23March
Participation: I am out of here!
Boy, 6 years, United States
“My dream for our country is to get out of school when you know too much!… I am out of here!… NOW!”
It was MLK Day. The teacher’s writing prompt was, “My dream for our country is…” Alex wrote the rest, “to get out of school when you know too much.” As a bright student, he has always struggled to be engaged when the material is below his level or not related to his interests. This was several years ago. At 13, he’s doing well now, programming computers in a democratic school where students determine their curriculum and participation.