The Clearwater School is an independent school in
Bothell, Washington
Bothell () is a city in King and Snohomish counties in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area, situated near the northeast end of Lake Washington. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 48,161 resident ...
, a northern suburb of
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, United States.
Clearwater is a
Sudbury school
A Sudbury school is a type of school, usually for the K-12 age range, where students have complete responsibility for their own education, and the school is run by a direct democracy in which students and staff are equal citizens. Students use t ...
that serves students from ages 4 to 19.
The school began in 1996 as a twice-weekly homeschool cooperative, and opened as a full-time school in 1999. In 2006 the school moved to its current campus in
Bothell.
Philosophy
Clearwater is a
democratic school where students create the rules and policies that affect the entire school.
The educational philosophy is similar to
unschooling in that student-chosen activities are the primary means of learning.
Curriculum
Clearwater students explore their own interests at their own pace.
Students are not segregated by age and are free to determine how they spend their time.
The school has no assignments, no grades, and no classes unless students organize them.
Facilities
The school's campus consists of five buildings on 3.4 acres and includes a kitchen, an art room, a music room, a theater, a computer room, an office, a library, an active room, and quiet areas. The school also has a play yard, and North Creek flows through the campus.
The school has an ongoing partnership with Snohomish County for
ecological restoration of North Creek for salmon and other wildlife.
[Clearwater School/Commons Restoration (North Creek) Project](_blank)
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photovoltaic
Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially us ...
system
as part of the school's commitment to sustainable practices.
Government
The democratic structure of the school gives students a direct say in how the school is managed. Students and staff members each have a vote in School Meeting, where rules and policies are created, and in Judicial Committee, where rules are enforced.
Staff
The adults at Clearwater are called staff, to distinguish their role from the role of traditional teachers.
Staff members do not tell students how they should spend their time; instead they play, encourage, and learn alongside students.
See also
*List of democratic schools
This is a list of some of the current and former democratic schools around the world. This list also includes sub-branches of democratic schools such as Sudbury schools inspired by the Sudbury Valley School and certain anarchistic free schools ...
* Democratic education
*Education reform
Education reform is the name given to the goal of changing public education. The meaning and education methods have changed through debates over what content or experiences result in an educated individual or an educated society. Historically, t ...
References
External links
The Clearwater School
The Clearwater School profile at greatschools.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clearwater School, The
Educational institutions established in 1996
Private elementary schools in Washington (state)
Private middle schools in Washington (state)
Private high schools in Washington (state)
Schools in Snohomish County, Washington
Schools in Bothell, Washington
1996 establishments in Washington (state)