Fairhaven students have the time and support they need to become positive, responsible, innovative adults.

Why parents send their children to Fairhaven

Fairhaven’s goal is to provide students ages 5 through 19 the time and support needed to develop the character traits of successful people. Fairhaven graduates have learned how to think for themselves, how to motivate themselves, and how to work hard. They know themselves. They are law-abiding, articulate, and practiced in working with others. Fairhaven graduates embrace excellence and reject prejudice. They are determined to live lives that are both fun and fulfilling, and are confident in their ability to find meaningful, well paying careers.

To develop these character traits, Fairhaven students grow up in a working democracy in which they are responsible for their own educational development and free to follow their individual interests. At Fairhaven School we prioritize people not test scores. All students who are willing and able to be responsible for their own behavior are welcome, from children who want to explore the world around them to teenagers who want to find and pursue their passion.

Fairhaven is challenging, but the school’s emphasis on innovation and self-motivation provides students with the best possible preparation for an ever-changing future in the Creativity Economy of the 21st century.

Motivated by curiosity and the drive to become competent adults, Fairhaven students grow emotionally, creatively, and intellectually through play, school governance, conversation, the arts, classes, computer activities, reading, and the exploration of nature.

A weekly School Meeting made up of students and staff votes on all aspects of the school’s operation—from school rules to budgeting to hiring staff. Issues of justice are resolved by the Judicial Committee, on which everyone serves on a rotating basis. Students learn firsthand what it means to live in a working democracy, with the freedom and responsibility it entails.

Fairhaven students have the time and support they need to become positive, responsible, innovative adults.

Who runs Fairhaven?

A weekly School Meeting comprised of students and staff makes all the day-to-day decisions about how the school is run. There is no principal at Fairhaven. School Meeting is conducted democratically, one person/one vote, following parliamentary procedure; it is run by an elected Chair and recorded by a Secretary. School Meeting makes financial decisions, votes on rules, elects staff annually, and creates committees and clerkships as needed to carry out its decisions.

A weekly School Meeting made up of students and staff votes on all aspects of the school’s operation

Admissions, Bookkeeping, Grounds Maintenance, Aesthetics, and Outreach are all examples of committees formed by the School Meeting. When a committee leader or an individual expert is needed, a “clerk” is elected. There is, for example, a Clerk who deals with outside authorities — fire inspectors, insurance agents, county officials, and the like — as well as an Office Clerk, a Building Maintenance Clerk, and a Medical Supplies Clerk, among others.

What is the school’s judicial system?

One of the most important committees, the J.C. (Judicial Committee) is given responsibility for enforcing the rules the School Meeting has established. It is the only committee on which every member of the School Meeting eventually serves (much like jury duty). The J.C. receives written complaints of rule violations (Linda left a mess in the Art Room; Michelle tripped Mark), and hears from both the plaintiff and the defendant, calls witnesses and investigates as needed, then determines whether the defendant has indeed broken a school rule. If so, the J.C. determines an appropriate consequence (Linda can’t go in the Art Room for two days; Michelle must do a half-hour of community service). The J.C. can refer serious incidents to School Meeting, where appeals can also be heard.

Not every dispute must go through the J.C. process. People may work through problems informally when they can. Formal mediation is also an option for resolving conflicts between individuals. Several school meeting members have been trained in conflict resolution and help to resolve conflicts between willing participants.

The governing body of Fairhaven School, the Assembly, is composed of parents, students, staff, and community members.

How is the school structured?

The organizational structure of Fairhaven School is quite simple, but also very different from that of other schools and nonprofit institutions. The governing body of Fairhaven School, the Assembly, is composed of parents, students, staff, and community members. The Assembly sets major school policies, amends by-laws, sets annual tuition, makes general budget allocations, and awards diplomas. All decisions are made by majority vote.

The Assembly elects a Board of Trustees each year, which serves as an advisory committee, evaluating the school’s adherence to its philosophy and making broad-ranging recommendations as needed. The Assembly also elects officers, including an Assembly President who signs official documents including diplomas, and chairs Assembly meetings.

What role do staff play in school governance?

With the exception of intervening to stop incidents where someone’s physical safety is in danger, staff do not step in to solve problems or to punish rule infractions simply because they are adults. They too must use the democratic process to address issues that concern them.

Who acquires and takes care of supplies and equipment?

Beyond the management of the school’s rules, administration, and maintenance, School Meeting can create Corporations. Corporations are groups of School Meeting members interested in a particular pursuit, who want official recognition from the school in order to be able to raise money for equipment and supplies and to govern the use of certain kinds of equipment or spaces.

The Kitchen Corporation runs the kitchen, so the Art Corp. must follow Kitchen Corp. procedures while baking pies as a fundraiser for a new piece of art equipment. Art Corp. goes to School Meeting to request money for a kiln. The Sports Corp. decides that people using soccer balls must sign them in and out. New corporations can be created, and old ones dissolved in response to the changing needs of the school community. Not every group interested in a common pursuit needs to create a corporation. Classes or clubs, for example, can be formed without School Meeting’s recognition.

Any School Meeting member who cares how the school is run and wants a say in decisions comes to School Meeting.

Who serves on committees, leads corporations, and runs School Meeting?

Anyone School Meeting decides to serve is qualified to do so. Students and staff who wish to run for a clerkship must be nominated at School Meeting and be prepared to answer questions about their qualifications. Admissions Clerk, the Outside Authorities Clerk, the Bookkeeping Clerk, and a few other positions require a great deal of experience, specific knowledge, and credibility in the larger community. Those positions, along with positions no one else wants to hold, tend to go to staff members.

Does everyone attend School Meeting?

Any School Meeting member who cares how the school is run and wants a say in decisions comes to School Meeting. Typically, most of the staff, several older kids, and a smattering of youngsters are in attendance at any given meeting, but some issues draw a big crowd. Other issues spawn “special interest groups” which lobby for a good turnout in order to pass or reject a specific motion. Discussion can be heated and every School Meeting member is entitled to the opportunity to try to convince others. Some might have more influence than others, perhaps because of their longevity at the school, their greater experience or knowledge, their passion, or sheer verbal prowess, but all have an equal vote and an equal opportunity to persevere and become more persuasive and articulate.

Why go to all the trouble of running the school democratically?

Since School Meeting members all have the option of full participation, they understand their obligation to uphold the rules and procedures of the school. Children and adults alike come to feel a sense of ownership and control over their own lives and over the school environment. At its worst, the democratic process can be dry, bureaucratic, or tension-filled. But at its best, the school’s democracy achieves that subtle balance between individual rights and community responsibility—each making the other possible — and creates the environment of fairness, tolerance, and respect which each of us seeks and deserves.

The organizational structure of Fairhaven School is quite simple, but also very different from that of other schools and nonprofit institutions. The governing body of Fairhaven School, the Assembly, is composed of parents, students, staff, and community members. The Assembly sets major school policies, amends by-laws, sets annual tuition, makes general budget allocations, and awards diplomas. All decisions are made by majority vote. The Assembly elects a Board of Trustees each year, which serves as an advisory committee, evaluating the school’s adherence to its philosophy and making broad-ranging recommendations as needed. The Assembly also elects officers, including an Assembly President who signs official documents including diplomas, and chairs Assembly meetings.

What is Fairhaven’s attendance Policy?

Students at Fairhaven School are required to attend school regularly, and be on campus for a minimum of five hours a day. Most students choose to be at school much longer. Families of students below the age of seven may request exemption from the five day/five hour requirement by speaking with the Attendance Clerk.

The intent of the minimum attendance requirement is to insure the development of a strong school community. Our kind of educational approach works best when parents and students see the school as the center point of their educational experience. Students are most successful when they are invested in using and contributing to the school community and resources.

Fairhaven’s open campus policy allows students to leave campus during the school day for a reasonable period of time. Students wishing to walk on Queen Anne Road must be accompanied by a staff member or request a waiver from School Meeting.