All schools are focused and share a common goal: to educate students and help them succeed in life. The way that students are supported in this goal differs by district and by school. Schools each have a philosophy to help the public to better understand what is happening in the classroom to benefit the students.
Don Knapp, principal at Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning, says, “When I hear ‘school philosophy,’ I think of a school’s point of view and how a school collaborates with families to educate their children.”
There are many school models in our nation, and several are demonstrated in schools across our region.
Expeditionary Learning
One school in El Paso County focuses not only on academic achievement, but also on character and high-quality work. Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning (PPSEL), located in Falcon and chartered with District 49, has maintained the same leadership for 20 years and has a strong foundation in this model of education.
Expeditionary Learning is implemented in over 200 schools across the nation. An “expedition” is a semester-long study in either a social studies or science topic with literacy integration. The students become experts on this topic and are taught about multiple perspectives as well as how to apply critical thinking skills. Students are provided with knowledge and skills that can be applied in any subject, any situation, at any point in their lives.
PPSEL values complex thinking and collaboration so that students are not taught what to think, but instead are given content and are taught how to look at it with multiple perspectives in order to develop their own thoughts on the topic.
“We believe students should be active participants in their education so that they can make knowledge their own instead of something that is told to them. Students should ask questions, learn how to research, and be able to work together with different people,” principal Don Knapp states.
Montessori Schools
According to the American Montessori Society, “Montessori is an education philosophy and practice that fosters rigorous, self-motivated growth for children and adolescents in all areas of their development, with a goal of nurturing each child’s natural desire for knowledge, understanding and respect.”
In El Paso County, there are 16 schools practicing Montessori education. These schools are dedicated to creating natural learning environments full of multi-sensory inquiry.
Rocky Mountain Montessori Academy, which teaches flexible programs for children ages 1-13, in Colorado Springs revolves around this philosophy. Their school website states, “We value the uniqueness of each child by preparing classroom environments which enable students to be excited and confident about learning.”
Classical
Classical education has a deep focus in history and literature, with a goal to have students develop skills to understand how to think in our world.
There are also 15 schools in the county that have implemented this model in their school.
Vanguard School, located in southeastern Colorado Springs and chartered with District 2, is one of these schools that provides a classical education. Their website states, “A rigorous classical education unquestionably paves the way to college admission and prepares one for success in a multitude of career fields, but the education itself is a vastly more valuable prize, one that offers not just the skills for a particular job, but the skills needed to live a successful life.”
Advice for Parents
Schools are transparent about their philosophies and visions to best help the public understand what makes their school stand out. Exploring a school or district’s website is another way to do some research on the type of education students receive in different environments.
When asked about advice he would give to parents, Knapp says, “Seek out a school that gives students tools for life. A school shouldn’t just be about school formats (tests, quizzes, worksheets), but should help students practice formats that are in the world and will be part of their life.”
Helpful Sources for Parents:
EL Education’s Vision, Mission, and Approach | EL Education
Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning
Rocky Mountain Montessori Academy
Cited Sources:
Don Knapp, PPSEL
https://eleducation.org/resources/el-educations-vision-mission-and-approach
The Vanguard School Philosophy
I beg to differ with this editorial. Public schools are anything but open and transparent with the public they are supposed to serve. Go to a D2 Board Meeting. Go to a D20 Board Meeting. Observe the obfuscation, gas lighting , and blatant refusal to answer pointed questions and about curriculum, parental rights, use of CRT, SEL and PBIS dogma that paints parents as inconsequential in the “Public Education Arena”. Also observe how citizens are belittled when they do get answers as if the only person in the room that knows anything about education are the district administration.
if you actually do go to a board meeting, go incognito, don’t identify yourself as media and just sit and listen. You will soon discover just how opaque and arrogant these school boards truly are.