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Progressive reform in local school led by students
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The Oakwood School in North Hollywood is a school committed to giving students a voice. Over the last five years, high school and middle school students have gathered together as the Oakwood Students for Progressive Reform providing opportunities to discuss issues such as human slavery, micro-financing, reproductive rights, and healthcare. Known as OSPR the group’s goal is to “generate serious discussion of issues not presented in mainstream media” according to the group’s advisor, Mickey Morgan.
A recent topic to be discussed centered around “Progressive Education at Oakwood.” It was attended by about fifteen students and ten teachers who discussed Alfie Kohn’s article “Progressive Education: Why It’s Hard to Beat, But also Hard to Find.” The new Director of Studies at the Secondary School, Luthern Williams, former Upper School Director at the Beaver Country Day School, a progressive school in Massuchusetts, led the discussion of Kohn’s article.
Students commented on Oakwood’s practices to reflect on where the school stands in terms of the progressive continuum. Students discussed advanced placement classes that encourage teaching towards the test instead of enabling authentic learning; the progressive nature of advisory where time is spent with faculty or staff guiding students in academic affairs; and why the progressive spirit, given the friendly and warm availability of the teachers and staff, seems, at times, more present outside of the classroom. A thoughtful point was made by an eighth-grade student on why humanities, the sciences, and math are elevated above the arts, only for the student to comment later that unfortunately it’s a reflection of society. The importance of the development of one’s imagination through the arts surfaced as a topic. One student brought up the concept of the “whole child,” and the necessity to address a student’s strengths and weaknesses along with his or her course of study.
It will be interesting to see where the students take Oakwood with regard to helping it continue to strive towards realizing its progressive values.
OSPR meets weekly with invited student-selected speakers. Future meetings include Progressive Education II, the Electric Car, and a presentation by Robert Greenwald, director of the documentary film “WalMart: The High Cost for Low Prices.”
For more info: The Oakwood School is located in North Hollywood and provides a learning environment for children at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Your turn: If you know of a progressive school in the Los Angeles area that would like to be highlighted or a school who utilizes progressive teaching methodologies, feel free to contact the author at lscoachgrace@gmail.com.
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