Yes. We have met the State of Maryland’s stringent requirements for nonpublic schools. Moreover, once we have established the necessary track record, we plan to voluntarily seek accreditation from whichever regional or national accrediting organization(s) will provide the most added value.
Are SFT teachers certified?
Some have been; others haven’t. All, however, are highly qualified, talented professionals who connect well with kids and are dedicated to enhancing the education and welfare of each of our students.
A big advantage of being a private school is not having to hire only government certified teachers. Certification as it exists today is a construct of the public school and teachers’ union monopoly. Studies have shown that certification does not equate with effective teaching. And many of the best teachers in private schools came to teaching later in life and understandably chose not to expend the time, energy, and money required to meet the public school certification requirements.
Where is School for Tomorrow located?
SFT is located at 4511 Bestor Drive, Rockville, MD 20853 in space we are subletting from The Children’s Learning Center (CLC).
This year we are renting three large (850+ sq. ft.) windowed classrooms within CLC’s 45,000 square foot former Montgomery County public school building, with additional classrooms available should we need them. We have our own bathrooms and hallway, as well as an administrative office. We also have access to CLC’s large multi-purpose room, library, and other parts of the building. Outside are a great soccer field, a full basketball court, a couple of playgrounds, and nice open space.
4511 Bestor Drive is about a 10-minute drive from both the Rockville and Glenmont Red Line Metro stations. We offer to shuttle students to and from those stations before and after school. Also, Ride-on and Metro bus stops are within walking distance of our building.
What makes SFT so different from other secondary schools?
There are many specific aspects of School for Tomorrow that distinguish us from other secondary schools. All of them, however, can be seen as deriving from three big picture distinguishing features. First of all, SFT is a school designed in the 21st century, to prepare our students for life in the 21st century, utilizing all the knowledge and resources we now have in the 21st century. Moreover, SFT will be an evolving, changing institution, responding to the evolving, changing world around us and students who are with us.
Second, SFT’s cutting edge education model has been derived from a blank slate. Almost all of today’s secondary schools are variations of an 80-year-old assembly line, top-down, centralized model of education. While certainly some schools are better than others, and some are quite distinct from others, all are variations on a very old theme. On the other hand, alternative schools that have arisen over the years have, to a great extent, reflexively rejected the traditional model and everything associated with it (in a sense tossing out the baby with the bathwater).
At SFT, however, we have derived, and will continue to derive, everything we do from asking two core questions: (1) What does a high school graduate need to know and be able to do to thrive in college, the workplace, and life in the decades ahead? (2) What are the most efficient and effective means for students, in general, and each student, in particular, to master the curriculum that results from answering the preceding question? In answering these two questions based on the best research and knowledge available, SFT ends up looking in some ways like traditional secondary schools, and in many ways unlike them. And, as we will continually re-ask and answer those questions — in the context of the changing world around us and the changing students who are with us — there is good reason to expect that SFT in the not-too-distant future will look significantly different than SFT today.
Third, SFT explicitly has a dual mission. That is, not only are we committed to preparing each of our students for a lifetime of success and satisfaction, as an institution we are aiming to be a model for others and, ultimately, to motivate widespread, transformational change in American secondary education. We believe that the future of our country depends on providing our children with a more relevant and effective secondary education, and that the introduction of a truly different education model is a critical step toward that end.
In order to serve as an effective model, we will aim to have as diverse a student body as possible. We will continually evaluate ourselves, learning from our mistakes and memorializing our successes. And we will systematically measure our achievement of concrete, meaningful goals. As such, the two parts of our mission are complementary and mutually reinforcing.
Is School for Tomorrow a Comer, Core Knowledge, Democratic, Essential, Montessori, or Progressive school?
No. We are not affiliated with any one alternative school movement. However, we have adopted and will continue to adopt the most effective features of these and other alternative school movements (none of which, in its totality, has all the answers). Indeed, we are building upon the best work of others (whether or not labeled as alternative); the power of the SFT model derives not from the originality or genius of its various components but in the bringing together of these components into a coherent, complementary, focused whole. We are committed to the education and welfare of our students, not to the orthodoxy of any particular school movement.
What type of student does SFT seek?
School for Tomorrow is designed to serve a general, diverse student population with a range of learning styles and abilities. Our expectation is that the vast majority of prospective students will be capable of thriving at SFT and making a positive impact on our community. Undoubtedly, however, there are some students whom we cannot serve well, who can be served better elsewhere, or who would unacceptably detract from the experience of their peers. Our highly personalized, multi-faceted admission process helps to ensure that we do not admit any student who is not a good fit.
The students attending SFT in our inaugural 2009-10 year have come to us from a wide variety of places. For instance, some previously attended public schools, others attended private schools, and others were homeschooled. Some were happy where they previously were; others were not. Some arrived with strong track records of academic achievement; others did not. And some have previously received labels such as highly gifted, ADHD, Asperger’s, GT-LD; others have not.
Will a student who needs structure be able to succeed at School for Tomorrow?
Yes. It is important to understand that, while SFT students benefit from more choice, flexibility, and individualization than students at other schools, everything they do is within the context of significant structure. For instance, all students must adhere to community rules and standards. All students must meet our core curricular requirements for graduation; where the choice and individualization enters is with respect to learning means. Likewise, our daily and weekly schedules have a structure, but within that structure students are given various choices. Moreover, while our ultimate goal is for our students to master the skills and knowledge that will enable them to work independently, along the way we will provide each student with the level of adult intervention and support that s/he needs to succeed.
What time does school start?
All students must be at School for Tomorrow and ready to learn at 9:30 a.m. However, the school is open beginning at 8:00 a.m. (The core school day ends at 3:30 p.m., but the school is open until 5:00 p.m.)
Over the past decade numerous studies have shown that: teenagers need on average nine hours of sleep per night; biologically, as well as socially, teenagers are wired to be night owls; and most middle and high schools start so early that the overwhelming majority of students arrive at school sleep-deprived. Moreover, the severe negative impact of sleep deprivation on one’s ability to focus, function, and learn has been well documented.
Thus, we’ve chosen a 9:30 required starting time for SFT students. However, recognizing differences among our students regarding sleep as well as family logistics, we give each student the option of starting his/her day with us anytime between 8:00 and 9:30.
What about lunch (and snacks)?
Students bring their own lunches to SFT; we provide refrigerators and microwaves for student use. On occasion, we offer students the option of lunch from local fine food establishments such as Papa John’s and Chipotle.
SFT students have access all day long to hot and cold purified water from our DrinkMore water coolers. Moreover, our healthy snacks program provides our students with fruit and other healthy snacks throughout the day.
What about homework?
Studies have shown that the one-size-fits-all homework mandated in today’s schools has little or no value. On the other hand, there are numerous downsides to this homework. For instance, it takes precious time away from many important aspects of life, including meal time, leisure time, extra-curricular activities, exercise, and sleep. Moreover, it often has a negative effect on children and their families, with the daily completion of homework becoming a contentious, frustrating focus of the parent-child relationship. (See, e.g., The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It by Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish; The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing by Alfie Kohn; and The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning by Etta Kralovec and John Buell.)
At School for Tomorrow we have a home reading requirement, with each student required to read for 30 minutes each day outside of school. In addition, we encourage and support individualized student-initiated homework – that is, school-related work at home that is clearly beneficial as well as without the negative baggage of traditional homework.
Also, our students complete work during our school day that, at other schools, would be assigned as homework. In fact, it is often much more efficient to do such work in the school setting rather than the home setting. Too often the amount of homework given in today’s schools is driven by the inefficient use of time during the school day and the false perception that more homework equates with greater academic rigor.
Will SFT offer AP classes?
As with all possible means of learning, if we determine that AP classes are the best option for some or all of our students, we will. In general, there is great debate regarding the educational value of AP classes. Many top colleges consider it important for an applicant to have taken AP classes. However, plenty of good high schools whose top students regularly end up at top colleges do not offer AP classes. What attracts colleges are students who have taken the most rigorous, highest level courses offered by their particular schools.
At School for Tomorrow we expect that our students will take their study of at least some subjects to a significantly higher level than AP classes represent. AP and other standard honors or advanced courses will not be the ultimate definition of achievement and rigor at SFT. Rather, we will provide ample opportunity for each student to take his or her education as far as s/he can.
What about the SAT (or ACT)?
We are committed to ensuring that School for Tomorrow students are well prepared for the SAT (or the ACT, which is a superior option for certain students). Whether or not one favors the emphasis placed on SAT scores by colleges, their importance is a reality that cannot be denied. Moreover, the SAT, while limited in what it measures and how it measures it, does measure some important things. A student who has truly mastered math (through Algebra and Geometry) and English (reading and writing) should be able to do well on the SAT. And we fully expect that all of our 11th graders will reach the level of math and English proficiency required by the SAT.
At School for Tomorrow we will provide all of our students with opportunities to take practice PSAT and SAT tests every year. And, as with any assessment given to an SFT student, we will learn from it. We will individually analyze each student’s results to determine what they tell us about that particular student (e.g., the student in fact doesn’t know [a particular math subject], the student works too slowly, the student has difficulty accurately filling in bubble sheets with a number 2 pencil). And we will come up with a plan for the student to improve in the areas that need improvement. Moreover, we will offer in-house SAT prep and review classes that, as with everything we do, will draw upon the most up-to-date, compelling resources and research.
What about college admissions?
School for Tomorrow is designed to enable each student to identify and gain admittance to the college best for him/her. Core to our philosophy and approach is, of course, getting to know and understand each of our students extremely well. And to help each student identify the college that’s the best fit for him/her, we will commit substantial time, energy, and resources to getting to know and understand the array of college options.
As for college admissions, we anticipate that School for Tomorrow graduates will have a number of advantages. In today’s hyper-competitive college admissions environment, even top D.C.-area high school students with strong SAT scores and extra-curricular accomplishments are not guaranteed admission to top colleges. Coming from even the best D.C.-area public or private schools, it is often difficult for a student to distinguish him- or herself from the many other highly qualified candidates from the same or neighboring schools. SFT students, however, will stand out from the crowd (similar to homeschooled students, who have had impressive success getting into top colleges).
We will actively introduce and market SFT to a wide range of quality colleges (and to any particular college in which any of our students are interested), highlighting all the ways in which our students will be better prepared for college than those from traditional schools. For starters, our research-based curriculum will be derived directly from what colleges seek in their incoming students. Along those lines, our graduates will not only master the core skills and foundational knowledge sought by colleges, they will receive a much more well-rounded education than that offered at other schools. Third, each SFT student will have the opportunity to fully explore and develop those areas of greatest strength and interest to him/her. Fourth, in addition to ensuring that our students are well prepared for the SAT (or ACT) and any other required college entrance exams, we will assist our students in providing colleges with ample evidence of the full extent of their secondary school learning and accomplishments.
In short, by the time our inaugural 2009-10 class of 9th graders applies to college in the fall of 2012, we expect college admission officers to be eagerly waiting to receive applications from SFT students.
FAQs
Is School for Tomorrow accredited?
Yes. We have met the State of Maryland’s stringent requirements for nonpublic schools. Moreover, once we have established the necessary track record, we plan to voluntarily seek accreditation from whichever regional or national accrediting organization(s) will provide the most added value.
Are SFT teachers certified?
Some have been; others haven’t. All, however, are highly qualified, talented professionals who connect well with kids and are dedicated to enhancing the education and welfare of each of our students.
A big advantage of being a private school is not having to hire only government certified teachers. Certification as it exists today is a construct of the public school and teachers’ union monopoly. Studies have shown that certification does not equate with effective teaching. And many of the best teachers in private schools came to teaching later in life and understandably chose not to expend the time, energy, and money required to meet the public school certification requirements.
Where is School for Tomorrow located?
SFT is located at 4511 Bestor Drive, Rockville, MD 20853 in space we are subletting from The Children’s Learning Center (CLC).
This year we are renting three large (850+ sq. ft.) windowed classrooms within CLC’s 45,000 square foot former Montgomery County public school building, with additional classrooms available should we need them. We have our own bathrooms and hallway, as well as an administrative office. We also have access to CLC’s large multi-purpose room, library, and other parts of the building. Outside are a great soccer field, a full basketball court, a couple of playgrounds, and nice open space.
4511 Bestor Drive is about a 10-minute drive from both the Rockville and Glenmont Red Line Metro stations. We offer to shuttle students to and from those stations before and after school. Also, Ride-on and Metro bus stops are within walking distance of our building.
What makes SFT so different from other secondary schools?
There are many specific aspects of School for Tomorrow that distinguish us from other secondary schools. All of them, however, can be seen as deriving from three big picture distinguishing features. First of all, SFT is a school designed in the 21st century, to prepare our students for life in the 21st century, utilizing all the knowledge and resources we now have in the 21st century. Moreover, SFT will be an evolving, changing institution, responding to the evolving, changing world around us and students who are with us.
Second, SFT’s cutting edge education model has been derived from a blank slate. Almost all of today’s secondary schools are variations of an 80-year-old assembly line, top-down, centralized model of education. While certainly some schools are better than others, and some are quite distinct from others, all are variations on a very old theme. On the other hand, alternative schools that have arisen over the years have, to a great extent, reflexively rejected the traditional model and everything associated with it (in a sense tossing out the baby with the bathwater).
At SFT, however, we have derived, and will continue to derive, everything we do from asking two core questions: (1) What does a high school graduate need to know and be able to do to thrive in college, the workplace, and life in the decades ahead? (2) What are the most efficient and effective means for students, in general, and each student, in particular, to master the curriculum that results from answering the preceding question? In answering these two questions based on the best research and knowledge available, SFT ends up looking in some ways like traditional secondary schools, and in many ways unlike them. And, as we will continually re-ask and answer those questions — in the context of the changing world around us and the changing students who are with us — there is good reason to expect that SFT in the not-too-distant future will look significantly different than SFT today.
Third, SFT explicitly has a dual mission. That is, not only are we committed to preparing each of our students for a lifetime of success and satisfaction, as an institution we are aiming to be a model for others and, ultimately, to motivate widespread, transformational change in American secondary education. We believe that the future of our country depends on providing our children with a more relevant and effective secondary education, and that the introduction of a truly different education model is a critical step toward that end.
In order to serve as an effective model, we will aim to have as diverse a student body as possible. We will continually evaluate ourselves, learning from our mistakes and memorializing our successes. And we will systematically measure our achievement of concrete, meaningful goals. As such, the two parts of our mission are complementary and mutually reinforcing.
Is School for Tomorrow a Comer, Core Knowledge, Democratic, Essential, Montessori, or Progressive school?
No. We are not affiliated with any one alternative school movement. However, we have adopted and will continue to adopt the most effective features of these and other alternative school movements (none of which, in its totality, has all the answers). Indeed, we are building upon the best work of others (whether or not labeled as alternative); the power of the SFT model derives not from the originality or genius of its various components but in the bringing together of these components into a coherent, complementary, focused whole. We are committed to the education and welfare of our students, not to the orthodoxy of any particular school movement.
What type of student does SFT seek?
School for Tomorrow is designed to serve a general, diverse student population with a range of learning styles and abilities. Our expectation is that the vast majority of prospective students will be capable of thriving at SFT and making a positive impact on our community. Undoubtedly, however, there are some students whom we cannot serve well, who can be served better elsewhere, or who would unacceptably detract from the experience of their peers. Our highly personalized, multi-faceted admission process helps to ensure that we do not admit any student who is not a good fit.
The students attending SFT in our inaugural 2009-10 year have come to us from a wide variety of places. For instance, some previously attended public schools, others attended private schools, and others were homeschooled. Some were happy where they previously were; others were not. Some arrived with strong track records of academic achievement; others did not. And some have previously received labels such as highly gifted, ADHD, Asperger’s, GT-LD; others have not.
Will a student who needs structure be able to succeed at School for Tomorrow?
Yes. It is important to understand that, while SFT students benefit from more choice, flexibility, and individualization than students at other schools, everything they do is within the context of significant structure. For instance, all students must adhere to community rules and standards. All students must meet our core curricular requirements for graduation; where the choice and individualization enters is with respect to learning means. Likewise, our daily and weekly schedules have a structure, but within that structure students are given various choices. Moreover, while our ultimate goal is for our students to master the skills and knowledge that will enable them to work independently, along the way we will provide each student with the level of adult intervention and support that s/he needs to succeed.
What time does school start?
All students must be at School for Tomorrow and ready to learn at 9:30 a.m. However, the school is open beginning at 8:00 a.m. (The core school day ends at 3:30 p.m., but the school is open until 5:00 p.m.)
Over the past decade numerous studies have shown that: teenagers need on average nine hours of sleep per night; biologically, as well as socially, teenagers are wired to be night owls; and most middle and high schools start so early that the overwhelming majority of students arrive at school sleep-deprived. Moreover, the severe negative impact of sleep deprivation on one’s ability to focus, function, and learn has been well documented.
Thus, we’ve chosen a 9:30 required starting time for SFT students. However, recognizing differences among our students regarding sleep as well as family logistics, we give each student the option of starting his/her day with us anytime between 8:00 and 9:30.
What about lunch (and snacks)?
Students bring their own lunches to SFT; we provide refrigerators and microwaves for student use. On occasion, we offer students the option of lunch from local fine food establishments such as Papa John’s and Chipotle.
SFT students have access all day long to hot and cold purified water from our DrinkMore water coolers. Moreover, our healthy snacks program provides our students with fruit and other healthy snacks throughout the day.
What about homework?
Studies have shown that the one-size-fits-all homework mandated in today’s schools has little or no value. On the other hand, there are numerous downsides to this homework. For instance, it takes precious time away from many important aspects of life, including meal time, leisure time, extra-curricular activities, exercise, and sleep. Moreover, it often has a negative effect on children and their families, with the daily completion of homework becoming a contentious, frustrating focus of the parent-child relationship. (See, e.g., The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It by Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish; The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing by Alfie Kohn; and The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning by Etta Kralovec and John Buell.)
At School for Tomorrow we have a home reading requirement, with each student required to read for 30 minutes each day outside of school. In addition, we encourage and support individualized student-initiated homework – that is, school-related work at home that is clearly beneficial as well as without the negative baggage of traditional homework.
Also, our students complete work during our school day that, at other schools, would be assigned as homework. In fact, it is often much more efficient to do such work in the school setting rather than the home setting. Too often the amount of homework given in today’s schools is driven by the inefficient use of time during the school day and the false perception that more homework equates with greater academic rigor.
Will SFT offer AP classes?
As with all possible means of learning, if we determine that AP classes are the best option for some or all of our students, we will. In general, there is great debate regarding the educational value of AP classes. Many top colleges consider it important for an applicant to have taken AP classes. However, plenty of good high schools whose top students regularly end up at top colleges do not offer AP classes. What attracts colleges are students who have taken the most rigorous, highest level courses offered by their particular schools.
At School for Tomorrow we expect that our students will take their study of at least some subjects to a significantly higher level than AP classes represent. AP and other standard honors or advanced courses will not be the ultimate definition of achievement and rigor at SFT. Rather, we will provide ample opportunity for each student to take his or her education as far as s/he can.
What about the SAT (or ACT)?
We are committed to ensuring that School for Tomorrow students are well prepared for the SAT (or the ACT, which is a superior option for certain students). Whether or not one favors the emphasis placed on SAT scores by colleges, their importance is a reality that cannot be denied. Moreover, the SAT, while limited in what it measures and how it measures it, does measure some important things. A student who has truly mastered math (through Algebra and Geometry) and English (reading and writing) should be able to do well on the SAT. And we fully expect that all of our 11th graders will reach the level of math and English proficiency required by the SAT.
At School for Tomorrow we will provide all of our students with opportunities to take practice PSAT and SAT tests every year. And, as with any assessment given to an SFT student, we will learn from it. We will individually analyze each student’s results to determine what they tell us about that particular student (e.g., the student in fact doesn’t know [a particular math subject], the student works too slowly, the student has difficulty accurately filling in bubble sheets with a number 2 pencil). And we will come up with a plan for the student to improve in the areas that need improvement. Moreover, we will offer in-house SAT prep and review classes that, as with everything we do, will draw upon the most up-to-date, compelling resources and research.
What about college admissions?
School for Tomorrow is designed to enable each student to identify and gain admittance to the college best for him/her. Core to our philosophy and approach is, of course, getting to know and understand each of our students extremely well. And to help each student identify the college that’s the best fit for him/her, we will commit substantial time, energy, and resources to getting to know and understand the array of college options.
As for college admissions, we anticipate that School for Tomorrow graduates will have a number of advantages. In today’s hyper-competitive college admissions environment, even top D.C.-area high school students with strong SAT scores and extra-curricular accomplishments are not guaranteed admission to top colleges. Coming from even the best D.C.-area public or private schools, it is often difficult for a student to distinguish him- or herself from the many other highly qualified candidates from the same or neighboring schools. SFT students, however, will stand out from the crowd (similar to homeschooled students, who have had impressive success getting into top colleges).
We will actively introduce and market SFT to a wide range of quality colleges (and to any particular college in which any of our students are interested), highlighting all the ways in which our students will be better prepared for college than those from traditional schools. For starters, our research-based curriculum will be derived directly from what colleges seek in their incoming students. Along those lines, our graduates will not only master the core skills and foundational knowledge sought by colleges, they will receive a much more well-rounded education than that offered at other schools. Third, each SFT student will have the opportunity to fully explore and develop those areas of greatest strength and interest to him/her. Fourth, in addition to ensuring that our students are well prepared for the SAT (or ACT) and any other required college entrance exams, we will assist our students in providing colleges with ample evidence of the full extent of their secondary school learning and accomplishments.
In short, by the time our inaugural 2009-10 class of 9th graders applies to college in the fall of 2012, we expect college admission officers to be eagerly waiting to receive applications from SFT students.