Developmental Public Schools - Where?

[Altmom]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum (this is my first post!). I'm trying to figure out if there is anywhere in this country where the public schools are more developmental and consider the social/emotional well-being of the child as important. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to research this or does anyone live in an area where this is the case? Currently, my two children are in private schools because I cannot see them thriving in the highly academic public school near our house and there are no charter school alternatives in our area. We are willing to relocate if we could somehow determine if the schools would be any different somewhere else and if we knew that we could reasonably expect to get into the school (I know many charter schools, such as Waldorf-inspired ones, can have long waiting lists).

[lauren]

Welcome to MDC and to Learning at School!

I don't know if there are specific places in the country that have more wholistic developmental leanings. I can say that here in rural VT, because there are smaller schools and less crime, that teachers have the opportunity to consider the needs of the 'whole child' in a way that I don't perceive to be possible in urban areas. It still falls short of my "ideal" but it is much closer than if I lived in a more densely populated place (from what I have heard and read).

You may want to check out Mel Levine's website All KInds of Minds. Schools can train with him and then be approved schools. This is an approach that considers the whole child and many different learning styles.

I'm sure others will be along to pipe in also!

[Mirzam]

There certainly are "developmental" public schools. Both my DDs and DS attended one which was Waldorf inspired/arts integrated/multiple intellegences. DS now goes to a comtemplative private school which is based on the Buddhist Shambhala teachings, so it is most definitely "developmental", and I now homeschool DD#2. DD #1 attends an alternative High School. We live in CO and there are many different kinds of public schools throughout the state which you are free to open enroll to space permitting.