Enter a typical high school, and the first thing you see is the front office, where the principal dwells and grades are stored.
Enter
a
typical
high
school
,
and
the
first
thing
you
see
is
the
front
office
,
where
the
principal
dwells
and
grades
are
stored
.
The front office also reinforces familiar hierarchy: principal at the top, teachers in the middle, kids on the bottom, sitting with hands folded at their desks.
The
front
office
also
reinforces
familiar
hierarchy
:
principal
at
the
top
,
teachers
in
the
middle
,
kids
on
the
bottom
,
sitting
with
hands
folded
at
their
desks
.
Now, imagine a school where the organizational structure is completely flat.
Now
,
imagine
a
school
where
the
organizational
structure
is
completely
flat
.
At the New Country School in Henderson, Minn, there is no front office.
At
the
New
Country
School
in
Henderson
,
Minn
,
there
is
no
front
office
.
Visitors are immediately embraced by an airy atrium that is the centerpiece of this one-room schoolhouse.
Visitors
are
immediately
embraced
by
an
airy
atrium
that
is
the
centerpiece
of
this
one-room
schoolhouse
.
And all around the room, 124 students sit at desks--real office desks--working at their own personal computers on their own projects.
And
all
around
the
room
,
124
students
sit
at
desks
--
real
office
desks
--
working
at
their
own
personal
computers
on
their
own
projects
.
When Dee Thomas and her colleagues got together 15 years ago to design a new high school, they knew there was one thing that had to go: The bell.
When
Dee
Thomas
and
her
colleagues
got
together
15
years
ago
to
design
a
new
high
school
,
they
knew
there
was
one
thing
that
had
to
go
:
The
bell
.
"You don't go into your job in the morning and say, 'OK, for the first 45 minutes of my job, I'm going to do the math part.'
``
You
do
n't
go
into
your
job
in
the
morning
and
say
,
'OK
,
for
the
first
45
minutes
of
my
job
,
I
'm
going
to
do
the
math
part
.
'
And then a bell goes off, and you do the social history part of your job.
And
then
a
bell
goes
off
,
and
you
do
the
social
history
part
of
your
job
.
You don't do that," Thomas said.
You
do
n't
do
that
,
''
Thomas
said
.
There are no teachers at New Country.
There
are
no
teachers
at
New
Country
.
Every few weeks, students must present projects they've been working on to the rest of the school community.
Every
few
weeks
,
students
must
present
projects
they
've
been
working
on
to
the
rest
of
the
school
community
.
To prepare for their presentations, they gather at tables in the middle of the school atrium and present their work to their "advisers."
To
prepare
for
their
presentations
,
they
gather
at
tables
in
the
middle
of
the
school
atrium
and
present
their
work
to
their
``
advisers
.
''
Kids at New Country test better than their peers on the state tests and on the pre-college ACT.
Kids
at
New
Country
test
better
than
their
peers
on
the
state
tests
and
on
the
pre-college
ACT
.
The school sends 90 percent of its graduates to college.
The
school
sends
90
percent
of
its
graduates
to
college
.
But that doesn't tell the whole story.
But
that
does
n't
tell
the
whole
story
.
New Country struggles to keep its seniors from leaving.
New
Country
struggles
to
keep
its
seniors
from
leaving
.
The school's senior project is demanding--300 hours of work.
The
school
's
senior
project
is
demanding
--
300
hours
of
work
.
But for some students, New Country offers a rare alternative, a choice they can't find anywhere else.
But
for
some
students
,
New
Country
offers
a
rare
alternative
,
a
choice
they
ca
n't
find
anywhere
else
.
And the school is constantly visited by educators from around the world looking for new ideas.
And
the
school
is
constantly
visited
by
educators
from
around
the
world
looking
for
new
ideas
.
That's the foundation of efforts to reform American high schools today--that there's a need to experiment with an institution that is failing millions of students
That
's
the
foundation
of
efforts
to
reform
American
high
schools
today
--
that
there
's
a
need
to
experiment
with
an
institution
that
is
failing
millions
of
students
Enter a typical high school, and the first thing you see is the front office, where the principal dwells and grades are stored. The front office also reinforces familiar hierarchy: principal at the top, teachers in the middle, kids on the bottom, sitting with hands folded at their desks.  Now, imagine a school where the organizational structure is completely flat. At the New Country School in Henderson, Minn, there is no front office. Visitors are immediately embraced by an airy atrium that is the centerpiece of this one-room schoolhouse. And all around the room, 124 students sit at desks--real office desks--working at their own personal computers on their own projects.  When Dee Thomas and her colleagues got together 15 years ago to design a new high school, they knew there was one thing that had to go: The bell. "You don't go into your job in the morning and say, 'OK, for the first 45 minutes of my job, I'm going to do the math part.' And then a bell goes off, and you do the social history part of your job. You don't do that," Thomas said.  There are no teachers at New Country. Every few weeks, students must present projects they've been working on to the rest of the school community. To prepare for their presentations, they gather at tables in the middle of the school atrium and present their work to their "advisers."  Kids at New Country test better than their peers on the state tests and on the pre-college ACT. The school sends 90 percent of its graduates to college. But that doesn't tell the whole story. New Country struggles to keep its seniors from leaving. The school's senior project is demanding--300 hours of work.  But for some students, New Country offers a rare alternative, a choice they can't find anywhere else. And the school is constantly visited by educators from around the world looking for new ideas. That's the foundation of efforts to reform American high schools today--that there's a need to experiment with an institution that is failing millions of students