By JD Collar, Acton Owner and Guide,
Dear Acton family,
As I meet prospective families, I often find myself explaining various aspects of the Acton culture. Over the years, I've noticed that certain assumptions allow this approach to learning to flourish, while others simply make Acton not the right fit for a family. I recently took the time to write them down, and as I reread them, I realized they also serve as a reminder of what makes this community so special. I thought you might enjoy seeing them.
15. You are uncomfortable with curious children.
If you send your children to Acton, expect them to be filled with wonder and curiosity at the world that surrounds them. Expect your child to come home and ask whether it is more important to have courage or grit. Or whether a leader can be assertive but not bossy. Or how your car’s windshield wipers work. If you don’t value these kinds of conversations, we probably aren’t right for you.
14. You are uncomfortable with struggle.
Grit and persistence are core values at Acton. We believe that growth happens best through challenge and that if adults swoop in to the rescue at the first sign of distress, they are robbing children of the important skill of problem solving and the joy that comes with overcoming. So if ease and comfortability are more valuable to you than growth, we probably aren’t right for each other.
13. You value prestige over competence.
If you care more about impressing other people with the famous school you attended than pursuing meaningful work with the capacities you’ve cultivated and the character you possess, then Acton probably isn’t the right fit.
12. You value compliance over responsibility.
Compliance that is driven by fear and control is bound to falter once the external constraints have been removed. Responsibility, on the other hand, is an innate character trait in which the child recognizes that their identity as a hero on a journey to change the world involves improving the setting that surrounds them by encouraging and serving others. Such a mindset transcends circumstances and will follow them wherever their path may lead.
11. You believe standardized tests are the best measure of growth.
We use standardized tests because they are a helpful tool, not because they define success. They measure some important academic skills, but they cannot measure leadership, creativity, resilience, curiosity, or character. Those matter just as much to us.
10. You value lots of memorization.
We believe learning how to think is more valuable than simply memorizing information. Facts certainly matter, but information alone has never been wisdom. Learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be are ultimately more valuable than learning merely to know.
9. You value outcome over process.
We believe that the process is far more important than the product. The skills that are developed through a focus on process – growth mindset, grit, and problem-solving – are translatable across all circumstances and will last a lifetime.
Rushing to finish an assignment just to get it done, however, reinforces the opposite of these traits and undermines these critical skills. So if just getting it done without concern for the process used to do so is what matters to you, then perhaps we aren’t the right fit.
8. You value perfection over growth.
We believe perfection is the enemy of growth mindset. We see mistakes as learning opportunities and understand that our brains grow and change as we identify them and adjust course. So if you value perfection over learning from mistakes – or more practically, if misspelled words make you nervous – then perhaps we aren’t right for each other.
7. You value completion over mastery.
We believe that it doesn’t make sense to progress to the next level of something if the previous level hasn’t been fully mastered. Doing otherwise creates foundational gaps in learning that will compound over time and create major problems. The reason we don’t give grades at Acton is because there’s only one option: mastery. This would equate to an A+ in a traditional school, and our learners don’t move on until they have reached this level.
6. You value efficiency over creativity.
We believe that the discoveries that will shape the next generation will come from those who value creativity and innovation. We are a place that thinks discovering an important question is just as important as finding a right answer.
5. You value appearances over honesty.
We practice radical transparency at Acton. This means that our learners promise to be honest with each other and themselves, even if that means vocalizing something uncomfortable. Such situations present an opportunity for our young heroes to practice balancing warm heartedness and tough mindedness. Navigating such situations in the studio sets our learners apart in leadership, resilience, emotional intelligence, and many other soft skills that are critically important to success in life.
4. You value a standardized curriculum over a love of learning.
Some schools have mandated reading lists and a curriculum so jam packed with topics to cover that the child has no opportunity to pursue an interest or follow a passion. While we recognize the value of ensuring that foundational topics are engaged, we feel it is more important for a child to fall in love with the written word, the pursuit of truth, and the wonder of creation.
This is why learning isn’t siloed at Acton but is instead embedded in a series of challenges where learners draw upon a variety of subjects to solve meaningful, real-world challenges. Our learners solve mysteries by analyzing hair samples and conducting handwriting analysis. They build cars and send them down ramps to discover the truths of physics. They learn about entrepreneurship by launching a business and inviting children from across the city to join them at our Children’s Business Fair. Real life isn’t siloed. Learning at school shouldn’t be either.
3. A little friction makes you uncomfortable.
We value conflict resolution and emotional intelligence. Unfortunately, in many settings, adults shut down conflict at the first sign of friction, never allowing these skills to develop. At Acton, learners use a peer-mediated conflict resolution process to resolve problems that arise. This is messier than having an adult force an apology and separating children to opposite sides of the room, but the skills that are developed in the process are worth the messiness required to build them.
2. You don’t trust your child without micromanagement.
If you feel compelled to solve every problem your child encounters and get nervous at small signs of distress, you may struggle at Acton. We believe children are capable of more than we could ever imagine and empower them to take ownership of their learning. Undermining this by micromanaging their every action communicates to the child that they cannot be trusted and will ultimately stifle the child’s development in independence, agency, and autonomy, replacing these critical attributes instead with dependence and learned helplessness.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean you have to abandon involvement in their education, and there are many ways that we recommend parents to get involved and encourage their young heroes on their journey. But it does mean that you agree to allow your child to grow in agency and autonomy as they experience the consequences (both positive and negative) from their decisions. This is a difficult journey for many parents, but those who have embraced it will attest to its life-changing power.
1. You don’t believe your child is a genius capable of finding a calling and changing the world.
This is at the core of our approach and is the foundation for everything that happens here. This of course doesn’t mean that every child has an IQ of 180, but it does mean that each and every one of us has a unique gift that we can cultivate and use to serve others and change the world. If you don’t believe this is the ultimate goal of education – to find a calling and do something meaningful with your life – then Acton probably isn’t the place for you.
If you've been part of this community for any length of time, you've probably recognized these values in your own family's journey. Thank you for believing in a learning community that trusts children with meaningful work, celebrates growth over perfection, and believes every young person has gifts worth cultivating. Communities like this only exist because families like yours choose to embrace these values alongside us. It’s an honor to walk with you all in that journey.
