Expectations

Elan
"I learned that I can fulfill my dreams because I could just stay focused on what really matters instead of learning things that I didn't really want to and that wouldn't help me out in the real world." — Elan, Student, Age 13
"The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs."
— Joan Didion

Sudbury schools put responsibility on an equal footing with freedom. Students are responsible for their education as well as their behavior and their community.

The underlying message a Sudbury school communicates by holding people responsible is that they are capable: capable of taking care of themselves, of deciding their path, of being an integral and active part of a larger community and helping to shape that community. Sudbury schools have very high expectations of their students. It is not an easy place to be. There is room to make mistakes but everyone must take responsibilty for their choices. Students have freedom to do as they choose but also the responsibility to respect the freedom and rights of others.