Mission Statement

    People naturally want to learn. Given the opportunity for creativity, the freedom of direction, and the time to make and recover from mistakes, any person will desire to pursue a chosen, individualized curriculum to its greatest possibilities. Carolina School for Interdependent Learning exists to give its students this opportunity, this freedom, this time.

Policy Guide

    This document constitutes the Carolina School for Interdependent Learning’s Policy Guide, also referred to as the “guide.” Within the guide, “the school” will be used interchangeably with Carolina School for Interdependent Learning. Changes to the guide require ratification by the school’s Governing Board (or the “Board.”) A copy of the guide will be given to any prospective student, and to his or her parent(s). In addition, a copy will be distributed to every student, parent, and staff member at the beginning of each school year. A permanent copy will be kept in an accessible place, which will maintain all changes to the policy guide. In addition, an updated copy will be given to any student, parent, or staff member upon request.

    The guide is copyrighted (c) by Aaron Winborn, 1999. When Carolina School for Interdependent Learning becomes a legal entity, whether by non-profit status or otherwise, the copyright will be given to it. Permission is given to copy and distribute this guide in its entirety by any means for personal use, as long as this copyright notice is included with it. Permission is also given to quote from this guide for purposes of review or instruction. Copying this document by any means for any other use requires permission of the copyright holder.

Governing Board

    The Governing Board of the Carolina School for Interdependent Learning will consist of every member of the school. This includes each student, staff member, and parent. Each member will have one vote, which will be used for all governing matters, policy change, and financial matters, including the hiring and firing of staff. Obviously, such a weight towards students puts an impetus on the staff to help create an environment for students that is supportive and vibrant.

Governing Board Meeting Protocol

1. The facilitator, time keeper, and note taker for the meeting will note themselves present. If any of these three is not present, the Governing Board will select a volunteer by vote at this time. The meeting will be called to order by the facilitator, but only if a quorum of five members or a fifth of the Board is present, whichever is greater.

2. The time keeper will note the beginning time, and the desired ending time (one hour unless the Board votes to extend the time).

3. The facilitator will read aloud the items on the agenda, as copies are distributed to any who do not yet have the agenda.

4. The facilitator will call to order the first item on the agenda. Discussion will be free at this point, but the facilitator will keep the discussion on topic. Discussion continues until a vote is called, if the item warrants it, or until the facilitator calls the discussion for that item ended. If the facilitator calls to end the discussion of an item, the Board may vote to continue that discussion, if a member asks and is seconded.

5. The time keeper will announce when half an hour has passed (and each half hour thereafter should a meeting need to last longer than an hour). In addition, he or she will announce ten minutes before the end of the allotted time, at which time a vote may be called to extend the time.

6. The last items on the agenda will be New Business, into which any member may add a discussion item for the next meeting, and the voting of facilitator, time keeper, and note taker for the next meeting. Any items that are not discussed during this meeting will be put into Old Business for the next meeting, which will then be the first item. After this final vote, the facilitator will call the meeting to a close.

7. The note taker will note the topic of each discussion item, any votes that are moved, and the outcomes of those votes. He or she will also note new business items, and post these on the meeting board, which should be accessible to all. After the meeting, the note taker will type the notes, post them on the meeting board, and make copies of the notes to be available for distribution. A copy of the notes will also be put into the newsletter box, to be entered into the next newsletter.

8. Items on the agenda are normally limited to financial matters, policy changes, admittance and expulsion of students, and hiring and firing of personnel. Discipline matters and personal disputes are normally handled by the Tribunal, which meets as outlined later in this document. The meetings are always open to all Board members, with the exception of certain items outlined later, which for privacy concerns are handled only by the staff and the person(s) involved.

9. When a vote is called for, another Board member must second it. Once seconded, the facilitator must ask for any final discussion, limited to no more than a minute, and then ask for the vote. This may be verbal, unless any should ask for a show of hands. Financial items totaling less than $500 require only a simple majority vote of present members to ratify. Other financial items ($500 or greater) require a two-thirds majority of present members, as do policy changes, admittance and expulsion of students, and the hiring and firing of personnel.

Admittance into Carolina School for Interdependent Learning

    At this time, any student is free to join the school, from ages 5 to 19, until student enrollment reaches twenty-five. Tuition may or may not be charged, although the goal is to keep the school tuition-free, through fund-raising to create financial scholarships. A student and parent(s) who are considering the school must read this guide and sign a statement that they understand and agree to follow the policies set forth. That student may then freely visit the school for ten (10) school days. After this time, if the student chooses to enroll, a vote goes to the Governing Board’s next meeting, where it is decided whether to admit the student. If the Board votes to not admit the student, that person is not allowed to remain on campus.

    Once enrolled, the student is enrolled for a probationary period of twenty (20) school days. During this time, the student has full privileges granted any student at Carolina School for Interdependent Learning. However, if during the probationary period, the Tribunal should vote because of disciplinary problems to expel the student, the expulsion does not need to be ratified by the Governing Board. After the probationary period, should a Tribunal vote recommend expulsion of a student, the Governing Board must vote to ratify the expulsion. Any expulsion is effective immediately.  A student who has been expelled or denied admission may not reenroll for one calendar year after such denial or expulsion, after which time the enrollment procedure is the same, assuming the school has room for enrollment.
An enrolled student gains one vote on the Governing Board, effective when the probationary period begins. After the student has been enrolled for one calendar year, his or her parent(s) or guardian(s) who live with the student will also gain a vote on the Governing Board. Parents of students who enroll before April 1, 1999 are given a full vote upon enrollment.

Tuition

    Tuition will be due monthly, on the first of each month for that month, whether paid by scholarship or by the student’s family. It begins on the first probationary day of enrollment, as ratified by the Board. Tuition will be prorated during this period, and will likewise be prorated should a student withdraw or be expelled. A month’s deposit is also required, refundable when a student leaves the school. Tuition will not be charged for the two-week holidays included in the school’s calendar.

Attendance

    Humans are not easily coerced into learning. When a school has been institutionalized, so long as students are required to attend that school, there is still an element of coercion present. Therefore, Carolina School for Interdependent Learning does not require that students be present. A sign-up sheet will be kept in an easily accessible place, and students will sign it when they come onto campus and when they leave. This attendance will be entered into a computer database daily, and will be available to a student or his or her parent(s) on demand. In addition, a quarterly attendance report will be mailed to parents.

    A student who has not made previous arrangements with Carolina School for Interdependent Learning and is absent from the school for twenty (20) consecutive days will be automatically withdrawn from the school. A notice will be sent the student and/or parent(s) after five (5) and ten (10) days of consecutive absence as a reminder. Should a student wish to return to the school after this time, that student must again follow the standard enrollment procedures, assuming there is still room for additional enrollment. Assuming an absence of no longer than a year, any previous voting privileges assumed by parents will automatically be reinstated. If voting privileges had not been assigned to parents, or if the student was absent for more than a year, then the parent’s probationary period of a year for voting privileges will be based on the new date of enrollment.

Discipline

    Curriculum and behavior are two completely different issues, though they are often combined in traditional school settings. Whereas students are given free rein of their curriculum, they are expected to conform to accepted societal models of behavior. Ultimately, we want to do what we want, let others do what they want, and harm no one. Practically, some guidelines must be in place to ensure the respect of person, property, and privacy, and to encourage a peaceable and harmonious community.

    The following guidelines will be in place. Any offenses involving these, and only these, guidelines will be handled by the Tribunal, as detailed later. The guidelines will be posted visibly in every room of the school’s building(s). The school’s premises are defined as any of the school’s buildings or lands, any buildings or lands sharing the property of the school, and within any vehicle(s) owned by the school or used for an official school function. In addition, outside facilities or land will be considered part of the school’s premises for purposes of these guidelines when they are used for official school functions.

    In serious infringements of the guidelines, especially when an offense of a guideline is also an offense of the outside community’s laws, legal authorities may be called to handle the offense. In such a case, any results of this involvement will be in addition to any decisions the Tribunal may make.

    The Tribunal has authority over students, prospective students, and staff members for purposes of enforcing these guidelines. Should any other visiting person violate a guideline, an outside legal authority should handle this offense.

1. Assault – There is to be no fighting on the school’s premises. This is defined as an intentional physical assault, whether with the body or an object, whether in close contact or at range. Nor is there to be a threat of physical assault.

2. Sexual Assault – A person should feel sexually secure while on the school’s premises. There will be no rape, or threat of rape, or non-consensual physical contact on the school’s premises.

3. Theft – No one is to take without permission any possession of another person while on the school’s premises, nor should property of the school be taken off premises without the permission of a staff member.

4. Vandalism – No one is to purposefully damage or deface the property of another without that person’s permission. Neither will the school’s property likewise be damaged or defaced, unless the school has given its permission.

5. Unreasonable Search or Seizure – A person should feel secure in privacy. No one is to search a person’s belongings without that person’s permission. If the school designates a space on the premises as an individual’s personal space, such as a locker or drawer, then neither should this space be searched without that person’s permission.

6. Weapons – No one is to bring a weapon onto school premises. A weapon in this case is defined as any firearm, or a blade longer than three inches, or an object with a combined blade and shaft of more than six inches. Designated tools that may be construed as weapons may not be used without proper certification and/or supervision.

7. Illegal or Controlled Substances – While on school premises, no one is to possess, use, or sell any substance that the outside government has deemed illegal. Nor should one possess, use, or sell any substance that the government has deemed controlled, without legal permission to do so.

School Calendar

    The school will operate on a year-round basis. Each year will have five sections of nine weeks (45 school days) sans holidays, broken by approximately two weeks for each section. The following year’s calendar will be voted on and adopted by the Board by the end of the fourth section of each year. The calendar must abide by federally and locally mandated holidays.

    School will be considered in session from Monday through Friday, with the obvious exceptions of school holidays and “snow days.” Events or activities may be scheduled for Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays, at the discretion of the people organizing such events, but staff members will not be required to schedule or attend such events or activities, nor should they expect extra compensation for such.

    In the event of inclement weather, the school may choose to not hold session. Such days need not be “made up,” due to the nature of the school, except perhaps in the event of a prolonged closure of the school, should the Board then vote to alter the school calendar. Staff should expect to receive full pay and benefits for days missed due to inclement weather or the like.

Advisors

    All staff members are expected to act in the capacity of advisor to at least some students. Although relationships should ideally be fostered between all students and staff members, there is an extra burden of responsibility on advisors. The Advisor is the designated point of contact between the student and the school. He or she helps a student and family understand the role of the school, and helps the student use the school to its full potential.

    When a student first visits the school with the purpose of enrolling, he or she will be assigned a temporary advisor, the staff member with the fewest current advisees. Another staff member may volunteer to be the new advisor, should the first staff member request or agree. A new student will be expected to choose a permanent advisor by the end of the probationary period of enrollment. Should a choice not be made, the temporary advisor will become the permanent advisor.

    Normally, an advisor will advise a student until that student leaves the school. Obvious exceptions will be made to this, for instance should an advisor leave the school. A student and/or advisor may also request that a new advisor be chosen, for any purpose. In this case, a new advisor will be chosen as above, unless another person volunteers to advise the student.

    An advisor is expected to meet formally with each advisee weekly, keeping notes of these meetings. An advisor is also expected to contact each student advisee's family at least monthly, although this contact may be as simple as mailing home the notes of the weekly meetings. The advisor should meet with the student’s family upon reasonable request. Although home visits are encouraged, they are not required of advisors.

    The advisor will meet with each student advisee to formulate a plan for that student’s stay at the school. The mission of Carolina School for Interdependent Learning is clear in its vision of non-coercion in education. This should be reflected in the advisory meetings. A student’s education will be directed by that student, and gently guided by the advisor.

Revision Notes

May 12, 1999 – The Board changed the name of the school to Carolina School for Interdependent Learning.

April 21, 1999 – Removed several incomplete sections so that the guide may be vetted.  These included the sections of Tribunal Committee, School Budget, and Paid Staff. Made the “Grandfather Clause” for voting parents to be April 1, 1999. Changed section requiring 2/3 vote of all members to 2/3 vote of present members. Removed section allowing proxy votes. The Policy Guide was ratified at the April 21st Board Meeting, along with the school’s name of The Carolina School for Independent Learning.

March 27, 1999 – Began section for Tribunal Committee.

March 7, 1999 – Reworded Mission Statement from “A human naturally wants” to “People naturally want,” and “any human will” to “any person will;” added contact information.

March 6, 1999 – Added section about Advisors; clarified copyright notice.

February 25, 1999 – Wrote section about Tuition; amended Admittance section to account for new changes; minor grammatical corrections.

January 24, 1999 – Entered preliminary budget; created Table of Contents.

January 16, 1999 – Wrote sections regarding School Calendar and Paid Staff; added heading sections for future use.

January 9, 1999 – Wrote sections about Admittance, Attendance, and Discipline; added questions notes to Board Meeting Protocol section.

January 1, 1999 – Wrote Mission Statement, Governing Board, and Board Meeting Protocol sections.
 

Contact Information

Feel free to contact the author for any questions or comments.

Aaron Winborn
108-A Lindsay Street
Carrboro, NC  27510
(919) 969-1611

awinborn@intrex.net
aaronwinborn@hotmail.com
rainbowranon@hotmail.com

You can also join Carolina School for Interdependent Learning’s e-mail list by visiting http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/freeschool and following the online directions.

Online Policy Guide Page Updates

May 23, 1999 – Aaron Winborn created this Online Policy Guide Page.