Integrative vs. Segregative: Rethinking Education
Comparing Acton's Learner Driven model to traditional clinical models
The frame is everything.
The Acton Academy network reframes students as heroes, teachers as guides, and classrooms as studios, to name a few, and after nearly two years with countless conversations to build this school, I’ve distilled a distinction/reframe so profound, it’s like a punchline too sharp for laughter.
Here’s the story:
Taking a respite from a noisy social gathering, I found a quiet nook on the outskirts of the building and watched the snowy world through the wall-to-wall windows of a small room. With my focus relaxed, I contemplated a number of conversations I’ve had with parents who say things like:
My kid is well-behaved, so we’re good.
My kid is in honors classes, so we’re good.
My kid has an IEP and special attention, so we’re good.
I went to public school and I turned out okay, so we’re good.
The subtext is, “This standard has existed for nearly a hundred years, so why would anything need to change?”
I don’t take it personally.
While that short list provides indicators that things are “okay”, handholding, good behavior, and acceptable grades hardly mean children are thriving in traditional clinical school. Moreover, none of those things address the issue at the heart of a systemic problem that “leaves no child behind”, but, too often though unintentionally, holds children back.
“Oh,” I realized, “these parents love that their kids are getting differentiated programming, but they don’t see that children are still getting siloed, just differently! They don’t realize the traditional clinical model of education is built on siloing! …Woah,” I reflected, as the gravity of this razor sharp distinction reverberated through my classroom experiences in education.
I see the “we’re good” attitude as a natural byproduct of the traditional clinical system’s normalization of mediocrity through grades that wouldn’t allow a grownup employee to keep their job all that long, let alone get a raise and progress in their careers (as deduced from dozens of conversations I’ve had with business owners over the last two years).
The traditional system disincentivizes curiosity, the pursuit of passion, and raises children into a life of checking boxes (grades or paychecks).
Again, it’s not any one person’s fault. Maybe it’s just decades of arguably logical business decisions, but it’s been itching at me because they see our school through false assumptions.
How do I describe this better?
Acton’s Integrative education model
Instead of labeling children and segregating them based on the labels, Acton’s integrative approach trusts the children.
There’s no need for IEPs because individualized needs get the attention they need as a foundational component of how Acton’s Learner Driven model works. There’s no need for honors classes because each child progresses at their own pace.
If you think about it, both honors classes and IEPs are labels that serve clinicians and administrators more than it serves children; children who oftentimes learn to wear those labels as identity markers and live out those labels.
Where’s the growth in that?
Let’s lay this out in a list for maximum contrast
Acton's "Integrative" Learner Driven Model:
Collaboration: Children work together, akin to how people collaborate in the real world.
Respect for Diversity: Just like in society, everyone's unique perspective is valued.
Student-Led Governance: Prepares students for real-life scenarios where they must navigate and influence their surroundings.
Empowerment: Encourages students to take charge of their education, mirroring real-world autonomy.
Nurturing Unique Talents: Reflects how, in the real world, unique talents contribute to innovation and success.
Emotional regulation skills: Freedom of movement to release excess energy and support innate self-trust, and Peace Tables for conflict resolution with “I-statements” help children take personal responsibility for their feelings and their choices.
Holistic Development: Focuses on the whole child, preparing them for the multifaceted nature of real life.
Flexible Learning Paths: Mimics the non-linear, personalized journey one often takes in the real world.
Encourages Critical Thinking: Essential for navigating real-world complexities and challenges.
Real World Learning: Education is directly connected to practical, real-life applications, ensuring relevance and engagement.
Segregative (Siloed) Educational Practices:
Outdated Educational Structures: These structures often resemble a controlled lab environment where learning is managed and compartmentalized.
Honors Classes: Can be seen as an exclusive lab where only certain "samples" (students) are allowed.
Individual Education Plans (IEPs): Can feel isolating, like being a subject in a separate study.
Labeling: Students are tagged and sorted like specimens in a lab, which can lead to:
Stigmatization: Being categorized can affect one's identity and social standing as if they're part of a controlled experiment.
Negative Impact on Ego: The lab-like setting can either inflate or deflate egos based on perceived success.
Barrier to Cohesiveness: Much like isolating variables in a lab, this practice prevents the natural formation of a community.
Hindrance to Community Building: The competitive, controlled environment lacks the organic community building of real-world interactions.
Promotes Fixed Mindset: Mimics the predictability of lab results, suggesting student potential is static.
Limits Exposure to Diversity: Like a controlled experiment, students miss out on the diversity of spontaneous real-world interactions.
Emotional suppression: Behavioral compliance maintains adherence to curriculum standards. Expressing emotions is discouraged, leading to internal conflict and less authentic social interactions.
Encourages Conformity: The lab environment often pushes for conformity to expected outcomes or behaviors.
Inequitable Resource Allocation: Resources are distributed as if for different experiments, not based on real-world equity.
Laboratory Learning: Traditional education is often disconnected from real-life application, focusing instead on controlled, theoretical learning with standardized and easily measured answers.
This all being said…
Lots of families are content, satisfied, happy with traditional school. It works for lots of families and the last thing I’m trying to do is make anyone scared.
Simply, my goal is to normalize doing something fundamentally different. I want to help you give yourself the permission to unclench around frustrations you’ve thought were inescapable and breathe easy.
Breathe easy and dream of the school experience you want for your child and your family.
Reply to this with what your dream school looks like. I believe I’ve found it in the flexible environment called Acton Academy, which is what pulls me through all the challenges in starting our new school in Cincinnati’s extremely competitive academic market.
We’re here to support you in reimagining education for your child.
Reply to this email to let us know your thoughts.
Talk soon,
Joshua Blatman
Co-founder and lead guide
Acton Academy North Cincinnati