Editor’s note: This commentary is by Alice Leeds, who has taught in schools of various sizes, including 25 years at Lincoln Community School. She is currently a writing instructor at the Community College of Vermont in Winooski. (The students’ names and words have not been changed; permission was granted to include them here.)
[E]veryone is ready for them. The scent of freshly cut pine boughs and peonies fills the hall. Bearded irises stretch elegantly from tall containers. At long last, an extended piano chord hushes the festive crowd, and heads turn in anticipation. One by one, 16 excited 12-year-olds file down the aisle and onto the stage. Along the way, an entire community embraces them with a moist gaze. Girls adorned in fashionable dresses blossom before our eyes. Broad-shouldered boys in crisply-starched dress shirts seem suddenly transformed. As this radiant group glances out from the stage, they breathe in the loving acceptance their community sends out to them, so thick in the fragrant air it is almost palpable.
Two student emcees step forward confidently. In a full voice, one of them declares, “Ladies, jellyfish, and kid winkles, welcome to 6th grade promotion ” The crowd roars; the ceremony unfolds. Principal Tory Riley speaks without notes about the distinctive qualities of this group of young people who she has followed closely for more than half their lives. Aiden and Kai follow with their rendition of “Who’s on First?” in a routine so polished and passionate it would have amused Abbott and Costello. Sydney shifts the mood with a slow, traditional Swedish melody played on her violin. The entire sixth grade class performs “We Are the World,” the song they chose for this event, including the more recent rap verse. A booming ovation follows each number. It is evident that considerable time was spent in preparation for this evening and that the students onstage are comfortable, contributing members of the community.
Soon it’s time for a highlight of the ceremony: student speeches. At our small school, the curve from kindergarten through sixth grade is marked by a series of increasingly sophisticated public presentations and performances, culminating with this moment, when students share a habit of mind developed during elementary school. Almost every sixth grader has chosen to present their three-minute speech, each of which reveals the speaker’s unique gifts.
Discarding Vermont’s shining resources is not ultimately a cost-effective solution; the loss of an intimate, humanizing learning opportunity will be immeasurable.
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Skylar strides to the podium. She adjusts the mic, takes a breath, and begins in a gentle yet self-assured voice. “Flexibility, a trait many of us strive for, is something Lincoln Community School has given me in my seven thrilling years here. From learning to count in kindergarten to accepting a powerful role in the 5-6 play, I learned to step out of my comfort zone, to strive in new directions without fear. This has not only helped me in my academic life but in my personal life as well. … But confidence didn’t always come easily to me, even with so many great guides at my side. I had to become flexible in many ways to reach my goals …”
Dylan, a champion wrestler, shares a more personal struggle, delivered with his strong voice and deliberate gestures. He speaks with disarming honesty. “Having ADHD and trying to keep focused is absolutely and utterly challenging. … It’s easy for my mind to zone out or get distracted by just about anything — a fly on the wall, the eraser on my pencil, the letters on the wall, or even the fidget I brought in to keep me from getting distracted. The funny thing is, at other times, I concentrate and end up doing great. I am much more independent now then I was before, though I still have a way to go …”
Turner brings his animated, whimsical presence to the podium, wrapping up a discussion of his elementary school antics with, “I learned how to be funny and lots of other things. Most importantly, I learned how to be me.”
It is clear these students have been prepared for more than standardized assessments. They are ready for the next steps in their human journey.
Educators across the country see Vermont as a model for rigorous, innovative and personalized education programs. This is, in large part, due to our strongest small schools. As we seek ways to get property tax under control, it makes sense to consider how we govern and structure our school system. But let’s not dissolve our thriving small schools. Discarding Vermont’s shining resources is not ultimately a cost-effective solution; the loss of an intimate, humanizing learning opportunity will be immeasurable.