Arlington Liber Academy

Leadership Education presupposes:

• Each individual has a unique & important mission and consists of discovering, preparing for and fulfilling this mission.

• Each individual is a genius-Literally! The ultimate goal is the development of the inherent genius inside each student.

• It is for everyone- not just for a few elite.

• It is agency-based--not compulsory. It uses freedom and choice where mentors inspire, invite and draw forth the amazing potential and abilities of each student.*

Leadership Education uses the principles of the Seven Keys of Great Teaching:

1. Classics in all subject areas

2. Mentors who guide rather than dictate

3. Inspired learning rather than forced

4. Structured Time rather than content objectives

5. Quality in what and how students learn

6. Simplicity rather than complex, contrived systems of learning

7. Life-long learning for students and mentors

Leadership Education follows four phases of learning:

• Core Phase

• Love of Learning Phase

• Scholar Phase

• Depth Phase

Resources for further reading:

http://www.tjed.org

Latin for tree bark; it was used to make papyrus (paper) onto which one would write contracts; those who could read, write, and engage in contract were known as the "liber" or the "free people"; root word of library, liberty, liberal arts.

To become Liber is to gain the education necessary in order to become and remain free. It is understanding the structure and anatomy of freedom in order to recognize, promote and defend freedom. It is a liberal arts education that comes from a broad and deep study of "the classics in history, law, government, and the arts. This kind of education consists of not only knowledge and information, but wisdom, understanding, character, competence and vision." (A Thomas Jefferson Education Home Companion, Oliver DeMille, p. 149)

Vision

To build liber communities of families endeavoring to:

• promote freedom,

• continue in lifelong learning,

• stand for truth,

• fulfill personal missions and

• impact the world for good.

Mission

Education for Freedom--To provide an educational environment that:

• promotes freedom and choice,

• fosters a love of learning,

• offers opportunities for positive peer interactions and friendships,

• recognizes learning happens in phases,

• individualizes education,

• invites students to take responsibility and ownership for their education,

• develops virtuous Statesmen and Leaders who

• understand the nature and anatomy of freedom and

• acquire knowledge, skills, abilities and vision to fulfill their unique missions.

A New Commonwealth School is a Community-Created school that provides weekly, supplemental classes with a liberal arts focus where students are mentored by their peers and parents and have stewardship over what they learn through mentored projects (mentors are second witnesses to what the parents are teaching). It is an agency-based educational environment where students are invited to own their education and choose to learn rather than feel forced or compelled to do so.

New Commonwealth Schools also create an environment in which families of like culture can study the classics and become great citizen-leaders by gaining a greater vision of their country and themselves. A commonwealth signifies "the common good or happiness; thus it is a form to secure the public good.[1]" While usually associated with governments of countries, "commonwealth" can be applied to many other aspects of society. It takes the "co-op" group to the next level: to a community that self-governs, that exists beyond the creators whose children are now raised and gone, and can stand the test of time.

There are currently over 30 well established New Commonwealth Schools in the United States with more than 30 in different phases of the journey to becoming a New Commonwealth School.