The new school year is underway, but not all schools look the same. Now there's a school where the kids make the rules.
From the outside it looks like it could be a typical private school. Inside Nashville's new Sudbury School, it's anything but traditional.
"It's not anything like Montessori or Waldorf because there is no curriculum. The child directs that curriculum," said co-founder Sonia Leblanc.
That's right. No curriculum. There's no math class, no English class, no recess, and no tests.
"It's a self-directed learning model. So children can lead their own learning and we just help guide them in whatever it is that they decide to do with their day," she said.
Leblanc has not one, but two Master's Degrees in Education. She says this model is about promoting life-long learning.
"Because there is a huge level of freedom and responsibility and trusting that the child is going to do the thing that they need to do," she said.
The Sudbury model has been around since 1968, although this is the first-of-its-kind in Tennessee. Students ages 4 to 18 attend the school together and use their time to pursue their individual interests.
Leblanc says the school is also a "participatory Democracy," meaning they hold school meetings and vote on school rules.
To learn more about this model click here.
