academic" does not mean there is an actual division. Many students may start their time at school recharging their batteries, but usually find there's much more to do and explore. We expect students to go through a period of transition from having no say in their education to their newfound responsibility to teach themselves anything they want to learn.
Even if they do play computer games or draw for hours during school, it's important to remember that your child is always learning. They are constantly absorbing information from the environment around them and the task on which they are focused. There is no way for adults to predict where a child's interests will lead them (Einstein was made fun of for watching objects float in a bucket of water for hours...). Sudbury schools have seen video gaming turn into greater interest in literacy, computer programing, or something unrelated all together. Just because we have been taught to divide activities as "academic" or "non-academic" does not mean there is an actual division. Many students may start their time at school recharging their batteries, but usually find there's much more to do and explore. We expect students to go through a period of transition from having no say in their education to their newfound responsibility to teach themselves anything they want to learn.
Is there any structure in the school?
Although students are free to do whatever they choose all day long (within the boundaries of safety, respect, and other rules of conduct outlined in the School Lawbook), the community has two very important core structures: 1) The student-led Judiciary Committee where rule infractions and disagreements are handled daily and, 2) the weekly School Meeting where the school’s rules, processes, and budget are proposed and decided democratically by students and staff. See our School Structure page for more details.
Will this be the right fit for my child? What “type” of child thrives at a Sudbury school? What about more quiet children?
Sudbury schools have welcomed every “type” of child – from the highly academic student to the public school “failure.” Students of all kinds are best suited for Sudbury schools: bright, highly motivated kids who want to surge ahead and challenge themselves; kids with unique learning styles who want to move at their own pace; kids who want an atmosphere of tolerance and friendliness; social kids who want to be part of a democratic community; quieter kids who want a little more space to pursue their own interests... all kids K-12 whose parents allow them this unique opportunity to explore, learn, and truly become themselves.
What is tuition for The Miami Sudbury School?
Please see our Tuition page.
Meet the staff
All of our Staff Members are experienced educators who have strong foundations in Sudbury model philosophy, child development, and youth empowerment
Christen Parker-YarnalLead Staff, Admissions Coordinator,
Co-Founder Executive Director - The Learning Instinct, Inc. |
Nicholas QuinteroFull-time Staff
|
Alyssa CaroFull-time Staff
|
Testimonials
"I didn’t have a Sudbury education, but as an adult, I do what they’re doing here. As an adult, I’ve gone into two lucrative professions by teaching myself. I taught myself how to read and ended up becoming a head designer at a company that did touch screens for schools. I ended up going to Miami Dade schools and directing people with doctorates but I’m all self-taught. I’m now setting up a laboratory to do micropropogation for clean rooms for tissue culture of plants. All self-directed. At some point you realize you know what you want and then you find out the requirements.”
"He has a sense of belonging there. I can sense he feels safe. Thank you!”
|
All the negativity at [public] school where they are all day and then at home with tutors and iReady... He was lacking things and was taking the rejections personally. He now comes home wanting to learn.”
I have enjoyed watching her grow, claim her voice, explore her interests, and make vital and substantive connections with other students and [staff].”
|
"For people who say kids don’t have self-control. They do have self-control, but they don’t have the opportunity to practice self-control. I never learned self-control when I was forced to do things. I’ve seen that some other kids are able to tell themselves to stop. It’s not something you’re born with but something you have to learn. You have to challenge yourself. You’ll always have distractions from a co-worker or other distractions and that’s what the real world is. It’s all about self-control.”
"...Imagine a school where you have the right to make your own schedule and learn anything you want! It's a breath of fresh air compared to traditional schooling where teachers make you raise your hand and read boring textbooks and do so much homework... Imagine a school where people get to hear your opinion and you have the right to change things for the better..."
|
"Something you learn naturally here are a lot of skills that you would learn as an adult - personal responsibility. In traditional school systems, kids are told what to do but then when they’re 18, they don’t really know what to do because suddenly no one’s telling them what to do. We work like a little city with a government and judicial system.”
"I went through “regular school” up to 9th grade. As I transitioned over to this way of doing school, I joined committees to start helping make decisions for school and have roles like maintenance coordinator and JC chair. It’s more beneficial for kids to be able to choose what they do instead of forcing them what to do. I excelled [at traditional school] but it didn’t mean I liked it or wanted to do it."
|
"We create space and structure for young people to practice the lifelong skills of confidence, collaboration, and competence. Our students have the absolutely unique experience of human and civil rights in school they actually help operate. They learn through meaningful, productive enterprise and play for deep learning that cannot be replicated with workbooks and textbooks. They are tested by authentic community and personal growth opportunities, not arbitrary scantron tests. They practice the very skills that will be expected of them as adults while enjoying the gift of their childhood.”
|
Antonio Blessa, Staff 2019-2020 "I got to know The Miami Sudbury School while looking for innovative pedagogy in Miami on the internet. What really attracted me about the philosophy is its coherence between practice and principles. Many schools share the idea of the enormous importance of developing children's creativity, curiosity and imagination, but then follow a rigid curriculum where these skills are no longer promoted. You really believe in the children, in their spontaneous curiosity on how things work, in the idea that we only learn what playfully ignites our interest. Thus, the students should decide what they truly want to learn.”
|
A Sudbury Education is Powerful
|
We can usually accept new students all throughout the school year. We are currently enrolling students ages 5 - 12 (13 and 14 in some cases). Sudbury is a growth journey that is best started as soon as possible.
If you're excited about a Sudbury education, please call to see if we have space for your student as we work to keep a good age/gender balance in the student body. |
Keep In TouchThe Miami Sudbury School
2700 SW 37th Ave Miami, FL 33133 305-204-0746 Tours and visits by appointment only - call for more information Add your email to receive our infrequent but always informative updates. See an example of one here. We look forward to keeping in touch.
|
|
