Jane's Pocket Change: Patience--and democracy--rewarded
We held our modly Town Meeting this past Tuesday, continuing our discussion of the latest version of a warrant that was first discussed and worked on by Advisory Board (A-Board) way back in January 2016. This warrant concerned discussion assemblies, a topic we have really been wrestling with for well over two years.
We held our modly Town Meeting this past Tuesday, continuing our discussion of the latest version of a warrant that was first discussed and worked on by Advisory Board (A-Board) way back in January 2016. This warrant concerned discussion assemblies, a topic we have really been wrestling with for well over two years.
In the old days (well, my old days of the early 2000s on), discussion assembly was intended to be a forum for open community discussion, and sometimes topics have led to a warrant being proposed by A-Board. However, because discussion assembly topics could be about pretty much anything, our discussions could run the gamut -- from parking privileges or lunch duty through current events, feminism or racism. The tone and feel of the room had the potential to change in a matter of minutes, depending on the time spent on one topic before another was presented.
The learning that had emerged through our lived experience with discussion assemblies was that it is actually pretty hard to have a “discussion” with close to 400 people! And while the hope was that all present would engage and participate, even with some careful ground rules and guidelines, there can be misunderstandings or grandstanding. In short, things can get very messy. Of course "getting messy" is at the core of progressive education; however, rather than simply getting messy, more and more frequently, these open and wide-ranging discussion assemblies were going awry, resulting in students in a minority group or voicing a minority opinion feeling disrespected or shut down.
So, in January 2016, A-Board members, under the leadership of Caroline Coolidge ’17 (who’s been the head of A-Board for two years), began to work on a warrant with the intent of streamlining the process and improving the effectiveness of discussion assemblies. Over the past year and a half, we’ve had numerous Town Meetings discussing various versions of this warrant. Fast forward to May 2017 when a revised, re-revised and re-re- revised warrant appeared before us. This past Tuesday we added two amendments, we slightly amended the final amendment, and then, lo and behold, Simenesh Semine ’17 (who’s been our Town Meeting moderator for two years) took us to a division of the house and……we voted on the warrant. The motion carried, with an overwhelming majority. And even though I have yet to receive the official signed request from A-Board, I know I will support the vote and approve the warrant--the final stage in our democratic process.
What’s the takeaway here? I think there are several:
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Pocket Change is a web diary written by Jane Moulding, head of school.
In the old days (well, my old days of the early 2000s on), discussion assembly was intended to be a forum for open community discussion, and sometimes topics have led to a warrant being proposed by A-Board. However, because discussion assembly topics could be about pretty much anything, our discussions could run the gamut -- from parking privileges or lunch duty through current events, feminism or racism. The tone and feel of the room had the potential to change in a matter of minutes, depending on the time spent on one topic before another was presented.
The learning that had emerged through our lived experience with discussion assemblies was that it is actually pretty hard to have a “discussion” with close to 400 people! And while the hope was that all present would engage and participate, even with some careful ground rules and guidelines, there can be misunderstandings or grandstanding. In short, things can get very messy. Of course "getting messy" is at the core of progressive education; however, rather than simply getting messy, more and more frequently, these open and wide-ranging discussion assemblies were going awry, resulting in students in a minority group or voicing a minority opinion feeling disrespected or shut down.
So, in January 2016, A-Board members, under the leadership of Caroline Coolidge ’17 (who’s been the head of A-Board for two years), began to work on a warrant with the intent of streamlining the process and improving the effectiveness of discussion assemblies. Over the past year and a half, we’ve had numerous Town Meetings discussing various versions of this warrant. Fast forward to May 2017 when a revised, re-revised and re-re- revised warrant appeared before us. This past Tuesday we added two amendments, we slightly amended the final amendment, and then, lo and behold, Simenesh Semine ’17 (who’s been our Town Meeting moderator for two years) took us to a division of the house and……we voted on the warrant. The motion carried, with an overwhelming majority. And even though I have yet to receive the official signed request from A-Board, I know I will support the vote and approve the warrant--the final stage in our democratic process.
What’s the takeaway here? I think there are several:
- Democracy matters and following the process set forth matters--Things such as Town Meetings, parliamentary procedures and Robert’s Rules, are all there to lead us forward.
- Student leadership counts -- students, together, did all of this hard work working as a team.
- We enter next year with a revised and sensible system that was approved by the community.
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Pocket Change is a web diary written by Jane Moulding, head of school.
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.