Being a staff member at Fairhaven can be hilarious, moving, exasperating, and exhausting, all in one day. It’s certainly never dull. We feel constantly stretched to keep up with all the work, to do the best job we can, and to grow, both in our understanding of the model and in how to implement it in the issues that arise every day.

Staff often describe our job as being similar to that of a librarian. We must be knowledgeable about school rules and procedures (“Why can’t I hit him? I’m mad at him!”) (“Do I have to be certified to use the piano?”), and about what the school has and where it’s kept (“Where are books about butterflies?”). Most importantly, we must be knowledgeable about how people educate themselves at a Sudbury school. A deep understanding of the philosophy is critical. Like librarians, staff don’t intrude, providing information and support only when asked. We are careful not to push our personal views on students and to be respectful of their autonomy. At the same time, as equal members of a vibrant community, we add to the richness of the school culture by engaging freely in conversations in our own individual ways. If it sounds like a tightrope act, it often is. Staff also make ourselves available for parents’ questions and concerns.

As the elders in the Fairhaven community, staff act as mentors and role models. As Daniel Greenberg, cofounder of Sudbury Valley School has written,

More than anything else, staff has to serve as role models for excellence for the students as they grow up... Students observe in minute detail the intellectual abilities, the ethical standards, the aesthetic preferences, the interpersonal skills, the caring, the tolerance, the hard work, the commitment of each and every staff member... Through such observation students gradually learn how to collect and organize their thoughts, how to express themselves orally and in writing, how to debate an issue, how to compromise, how to listen to opposing points of view, how to accept defeat and victory, how to think through a knotty problem, how to be compassionate, how to be just, how and when to lighten up and laugh, how to show respect, and a hundred other similar subtleties that make up gracious, effective, competent adult behavior without in any way compromising individuality and creativity. 1

We also clean up a lot, and remind students that they’re responsible for their own messes and belongings.

Staff are responsible for making sure the school runs smoothly. The work of running the school is divided up among Clerkships and Committees voted on by School Meeting. Students as well as staff may run for any of these Clerkships and serve on any Committees.

As salaried employees, staff also put in time each year outside school hours, at Talkabouts, Assembly meetings, and other weekend and evening events.

1 Worlds in Creation by Daniel Greenberg (Sudbury Valley School Press; Framingham, 1994), pp. 69-70.