How The Clearwater School works

The Clearwater School places equal value on the acquisition of every skill, whether academic, artistic, social, physical, or emotional. Individually or in small groups, students spend hours of intensely focused time pursuing their interests. There are no preset curriculums to interfere with student choices, no bells to interrupt long projects and no standardized tests to measure benchmarks.

Guided by their own inclinations and moving at their own pace, Clearwater students identify interests, set goals and evaluate their accomplishments. They draw from staff and school resources, as well as the offerings of the local community, as they take responsibility for their education and ultimately their lives.

The opportunity for students to pursue their personal passions is supported by the democratic governance of the school. Structures, policies and rules are created to balance the needs of individuals with the needs of the community as a whole. Students and staff work together to create and maintain an environment based on mutual respect. Mediation processes are used when individuals need assistance to resolve interpersonal conflicts. Two formal structures, School Meeting and Judicial Committee, govern the daily life of the community. Parents may also become involved in Clearwater’s democratic structure through the school Assembly.

• School Meeting
• Judicial Committee
• Assembly
• Open Campus
• Parent Involvement
• Community Resources
• Neighborhood Resources
• The Clearwater School Diploma Policy

School Meeting

At The Clearwater School all decisions about the day-to-day operations of the school are made in the School Meeting. Each student and staff member has one vote in the School Meeting. Meetings are held weekly and attendance is optional, but decisions made in School Meeting must be followed by all members of the school.

The issues brought to School Meeting range from the mundane to the profound. The agenda may include decisions about cleaning procedures, allocation of funds and policies governing school activities.

All school rules are created and changed in School Meeting. No one individual or committee can make decisions about how the school operates, unless the School Meeting first grants them that authority. There is no director, no head teacher, nor an administrator with veto power. The School Meeting is the decision-making power at the school, and the School Meeting consists of the whole school community.

The importance of School Meeting extends beyond the time spent in weekly meetings. School Meeting is the voice of the community. Many of the issues raised in weekly meetings spark weeks of discourse. Discussions begun in School Meetings are debated throughout the week as new perspectives are sought in order to make informed and responsible decisions.

At the School Meeting students and staff learn how to get things done, how to present ideas clearly and convincingly, and how to rally a supportive group to lobby for a cause. The skills gained through observing and participating in School Meeting are long-lasting and immediately applicable in the outside community.

School Meeting decisions reflect the values and priorities of the community as a whole. Students choose for themselves how involved they want to be in votes and experience the direct consequences of those decisions. Their choice at school parallels the choice all democratic citizens face. At times, students decide that participation in issues at the School Meeting is more important than other activities. At other times, students choose to pursue other activities and leave decisions to those who attend the meeting. In either case, everyone is responsible for following the decisions made in the meeting.

Occasionally issues are deemed so important that input from all school members is necessary. When this happens, a Mandatory School Meeting is called. Any member of the school may call a Mandatory Meeting and all members present must attend. Mandatory meetings are usually called to make major policy decisions or to address difficult and serious problems.

Students and staff are responsible to find out about and follow new rules that are passed by the School Meeting. The School Meeting minutes, upcoming votes, and the agenda for upcoming meetings are posted weekly. New rules passed at School Meeting are transcribed into the rule book.

Judicial Committee

School Meeting at The Clearwater School authorizes a Judicial Committee (JC) to address violations of school rules. The purpose of the JC is to protect the rights of the community and the privileges to enjoy the freedom of the school. When rules are broken, any member of the School Meeting can "write up" a complaint. The Judicial Committee, consisting of rotating students and staff members, meets each day that complaints have been submitted to decide what actions should be taken.

JC follows "due process"—investigating each complaint to determine what happened and whether rules have been broken. When rules have been violated, JC works with the people involved to decide on fair and effective solutions. JC actions include conducting mediations, explaining rules, issuing warnings and determining actions that will help change problematic behaviors. JC may restrict the freedoms of individuals who have broken rules in order to protect the well being of the whole school community. At times JC may discover that rules are ineffective or outdated and suggest changes in rules to the School Meeting.

Judicial Committee is very effective at maintaining order in the school. This Committee is deemed so important that each member of the school is required to serve. Any school member who is called by JC must immediately go to the meeting to provide information about the case at hand. During the meeting, each person has the chance to be understood and to help determine the best ways to solve problems, protect individual rights and insure the safety of the school.

Assembly

The Assembly is responsible for broad policies, approving the budget submitted by the School Meeting, adopting a school calendar and setting tuition. This body meets annually each June, with the President calling additional meetings as necessary. In general, the Assembly meets three to four times each year. Assembly members include currently enrolled students, their parents, Clearwater staff, Trustees and public members. New families are able to vote in the Assembly after two months of enrollment.

Open Campus

The Clearwater School has an open campus policy that allows students to go off campus to explore the world beyond the borders of school. Students must follow all school rules while off campus, and as representatives of the school must use responsible behavior. Until they are able to follow safety rules independently, younger children may go off campus only if they are accompanied by an adult or older student. In the spirit of safety and courtesy, we ask that students inform at least one other member of the school when they leave campus. We encourage families to establish private agreements about the circumstances under which their children may go off campus, but it is the responsibility of the student, not the school, to abide by these agreements.

Parent Involvement

At Clearwater, parents are welcome and encouraged to contribute time and efforts, but are not required to do so.

Students at Clearwater sometimes seek community resources and/or experts in order to pursue their interests. Many parents have skills and interests they are willing to share with students. In the past Clearwater parents have participated in school projects or classes. Parents who have a talent to offer are encouraged to inform the staff, so that they can be called on when students express interests. Parents may offer to initiate an activity by submitting a proposal to School Meeting. If students are interested, the activity will be scheduled.

Parents are welcome to visit school informally—as when dropping off students or stopping in for lunch. Those who wish to be at school for substantial periods of time must have the approval of School Meeting.

Parents may wish to join the volunteer field trip and substitute list. Substitutes are needed to fill in for staff absences and field trip assistants are needed to help with transport and supervision during some off campus activities. Please contact staff if you are available and interested. Serving as a substitute or assistant is an excellent way to gain a working knowledge of the school or to evaluate an interest in becoming a future staff member.

Community Resources

The Clearwater School draws on the resources of the broader community as part of the school experience. Whether students are interested in snowboarding, game designing, singing or music production, they learn there are diverse ways (and places) to pursue their passions. Field trips and informal outings provide opportunities to participate in athletic, outdoor, scientific, cultural and entertaining activities. Students and staff members may seek out members of the Clearwater Assembly and broader community who have expertise in a given field. For example, students may use the extended community to work with a professional in a field of interest, participate in classes, choirs and sports teams, or attend events.

The Clearwater School Diploma Policy

Students who wish to be granted a diploma from The Clearwater School must demonstrate to School Meeting that they are ready to assume adult responsibilities in the larger community. Students are required to write a Diploma Paper and make a presentation to School Meeting. Each individual addresses this task in a way that reflects his or her experience at Clearwater. The following characteristics reflect the educational focus and values of The Clearwater School and help define the skills and abilities of responsible adults:

• Responsible, mature, self-sufficient and independent.
• Able to communicate effectively.
• Able to identify his or her desires and realize his or her goals.
• Functions well in various groups.

School Meeting members consider these characteristics when they vote on granting the candidate a diploma.