Why I Chose The Studio School of Durham

“I feel like sunshine.”

That’s what my six-year-old daughter said after her first week at the Studio School. Never has one sentence brought such relief and confirmation to my mom brain. 

I didn’t think I’d be this kind of parent. I used to make decisions pretty quickly without much research involved. I’m more of a “whatever comes up first on Amazon” kinda gal, while my husband, a scientist, is a “call the manufacturer and ask for the safety standards and standard operating procedure” kinda guy.

We balance each other out that way.

But with a whole slew of educational choices (public, magnets, homeschool, charters, private), I was a ball of anxiety wondering if I could ever find the right fit for my daughter and her younger siblings.

In those beginning stages of deciding, I didn’t know about the Studio School. Private wasn’t on our radar at that point. We entered all the lotteries, filled out all the forms, toured all the schools and in the end, registered our daughter for the first magnet school that drew her name.

We were committed and excited to see her zest for life blossom in this new setting. Yet as the year progressed, I saw some of her initial enthusiasm for learning wane. I understood that was all part of it.

Life isn’t meant to be a party.

I want my kid to handle adversity as well as anyone. If things weren’t perfect, I figured she had to find a way to persevere. And she did for the most part.

However, there were some things that just didn’t make sense in my view. They definitely weren’t part of the experience when I went to school as a child, so the whole “I went to that kind of school and I turned out fine” adage didn’t hold true for me.

I only had school for half a day in kindergarten, and then I was free to play as I liked for the rest of the day. Recess was longer, and it was NEVER used as a disciplinary tool that could be taken away. And homework was unheard of until around 4th or 5th grade (to the best of my memory).

Maybe I’m viewing my educational experience through rose colored glasses, I don’t know, but I do believe there was WAY less pressure on me and my classmates in the younger years.

I started to read more about education and watched different presentations about how school has changed and should change. THIS Ted Talk by Sir Ken Robinson had a profound effect on me. He talks about how traditional schools, like the one I grew up in, haven’t changed much other than to elevate two subjects over all others – math and reading. And in doing so, we have more homework, less creativity, and more dropouts, disinterest, and depression in our schools.

After seeing my daughter come home with worksheets in kindergarten, I couldn’t agree more. She has a natural interest in drawing and movement. They were things I can remember loving from a young age as well. My kindergarten teacher told me she knew I would be an artist, and I believed her. But I soon learned - from teachers, family, and society - that art doesn’t get you anywhere. I got the message that I should redirect my efforts to things like math so I can do something “practical” that makes money.

Now that I AM actually working as an artist (after years of misplacing my efforts into things I was not meant for), I wish I could go back to that young version of myself and say something like “hey, maybe it won’t make you rich, but you will be happy, and that counts for a lot.”

I’d tell myself to pursue what I love, because that interest is the beginnings of a talent or hobby that may one day turn into a job. Maybe not, but I think it’s worth a shot to find out at least. THIS podcast put all of those thoughts into words.

After more research, I was convinced that our current school system (at large) wasn’t aligned with my core beliefs around education. It lumps large groups of children around the same age together and pushes them through a set of skills and information that seems irrelevant to most. I didn’t want my kids in those lumps. I wanted them to be the individuals they are, and able to contribute to a society that is constantly changing and demanding innovation and creativity.

But I wanted all of that progressive stuff while also holding my child accountable to learning and being a good citizen. I wanted adversity, but in ways that make sense.

I wanted a place that challenged them.

A place where adults spoke to them with respect that in turn demanded respect back.

A place that valued movement and playful freedom.

A place that allowed them to focus on their natural strengths.

A place that kept them accountable to being a part of a community by expecting them to clean up after themselves, help create the disciplinary policies, and treat their peers with kindness and compassion.

A place that focused on a mastery of subjects, instead of keeping them at the same level as others their age.

A place that let them explore the outdoors.

A place that offers project-based learning where the students dig into subjects over the span of weeks rather than days.

A place where teachers are outstanding and valued….

I bet you can guess where I found all these things and more. Thankfully, through some indirect paths, we found the Studio School and fell in love.

As I walked into the learning space filled with natural light and watched learners engage in discussions with teachers and fellow students, I thought the same thing that my daughter later put into words.

“This place feels like sunshine.”

And I’m happy to report, that initial feeling continued to grow throughout the year. It’s still sunshine, in all the ways you’d want for a child.

-Mick Schulte, Lower Elementary Parent