Jim Rietmulder
James Rietmulder is a founding staff member at The Circle School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a pioneering democratic school, where he has worked for 34 years. Jim tutors students to take college entrance exams, plays mixed-age soccer at every opportunity, and anchors the daily Critical Thinking Discussion Group. Jim is married to fellow co-founder Beth L. Stone and is the father of two Circle School graduates. He lives in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.
Books (1)
Synopsis:
How self-directed democratic schooling builds fulfilling lives and can lead the way back to a civilized society.
Education is ripe for democratic disruption. Students in most schools are denied fundamental social ideals such as personal freedom, public government, rule of law, and free enterprise. In our increasingly authoritarian post-truth world, self-directed democratic schooling offers a timely alternative: educating children in civilized society and showing that self-motivation outperforms coercion in its power to educate and fulfill.
When Kids Rule the School is the first comprehensive guide to democratic schooling, where kids practice life in a self-governed society—empowered as voters, bound by laws, challenged by choice, supported by community, and driven by nature. Through heartwarming stories and hard-headed details, this book covers:
- Democratic schooling philosophy, theory, and practice
- School governance by students and staff together
- Student self-direction and day-to-day life
- Deep play, cognitive development, and critical thinking
- Why democratic schooling is morally right and effective
- Model bylaws and guidance for starting a democratic school.
Created for educators, parents, and scholars, When Kids Rule the School will immerse you, heart and mind, in a promising new approach to education, and stretch your thinking about what school can be.
Educator Information
When Kids Rule the School lays out the theory and practice of self-directed democratic schooling.
Written by the co-founder of The Circle School, open since 1984.
Self-directed democratic schooling results in higher rates of college attendance, more undergraduate and graduate degrees, healthy relationships with authority, and unflinching self-responsibility.
Intended for educators, parents (especially homeschoolers and unschoolers), and scholars of education.
Additional Information
288 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | 10 illustrations
Our logo reflects the greater Nation we live within—Turtle Island (North America)—and the strength
and core of the Pacific Northwest Coast peoples—the Cedar Tree, known as the Tree of Life. We are
here to support the building of strong nations and help share Indigenous voices.
