The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

August 20, 2010

New Country School recognized

Ladies Home Journal ranks it among ‘amazing schools’

By Brian Ojanpa Free Press Staff Writer

HENDERSON — The Minnesota New Country School in Henderson has added a new totem to its pole — a national magazine citation as one of “America’s Most Amazing Schools.”

The school was among 10 listed by Ladies Home Journal as educational programs using innovative strategies to lift student performance.

“We were pretty amazed when we got a call in May saying they wanted us to send them information,” said school director Dee Thomas.

That information on the school and other data was reviewed by a panel of six education experts. The school was not visited in person and the numbers of schools reviewed was not disclosed.

The Journal article praised the 120-student school for its emphasis on independent learning, with students creating the curriculum and choosing their “advisers” (teachers), who guide them on personal projects.

The school day begins with large-group discussions of expectations for the week, and students work at their own pace, sometimes spending hours in the computer corner, woodworking shop or art studio, the article said.

Only math classes are communal, taught in groups of 15, and 45 minutes is devoted each day to reading.

The school opened in 1994 and is the flagship for EdVisions, a nonprofit organization promoting self-directed learning.

Thomas said a key mission of the school is to ensure that students become proficient in time management, goal-setting and lifelong learning skills to better prepare them for a rapidly changing society, particularly for jobs that haven’t even been “invented” yet.

Minnesota New Country School was cited three years ago by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the top charter schools in the nation.  

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