The Field School

In 1972, The Field School founded with 44 students in a small set of rooms above Regina Cleaners, a dry-cleaning establishment on the corner of Connecticut Avenue and R Street in downtown Washington, DC. Field is still guided by its motto, Aude Sapere or "Dare to Be Wise." Our mission statement is brief and bold: Self-Discovery, Skills of Mind, Generosity of Heart. Those ideals live in our classrooms every day, and they live even more fully in our alumni, whose extraordinary experiences as young people have made them extraordinary adults. We feel certain that the principles of Field education, indeed, look strong a long way into the future.

Field’s mission statement is known well by every teacher and every student. Its three elements are, to us, inseparable. To achieve self-discovery, students need to develop the essential skills of critical thinking, writing, problem-solving, and discussion. Self-understanding without generosity of heart in the community is not truly meaningful. But together, these elements are what The Field School considers the goals of a great education. Our core values:

• At The Field School, students with diverse backgrounds, strengths, and challenges know they are welcomed, appreciated, and supported in being themselves.
• A Field education emphasizes analytic thinking, articulate expression, and creative process—skills that allow students to learn, to communicate, and to engage with the world.
• Enthusiasm and open, respectful dialogue are foundations of learning at Field. Teachers and students establish strong relationships that spark authentic learning.
• Field students take risks, speak up, work together, play as teams, and share artistry. Engagement in our community inspires compassion and ethical behavior.
• The Field School environment is relaxed, and classes are small—crucial ingredients in encouraging conversation, daring, and knowing each other.

Field's first mission is to teach skills: critical thinking, inquiry, writing, and problem solving. We do not follow “tracks” similar to other schools to separate students based on levels of academic achievement or efficiency. Students are exposed each day to varying types of teaching, modeling that there is more than one way to think, to learn, to process information, and to express an idea.

Our small classes allow teachers to get to know their students well beyond their first and last names. Our teachers, who are extraordinarily bright and passionate individuals, are genuinely committed to understanding and teaching adolescents in a way that takes all of their strengths and weaknesses into account. We understand that different children and different brains do learn differently, and strive to vary our teaching and assessment styles accordingly.

Field students are required to participate in a studio or performing arts class every day of every year. While some schools may phase out art as part of a student’s daily experience as he or she gets older, we believe that regular participation in an arts class – be it painting and drawing or playing music – categorically makes for better Calculus and English students, and happier kids.

Similarly, students at Field are asked to participate in our after-school athletics program during their time here. Requirements vary by grade, but most importantly, no student at Field is ever cut from a sports team. We believe that athletic experiences foster teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills, and that no child or teenager should be deprived of the opportunity to play based on their relative skill.

All Field students are highly intelligent, but they do not all learn in the same way or at the same pace. We know that there are all kinds of minds. That's why our classes are small: because we are dedicated to teaching (and assessing) in a variety of ways—through hands-on instruction, in small groups, using art or creativity, by discussion, by lecture. Many different students thrive in our classrooms, including those with mild to moderate diagnosed learning differences. But all of our students are keenly engaged, with teachers and with each other, in classrooms rich in conversation.

The Field in The Field School refers to the interdisciplinary, interconnected education we offer. Field teaches "fields" of knowledge that all relate to each other, with the goal of allowing students to build their own personal vision. This goal is reiterated by our mission: Self-Discovery, Skills of Mind, Generosity of Heart. These seven words are well-known by every student and teacher in the school and they come alive in every class, every day.