Education in the United States has taken many forms. The most standard practice today was developed during the Industrial Revolution. The same methods of precision and technique applied to our factories was applied to the educational realm. Hoping to achieve the same uniform result found in auto, clothing, and canning factories, children were grouped according to age and routinely marched through the different ‘grades.’ (Think of USDA Grades, Choice , Prime, etc.) Each grade has certain standards that need to be met. If a child does not meet that standard at that age, they fail, and do not pass to the next ‘grade’.
At the Phoenix Rising School, we know that children are not products made of inert materials! They are dynamic, biological beings who grow and develop:
- at their own rate
- according to their own neuro and physical development
- seasoned by their experiences.