Did you go to crazy hippie school? Awesome!

January 17, 2008 6:55 PM

Did you go to a Sudbury school? Do you have contacts with a Sudbury school? Can you help me?

I am doing an undergraduate research project on Sudbury schools and their students, particularly Sudbury schools in rural or semi-rural locations. As part of this, I'm going to be traveling up the east coast in May/June and observing/comparing different Sudbury schools. My intent is partially to figure out what I do and don't want to do when I found my own school in the future -- something my friends and I have been discussing doing for about ten years and change -- and partially to score some sweet, sweet research dollars while doing something I like.

My question is whether any of you lovely Mefites have gone to a Sudbury school, and if so, do you have contacts there that might help me get in more easily for visiting/observing/etc.? If you have experience working at or attending a Sudbury school, what was their policy on visitors like? Would there be a place to stay if I visited, like a homestay? I'm intending to send out emails very soon about all this to the schools I plan to visit, but if you know for a fact that such-and-such school hates visitors with an insane passion, I'd like to know in advance.

posted by InnocentBystander to education (4 comments total)

I grew up up the road from Sudbury Valley and dated a few guys that went there (post-high school). I went to a dance there in like ... 1985? I'm actually playing Facebook Scrabulous right now with the guy I went to the dance with -- there was a long intervening time between that dance and re-meeting him but he seems like he's a happy well adjusted adult person -- and I'd be happy to put you in touch. Check your MeFi mail and I'll send you some particulars about a few people that might be good contacts, I have no firsthand knowledge of what the places are like now.
posted by jessamyn at 8:44 PM on January 17, 2008

There are a few mefites in this thread that affiliate with Sudbury schools.
posted by unknowncommand at 8:54 PM on January 17, 2008

I went to Crazy Hippie School, but mine was on the west coast and in an urban environment, so I'm not useful for your contact-seeking purposes.

However, I do remember student-teacher types coming to hang out with us. As long as people were genuinely interested and not coming by to be all "WHAT, you let them organize their own education???" we all liked having visitors. I know various families also put up visitors.
posted by thehmsbeagle at 9:52 PM on January 17, 2008

I would just contact Danny Greenberg. I'll send you MeFi mail.
posted by MarkAnd at 5:11 AM on January 18, 2008