Mission Statement

Whitmore School seeks to provide a supportive, challenging, and alternate learning environment. Students are encouraged to be in charge of their education, giving them the opportunity to develop creativity, independence, responsibility, time management and critical thinking skills. We emphasize mastery of all academic courses, allowing students to view themselves as capable of achieving their educational goals.

Core Values Statement

Students have the freedom to continuously define themselves through their choices, work, and communication:

 

  • Students will not be ‘tracked’ into a course of study (i.e. general, college prep, advanced, etc) based on assessment scores or academic history. Students and their families may freely choose a course of study. Students may change diploma tracks at any time. Prerequisites for particular classes exist to build cumulative skills.

 

  • Grades for courses will be based on self-paced, mastery of the course material. Course grades will not be dependent on summative examination unless the student's academic integrity is under question.

 

  • Whitmore School limits the amount of data it collects and stores regarding each student to that which is essential for academic purposes and open communication with the student and (in the case of minors) their family. We hold that too much data limits individuals' capacity to define themselves. Whitmore School does not collect data regarding race/ ethnicity/ creed/ income levels, etc., and when that data is collected by third parties, Whitmore School does not store it or share it with teachers.

 

 

Whitmore School provides an individualized education.

 

  • Student and teacher interaction at Whitmore School is one-to-one with a teacher responding to an individual student, not to a group of students.

 

  • Student grades shall be based on single student work, not on the work of a group of students.

 

  • Teachers provide resources and guidance to each student based on the student’s needs and learning styles.

 

 

Whitmore School expects students to take responsibility for their learning. Students initiate and control their own learning at Whitmore School.

 

  • Whitmore School allows a student to log in, work on their courses, and communicate with their teachers 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

 

  • Students’ work is self-paced. Students can begin and finish a course at any time of year and take as long as they need to complete each assignment.

 

  • Contact between a student and a teacher is asynchronous, in writing, and typically initiated by the student. Whitmore School sets high expectations for teacher response time.

 

  • Questions from students are always welcomed and responded to in a supportive manner by teachers and other Whitmore School support staff.

 

  • Whitmore School assists and supports students in setting their own goals and academic timelines. Goals and timelines will vary widely among students because each student has a unique situation. Whitmore School encourages and reminds students about their goals but does not dictate minimum attendance requirements.  

 

 

Whitmore School provides a safe and supportive educational setting for all students.

 

  • Whitmore School understands that many students come to us after having negative or ineffective experiences in their former school; therefore, Whitmore School makes every effort to avoid replicating hazardous social, emotional, and behavioral situations.

 

  • Whitmore School supports students and their families as agents in their social growth and development through course activities that encourage students to interact with family members, mentors, and friends.  It is expected that students and their families will identify and seek out safe and appropriate social forums. Whitmore School does not provide a forum for peer social interaction among students. We have found that such forums can be triggers of negative patterns of behavior.

 

  • Whitmore School approaches discipline issues as learning opportunities. Whitmore School’s first intervention is to educate students on appropriate behaviors in a “Principles” lesson that covers such information as plagiarism, academic integrity, communicating respectfully, following directions, etc. Whitmore School gives students an opportunity to learn from and correct problem behaviors before taking further disciplinary measures.

 

 

Whitmore School expects all students to be successful.

 

  • Students continue to work on each lesson, with the support of their teacher, until they master the objectives of that lesson.  NOTE: There are no deadlines imposed by Whitmore School for course completion, however, a student's tuition pays for 12 months of access = (student's enrollment year). Students who do not complete all of the lessons within their enrollment year must reenroll to complete their course(s). Students may panic toward the end of their enrollment year and may ask to submit more than 2 lessons per day. This is up to your discretion. If the student has been working consistently, you may choose to allow them to submit more than 2 lessons per day. However, if the student has taken weeks or months off, you may choose not to allow them to submit more than 2 lessons per day. 

     

  • Students only complete a course after achieving mastery on each lesson.

 

  • Students’ work is continually monitored for academic integrity.

 

  • Teachers challenge each student to expand their knowledge, skills, creativity, and critical thinking beyond the student’s current level, whatever that level may be. Teachers are encouraged to offer students enrichment opportunities based on the student’s current capabilities whenever possible or upon the student's request.