Where Students Call the Shots

Santa Barbara Free School
Gives Teens the Power to
Direct Their Own Learning

By Tyler Hayden | November 16, 2023

Read all of the stories in our “Schools of Thought 2023” cover here.

It’s 2:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, and the Santa Barbara Free School — a private day school for teens, offering the community’s first student-led curriculum — has gathered for their weekly meeting. Projected on a pull-down screen is their schedule, roster of classes (music, history, math, etc.), and co-ops, or clubs (climbing, cooking, woodworking, and more).

The meeting itself, like the coursework and daily tasks they’re discussing, was created by consensus among the 12-person cohort with gentle guidance from their two leaders, Free School cofounders Jesse Resnick and Madeline Kimlin, who are now in their second year of operations. The students had previously developed the school’s budget for the semester to hire instructors, buy equipment, and negotiate memberships with local organizations such as the Rock Gym and Hackerspace, where they do 3D printing.

The most pressing topic that Wednesday was an upcoming open house. The students talked ideas for presentations on machine learning and other subjects they’re interested in, agreeing they wanted to project a certain level of maturity to their guests, but also make them feel welcomed. The baker in the group offered to make mini quiches, but wanted to test the recipe in a large batch first.

Before the hour was up, the group also brainstormed about a fundraiser they were hoping to host, a 1950s-prom-themed event for seniors. By the end, action items were created and individual tasks divided up. “We try to do as little as possible when we’re facilitating,” said Resnick. “We let students guide the way, and it’s always the goal to make them responsible.”

Both Resnick and Kimlin have years of experience in education under their belts. Kimlin taught in Carpinteria public schools, while Resnick moved from computer security to the nonprofit educational sector and homeschool teaching. They’re supported by a board of advisors, current and former Heads of School with decades of experience in self-directed, democratic education.

The pair says student-led learning offers what many traditional teaching models can’t. The students are allowed to set personal goals for their education, which are different for every person, and they are supported by direct one-on-one mentorship. “We really invest in each kid and their plan,” said Resnik.

The school is tuition-based with an indexed, or “pay what you can afford,” system, he explained. The maximum yearly tuition is $15,000, though many of the families pay less. It covers all expenses, including field trips, materials, and their dual-enrollment program with SBCC.

The flexible schedule, optional Fridays, and 10 a.m. start time appeal to many teens, the pair said. So does their off-campus policy that allows students to explore downtown Santa Barbara and practice their independence.

When selecting their academic focuses, the students can choose to go narrow or broad. The history class this semester, for instance, is on how foreign cultures influenced early American society. Every methodology of learning is embraced, Resnick said, from textbooks and lectures to more experiential lessons. At the moment, one of the student’s fathers, a college chemistry professor, is teaching their science course.

On the spectrum of philosophies at different student-led schools — from very traditional and rigid to completely open and democratic — Santa Barbara Free School falls somewhere in the middle, Resnick said. When it comes to health and safety policies, the buck stops with them, he emphasized.

The underpinning message of everything they do encourages students to “respect and take care of themselves, their community, and the environment,” Kimlin said. The families who gravitate toward their model “trust their kids and understand they will get up to some really amazing things without being forced to,” she said. Resnick agreed it’s the “cajoling and nagging” by adults that can make their relationship with teens so fraught.

“There’s a lot of fear and mistrust of teens,” Resnick said. “But when you give them respect and responsibility, they step up.”