The teacher, she tries to teach something everybody can handle. She's teaching fractions, something we had a long time ago, and they're having for the first time. It's really a waste of time to me. However, Lawrence Hall's long track record in both education and social service bodes well for working out the kinks. For most of its 25 years, Aunt Martha's Youth Service has worked with troubled teens and runaways.
Some raw edges show.
The first principal and two teachers quit before June. In December, the back stairs and porch are unheated, though the classrooms and offices are warm and pleasantly decorated. The school's educational approach also is in the works. For example, teacher Salandra Crockett addresses conflicts in her classroom by stressing students' power to choose different ways of reacting to a situation, a key element in Glasser's theory. But there are serious shortcomings, say other staff members.