At Arthur Morgan School, we don’t just want to hear from our students, we want them to be the strongest voices in the room. We offer an alternative middle school experience that empowers our young people to discover their potential for leadership and self-governance. We encourage them to trust themselves and use their voices to promote change and growth. Students have real power here.
All School Meeting
Every week our staff and students come together to make important decisions that affect our community. Through consensus decision making, they learn the importance of speaking their personal truth and listening to others. By empowering them to make decisions that have long lasting impact, our students actually build our community and learn to respect each other through their differences.
They make decisions that affect both their daily lives and the future of the school for years to come. Topics include:
- School trips and events logistics
- Rules and norm building
- Academic programming
- Social dynamics of the student community
- Divestment of the school’s investment fund from the fossil fuel industry
- Philosophical and moral implications of raising and slaughtering livestock
Student Committees
Much of the work our school is done in smaller committees. In these smaller groups, students feel confident to voice their opinions about the daily management of the school. By giving them ownership over a particular aspect of community, they are provided a space to collectively problem-solve. They feel a sense of responsibility to the entire student body and a validation through participation.
Student committees meet as needed to craft proposals to be presented in All School Meeting. Committees in the past include:
- Student self-governance
- Community outreach
- Charitable giving
- Norms and Chores
- Edutainment
Our alternative middle school experience empowers young people to speak up and speak out!
Ninth Grade Program
Our ninth graders are integral part of running AMS. They use the experiences and leadership skills developed in their years at an middle school to guide the student culture through mentorship and example. The ninth graders receive a staff advisor who guides them in leadership practices, encourages them to reflect upon their personal growth, and provides mentoring for the transition to high school.
The ninth graders run many of the daily structures of our community and serve as a voice of advocacy for the student body. Our ninth graders:
- Clerk All School Meeting
- Run daily announcement periods
- Supervise chores
- Plan and execute a class project
- Plan a special ninth grade outing
- Propose and receive special privileges and responsibilities