Puget Sound Community School Explained

Puget Sound Community School
Coordinates:47.5964°N -122.3242°W
Established:1994
Schooltype:Private
Fundingtype:501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Grades:6–12
Founders:Andy Smallman, Melinda Shaw
Enrollment:52
Teaching Staff:9

Puget Sound Community School (PSCS) is a small private, independent, secular middle and high school in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1994 by Andy Smallman and his wife Melinda Shaw. The school has a student population of 55.[1]

Author Daniel Pink mentioned the school in his 2009 book Drive, noting that the school "gives its students a radical dose of autonomy, turning the 'one size fits all' approach of conventional schools on its head. Each student has an adviser who acts as her personal coach, helping her come up with her own learning goals"[2] and comparing it to Sudbury Valley School and Dennis Littky's Big Picture School.

In 2009, the Seattle Times featured the school in its article "Kindness Taught in Seattle School’s Online Class."[3]

The New York Times featured PSCS as a pioneer in gender-neutral bathrooms in a 2017 article about non-binary youth.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Puget Sounds Community School . 30 May 2024 . US News & World Report.
  2. Web site: 2010-01-03 . Idea of the day: Kindness class Daniel H. Pink . 2023-10-22 . Daniel H. Pink The official site of author Daniel Pink.
  3. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/kindness-taught-in-seattle-schools-online-class/ "Kindness taught in Seattle school’s online class"
  4. News: Greenberg . Zoe . 2017-10-24 . When a Student Says, 'I'm Not a Boy or a Girl' . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-10-22 . 0362-4331.