Why MFS?

10 Reasons To Choose The Manhattan Free School

  1. Choice — Students initiate and direct their own learning; this creates adults who know they can control their lives and influence the world. People will, naturally, spend lots of time and energy learning things that are meaningful to them, so at MFS there is no coercion and there are no rewards or punishments to interfere with the innate human desire to succeed on one’s own terms.
  2. Voice — All students and staff have a voice and a vote in the School Meeting, which makes all decisions regarding the day-to-day operation of MFS. Students learn democracy and responsibility through living in a democratic school. They become eloquent and articulate in presenting their ideas. They gain empathy and ethics while listening to others.
  3. Responsibility — MFS provides an environment where children learn responsibility for their own actions and feelings by interacting directly with adults and other children. A core principle of the school is that you are not only responsible for your own education, but you also share responsibility with other people for the whole community.
  4. Age Mixing — Students are free to associate with, play with, learn from and teach everyone else at the school.
  5. Individualized and Small Group Learning — Curiosity is celebrated and nourished: we fit the child, instead of the child fitting us.
  6. Mentors/Internships/Apprenticeships — If we can’t teach it, we’ll find someone who can.
  7. No Labeling — of any kind — Kindergartener, first grader, Special Ed, ADHD, etc. All students are free to define themselves however they want.
  8. A True Alternative — Manhattan Free School does not have a mandated curriculum, and consequently can do what is right for children — all children. There is no homework, no assigned work, and there are no tests.
  9. Success redefined — Children are allowed to negotiate and define their own criteria for success, outside the boundaries of competition, pressure and the coercive nature of our culture of academic achievement.
  10. Because happiness matters — At MFS, childhood, a time our culture has set aside for exploration, discovery, socialization, and solitude, is restored to children. Each child’s uniqueness, spontaneity, and exuberance has space and time.