Sudbury Schools

For a list of Sudbury Schools see below.

The Clearwater School is part of an international network of Sudbury schools, all of which are based on the 35-year-old Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts. The concepts of Freedom, Trust and Responsibility are at the heart of the Sudbury model. Sudbury schools are run democratically, ensuring that students have the freedom to direct their own education. Sudbury graduates move into their adult lives as self-confident, articulate, resourceful and motivated citizens.

History of The Clearwater School

The Clearwater School was started by a dedicated founders group comprised of parents, educators and other advocates of the Sudbury model. The founders began meeting in the spring of 1994, brought together by a classified ad placed in Mothering Magazine. For two years, the group met regularly to lay the infrastructure of the school. Through grassroots volunteer efforts, huge tasks were accomplished: the organization incorporated and obtained non-profit 501(c)(3) status, created an introductory brochure and developed a structure for democratic decision making. The democratic process was similar to a Sudbury-model School Meeting—each founder had one vote and no individual had authority over another. This early practice in participatory democracy created a strong understanding of the governing principles of the school.

Public informational meetings were held frequently to spread the word about this new school and to recruit new founders and prospective students. During the summer of 1996, several founders attended a workshop at Sudbury Valley School. That visit inspired the first incarnation of The Clearwater School, a twice-weekly home-school cooperative in a founder’s home. This group quickly expanded from 12 to 25 students and continued as a home-school group, meeting three days per week for two more years. The founders group became The Clearwater School Assembly—an acknowledgement that the dream of starting a Seattle Sudbury school had been accomplished.

In the fall of 1999, The Clearwater School moved to a temporary location near Woodland Park, and offered full-time enrollment for the first time. The school also obtained the status of an official private school, approved by the state of Washington. Late in the spring of 2000, Clearwater found a permanent location in the Meadowbrook neighborhood of north Seattle. Through an amazing volunteer effort, the school Assembly was able to obtain building and zoning permits and complete a significant renovation project over the course of four months. Here is a photo gallery from the construction of the building. The Assembly remains active in developing and maintaining the school. In the spring of 2002, what began as a blacktop parking lot was transformed into garden and play space. Here is a photo gallery from the playground construction.

The Clearwater School now enjoys an active Assembly and a thriving student body. Public relations activities aimed at informing the public about the value of the Sudbury model and the existence of The Clearwater School led to media attention from KING 5 News and KUOW's "Weekday". As new families become involved, Clearwater grows in strength and diversity.

For a personalized account of Clearwater history read this article from staff member and cofounder Shawna Lee.

Related Links

Photo Courtesy Sudbury Valley School

Sudbury Valley School - Here is the web site for the school we are modeled after. They have been in existence in the Boston area since 1968.

Other Sudbury Schools

This list is courtesy Sudbury Valley School