Open Classroom Charter School of Salt Lake City

The Open Classroom (often referred to as "the O.C.") is a K-8 charter school in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a long history. It enrolled 377 students as of 2009–2010.

History

The Open Classroom began in 1971 as the private Thoreau School. It became a K-6 optional program of the Salt Lake City School District in 1977. In 2007, it became a district charter school and expanded to include a middle school and a pre-K program. It is not a part of the open classroom educational movement of the 1970s. The O.C. is currently located in the former Lowell Elementary building, located in the lower Avenues neighborhood at the busy intersection of E Street and 3rd Avenue.

The O.C. is one of several schools described as following the "whole child" model that are pictured at the end of the documentary film August to June, which was released in 2013.

Philosophy

Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction Larry Shumway highlighted Open Classroom's "unique philosophy" of education in his 2013 State of Education Address. The school's philosophy is centered on the ideology that everyone is a learner; teachers, parents, and of course students. The O.C. does not incorporate desks or other stricter methods of teaching, and instead members of a classroom meet in "circle", where literally all the students sit in a circle. The curriculum is centered on choice-oriented learning, with students choosing what they want to learn for some, but not all, classes.

Co-oping

One key facet of the O.C.'s philosophy is "co-oping". Co-oping is the system in which parents must "co-op", or help teach in their student's classroom, for at least three hours a week per child they have enrolled. This is central to the O.C., as it is largely based around small group learning, where instead of learning as a class, students go around to different centers and learn different concepts at each.

"Helping in my child's classroom... made it so most of the Open Classroom became like an extended family to me, my husband, and my kids." -An Open Classroom parent.

Notable alumni

American actor Patrick Fugit, best known for his leading role in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous, was a student in the O.C.

External links

• Open Classroom Website