I do a lot of thinking. More than I write. And lately I’ve been realizing some of those thoughts need to get out of my head and onto the page.

One of the things I’ve been thinking about a lot recently is the idea of deschooling.

My beliefs about deschooling and schooling are shaped by lived experience and informed by theory. I spent 13 years in conventional school as a student. I worked for 2 years at a Quaker boarding school. I taught in public schools for 24 years. I’ve studied and practiced Restorative Practices. And I’ve been influenced by thinkers like Alan Watts, Daniel Quinn (author of Ishmael), Ivan Illich, John Holt, Alfie Kohn, Steven Levitt, Kerry McDonald, Kenneth Danford, and Peter Block. Some of their ideas overlap. Some build on each other. I try to pay attention to where ideas are just circling back on each other.

Oh boy — this is going to be longer than I originally intended.

Too often, schools (& our school-centric society) are so focused on the future, that we miss out on everything that’s happening in the present; everything from the seasons changing, to the state of our emotional wellness and the wellbeing of our friends and loved ones.

At Current, we ask, what would happen if we stopped living solely in the “how will this impact my future?” mentality, and instead chose to simply be in, and enjoy, the Current?

Only 4 months until Current Education Center is open for young people.

The BIG news is that CEC has a home in Ambler Borough. We are on the 2nd floor at 58-60 Butler Ave. It has been quite a process finding a space. We are excited to utilize all that Ambler has to offer including the train, the bus (that goes directly to MCCC), the public library, the Wissahickon Creek and the Four Mills Nature Preserve, as well as many business and community organizations to learn from.