Educational Philosophy

All students should be taught at their own ability to learn using a multiple intelligence classification system similar to that developed by Gardner, (Bodily/Kinesthetic, Spatial, Logical/Mathematical, Musical, Linguistic, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal). This education should sequentially emphasize knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

The method or methods by which a child learns needs to be determined as soon as possible after the beginning of his or her formal training. Once this method is discovered, the child should be taught using his or her preferred method.

For example, those children who learn easier using visual stimuli should be grouped together and taught by this method. Those who learn quicker through logical deduction should be taught using this method, and so on. Each child also needs to be periodically evaluated to discover whether their best or preferred method or methods of learning has changed as they grow older.

These evaluations should not be in the form of standardized assessment tests. No student should ever be subjected to any type of standardized assessment test. Rather, all evaluations of students should be individualized for each person. Further, a child’s evaluation should be accomplished by trained professionals.

The formal education of a child should begin as soon as possible after his or her fourth or fifth birthday. During these pre-school and kindergarten years children need to begin to learn self reliance as well as how to work and play together in cooperative ventures with their peers.

It is during these years that their instruction should begin to include fairness, tolerance, equality, impartiality, and respect for others. They also need to be taught that bigotry, prejudice, intolerance, racism and chauvinism are unacceptable forms of behavior. They need to begin to understand that conformity with their peers as well as individuality among their peers are both acceptable forms of expression.

These students need to be taught how to read and write their alphabet and the number system as soon as possible. They need to be introduced to reading during their pre-school years as well as music, art, crafts and any other subjects on their level that enhances their cognitive abilities.

All children should stay in this pre-school level until their sixth birthday and then he or she should go on to the elementary level at the beginning of the next school year.

There should be no sequential grades or division of students by academic progress. There should just be four levels of education which students should advance through based upon their age: pre-school (or kindergarten), elementary school (or primary school), middle school and high school (or secondary school).

Nor should students have to receive a certain grade in order to proceed on to the next level. Indeed, students should not receive grades at all. Rather, they should receive periodic progress reports from the child’s teacher(s). These reports should inform them and their parents or guardians of those areas in which they are excelling, of those areas in which they are on average with their peers and of those areas in which they could use some improvement.

No student should ever be told that he or she in danger of failing, is failing or has failed a course. All students should progress on to their next higher level based upon their age, not some arbitrary grade given by a teacher or some invalid and unreliable standardized test.

During a child’s seventh year up to his or her tenth birthday (the elementary years) emphasis needs to be placed on the core subjects (reading, language arts/grammar, mathematics, music/art, science, social studies and physical education/sports) and any other academic subject that he or she will need to continue their formal education.

All instructions need to be related to each student’s everyday life. These elementary students need to continue to receive instruction in fairness, tolerance, equality, impartiality and respect for others. They need to continue to learn self reliance as well as how to work and play together in cooperative ventures with their peers.

They need to fully understand that conformity with their peers as well as individuality among their peers are both acceptable forms of expression. They also need to fully understand that bigotry, prejudice, racism, intolerance and chauvinism are unacceptable forms of behavior.

During these elementary school years counselors and teachers need to begin to evaluate their students in order to later determine whether they would be better suited for an academic or vocational career during and after high school.

All children should stay in this primary level until their tenth birthday and then after the close of the school year he or she should go on to middle school at the beginning of the next school year.

During their middle school years students need to begin to learn keyboarding, as well as the basics of computer literacy and theology. The student’s curriculum in all the core subjects (reading, language arts/grammar, mathematics, music/art, science, social studies and physical education/sports) needs to be subdivided into the various categories.

For example, in math a student needs to learn the basics of business math, geometry and pre-algebra. In music/arts a student needs to learn about fine arts, performing arts and graphic arts. In science a student needs to learn the basics of biology, geology, astronomy and the basics of the other sciences. In social studies a student needs to learn about world geography, world history, ancient history and the history of their own government.

These middle school students need to begin to develop a respect for political dissent, nonviolent protest and peaceful demonstration. They need to begin to understand that Jeffersonian democracy requires each citizen to think for himself, that it puts an emphasis on individual liberties, coupled with an uninhibited free press and that it supports openness and diversity in government.

They also need to begin to understand that it is good and wholesome to question the motives of their own government, civic, business and religious leaders.

The categorization of the other subjects should also be accomplished during a student’s middle school years. Besides intensifying all the core subjects, all middle school students also need to be introduced to first aid and health care, mechanics, drafting, carpentry, home economics and other vocational courses and artistic talents.

Of course, this list should not be considered as fixed and the only courses available to students. Students living in different geographical regions may need to emphasize a slightly different curriculum.

For example, those children living in temperate climates might focus on a somewhat different curriculum than those children living in tropical climates or along a seacoast, and those living in mountainous areas might have a somewhat different concentration than those living in low lands.

Based upon evaluations given during their elementary school years and further evaluations during these, their middle school years, teachers and counselors need to begin to tentatively divide students into groups during these years, depending on whether they are better suited for an academic career and college or a vocational career and professional occupation after completion of high school.

Counselors and teachers also need to take into consideration the child’s preferred choice of subjects to study when guiding them toward their future careers and the fact that many students will not have a preference at this time and therefore should not be placed into any category.

All students should stay in this middle school level until the close of the school year after their fourteenth birthday. Then they should go on to secondary school at the beginning of the next school year.

Based upon their evaluations, counselors and teachers should advise students on the academic or vocational role they ought to pursue during their high school years. However, each student should be allowed to follow his or her own choice of career during secondary school, or even to change it if he or she desires to do so.

A student’s desired course of study ought to be made no later than the close of the school year following his or her 16th birthday. Those students who have selected to follow an academic role need to concentrate on academic subjects.

Besides those subjects already mentioned, this should include studies in such subjects as advanced algebra and calculus, economics, ergonomics, accounting, world literature classics, civics, law, philosophy, environmental science, chemistry, physics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, Aztec, Greek, Roman, and Norse Mythology and other ancient beliefs, Latin and the classics.

Their education also needs to include some elective vocational subjects. Again, this selection of subjects should not be considered as fixed, as different geographical areas may wish to put emphasis on a slightly different curriculum.

Those students who choose to pursue a professional or artistic career need to concentrate on vocational and artistic courses during their high school years. Their studies need to include as many vocational and artistic subjects as time will permit, although they should choose a particular field of interest in which to major.

These students should also receive some education in the academic fields, such as accounting, economics, sociology, anthropology, and any other subject that would interest them. A student’s desired field of study ought to be made no later than the close of the school year after reaching his or her 16th birthday.

All students need to continue to take the core subjects until the close of the school year upon reaching their 16th birthday. All students also need to continue their education in the principles of Jeffersonian democracy that they began in their middle school years.

They also need to fully understand that non-violent protest, peaceful demonstration and questioning the motives of one’s government, civic, business and religious leaders is good citizenship. It is patriotic!

During their 17th and 18th years all students need to concentrate primarily – but not exclusively – on their preferred choice of major. All students should graduate at the close of the school year after reaching their 18th birthday.

The Curriculum