A haven for all thought
By NEIL KIRBY, The Saratogian
11/08/2008
GREENWICH -Deborah Albrecht stood in front of a worn chalkboard cradling a science text in her hand as three students scribbled notes. Midday autumn light shone through the curtain and onto the handful of desks arranged in a U-shape. To the students' left, a dreamcatcher hung in the small room's window.
The former Dartmouth researcher wasn't a tutor or special guest at the Adirondack School of Northeastern New York, but one of 12 teachers who were attracted to the school for the freedom it provides.
"What you're required to teach in a public school is fairly prescribed," Albrecht said. "This gives me independence to teach what I think is important and not necessarily what the state of New York thinks is important."
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Nestled in a partly forested area off County Route 113 in Greenwich, the Adirondack School is a non-sectarian independent school for grades six through 12 that offers small class sizes and a focus on the arts and environment.
Many of its 21 students are attracted to the school for its alternative focus and because it provides a refuge from bullying that may occur at larger schools, according to school director Pat Douglas.
"We get a lot of kids that have been bullied throughout the system, maybe because of their sexual choice, maybe because of their size, maybe because of how they dress," Douglas said. "We have no tolerance for hatred."
A smaller size allows for closer supervision over potential bullying or bad behavior.
Senior Ashley McMorris said she left a local public school after 10th grade because a student was selling cocaine out of the locker next to her. She then switched to the Adirondack School where she had more success.
She said when she arrived she was terrible at math. Testing showed she was far below her grade level; tailored lessons helped her catch up. She later became proficient at the subject and even taught a class of three students.
"You really feel the people here care," McMorris said as she studied in the computer lab.
The Adirondack School charges $7,800 per year for its individualized education, and offers tuition assistance for those who can't afford the price tag. However, the school receives no funding from the state and is strictly tuition-based. It's not accredited by the state either, but according to Douglas, that doesn't stop students from going to top level colleges. Graduates have been accepted at Syracuse University, Bard College, St. Lawrence University, and other prestigious institutions.
"You don't need a Regents diploma to attend a college," Douglas said. The school doesn't believe in Regents testing because of the possibility teachers will have to "teach to a test," Douglas said.
A certified special education teacher, Douglas said the small size also allows for greater attention to students with disabilities.
The school offers staff substantially lower pay than the public school system. Many public schools in Saratoga County offer teachers between $35,000 and $45,000 for their first year of teaching, usually with a substantial raise each year. Adirondack School teachers, however, make only $12 an hour due to the school's limited sources of funding.
"That is a big drawback," Albrecht said.
An immunology expert, Albrecht held two post-doctoral fellowships at Dartmouth College. But she never liked research, and decided to teach at the secondary level rather than at a university because no research would be required of her.
"I like the results of research, the thinking involved, but I don't like performing research," she said.
Albrecht is in her sixth year of teaching at the school, and said she is looking for a teaching position at a community college because there's both higher pay and no research required.
However, she said of the Adirondack School, "I do really want to be there."
She wasn't the only teacher who felt that way.
"A school like this offers more freedom," said Andy Welch while taking a break from teaching the Greek tragedy "Antigone" to a group of four students. Welch said he didn't care about the salary disparity between public schools.
"I live close to the bone," he said. "I'm not motivated by money."
The Adirondack School originally began as part of the Waldorf School system, but split in 1996 when the Waldorf program it belonged to opted not to have a high school. Six families gathered to form their own school, which began in St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Schuylerville before moving to its present location, centered in a red brick school house.
In 1999 and 2000, the school added a vast arts studio and green house across the street from its main campus.
Students are required to do extensive community service work, including 30 hours outside of class. They recently participated in a community service week, which sent students to Saratoga Hospital and Double-H Hole in the Woods Ranch for children with critical illnesses.
Douglas said the school's limitations shouldn't keep kids from being happy there.
"We're a little primitive school as you can tell," she said. "This is a beautiful setting where they can just be who they are."
For more information, call the school at 695-5294.
©The Saratogian 2008