Category talk:Alternative schools

"Disputed" tag
Hi everyone. The description of alternative high schools as intended for "students who have dropped out or are at-risk of failing" in the heading for this category does not match many of the schools that are actually in the category: for example, The Putney School, or Community High in Ann Arbor, Mich. Isn't the term "alternative school" used much more loosely, both to refer to schools for "students who have dropped out or are at-risk of failing" and to schools that follow different educational philosophies from those prevalent at most traditional high schools? Most of the schools listed in this category certainly don't fit the category description. Ropcat 05:59, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

Folks-- In the parlance of the educational trade, "alternative high school" in the sense of public (government sponsored) schools generally describes a school for students who have run into trouble while attending conventional high schools, possibly through excessive absenteeism, drug/alcohol abuse, diciplinary issues, or trouble with the law. The student's transfer to the alternative school is usually the result of an administrative action at a conventional school. Those who teach in alternative schools frequently comment about the high percentages of emotional problems and learning disabilities that are seen among the students (conditions which are more or less not the immediate fault of the students), and there is often concerns that the students would be better served in a more clinicially-oriented or remedial environment.

Montessori schools, schools with alternative teaching philosopies, specialized schools for Learning Differences, gifted students, learning disabled, and special education students fall into a different category. Generally, the identifying feature is the type of training that the teachers and administrators are required to have attained.

Private schools marketing folks usually try to avoid the term "alternative school", as it is general, and carries some negative meanings.

-A Differing View-

I agree with "Ropcat" that the term "Alternative Education" – while sometimes connected to negatively perceived programs for youth at risk – does not fully encompass all of the educational programs which fall into the category.

The Internet Public Library uses a broader definition of the term "Alternative Education":

"'Education that takes place outside of traditional public or parochial school systems, as well as education programs that are offered as alternatives within formal educational systems and provide innovative and flexible instruction, curriculum, grading systems, degree requirements.'"

(http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/edu35.00.00/)

The School Without Walls in Rochester, NY, predates DC's SWW by a year, and is celebrating its 35th year of operation in 2006-2007. Its URL is (http://www.schoolwithoutwalls.org/). SWW was founded by teachers, students and parents who were simply appalled at the quality of education available in the late 1960s, especially during the riots. The school was not founded specifically to take on troubled teens but to give students an alternative to the traditional school setting. The World of Inquiry (elementary school) and Interim (junior high) were all launched around the same time with the same goal in mind - to give students an alternative.

If you must include the negative aspect, it should be just that - an aspect or subset of the overall term.

My credentials: Daughter of Lew Marks, founder of the School Without Walls in Rochester, NY, alumna (1977-1981), former employee and present web manager for the SWW Alumni site.

--Betsy R. Delaney 69.143.192.207 02:29, 7 August 2006 (UTC)