ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION CONSULTANT

I am an educator with 32 years of experience in student centred education, specializing in educational choices that emphasize family connection and empowerment of children and young people.

 As a child I attended a mixture of democratic school, public school, alternative school, and distance education.  I became a student, teacher, parent, and principal of a publicly funded democratic school that was started by my mother.  This experience has given me great insight into a diverse array of learning styles and educational partnerships, as well as an understanding of the ease of learning when students are engaged via personal interests and passions.

When I was 8 years old, I was sick of school.  Literally.  I would start to get a stomach ache on Sunday right after dinner and it would last on and off all week.  I was profoundly bored by school.  It was time consuming and didn't let me talk or be creative.  After a year of this, my mother (along with a few friends) started Windsor House School in our house.  This was in 1971, before home schooling was common.  By the time I was 12, the school had been adopted by the North Vancouver school district.  

Unfortunately, I eventually aged out of the school and had to enrol in a public high school.  There weren't many alternatives in 1976.  I again became bored and stifled and couldn't relate to my peers.  I lasted until half-way through grade 11, then left to sign up for distance education.  At that time distance education meant packages of work that took a lot of time and effort, as well as isolating me, home alone as a teen.  The packages of repetitive work were tedious and I was not motivated to get them done!  I finally found an alternative school (Ideal School) an hour and a half away by bus, where I finished my high school diploma.

 After graduating I signed up for Arts One integrated humanities program at UBC.  Once again, I was plunged back into the system.  As I wrestled with marks and written exams, one of my cohort explained to me that I would have to write what our prof wanted to hear if I wanted better marks!  I was depressed and barely passed that first year. 

 I found Antioch College and transferred.  It had a co-op work program with an integral student government that helped to guide the school in a meaningful way.  I flourished in this environment, eventually leaving with an academic scholarship for my final year.

 These experiences taught me that it wasn't me that failed in school, it was the ‘one-size-fits-all’ standard school experience that failed me.  In an alternative setting I not only survived but thrived.  My personal learning journey has woven through traditional and alternative educational settings all of my life.  There is value in being able to choose at all levels of education.  Having a choice empowers families to advocate for and select appropriate learning environments for their children.  Young people are empowered when they are trusted to manage their own learning, allowing them to mature and form their own sense of identity.

I am committed to supporting all students in finding accessible and enjoyable educational options that align with their individual learning styles.  I see the role of teacher and facilitator as an extension of the family, providing the pathway to explore education, individuation, and maturation within the context of secure attachment.  

As an Alternative Educational Consultant, I am available to meet with individuals, families, and groups to help you define your particular educational goals, share resources, and connect you to people and organizations that may fit with your educational vision.