1.2 - Mission Statement

According to Part I, Section (a) of Liberty Common School’s Charter submitted to the Poudre School District on October 1, 1996, and as amended by contract with the PSD Board of Education on June 26, 2000: 

The mission of the School will be to provide excellence and fairness in education for school children through a common foundation by successfully teaching a contextual body of organized knowledge, the skills of learning including the Thinking Framework, and the values of a democratic society.  The School recognizes the value of inclusiveness, or providing access to a broad cross-section of the community, so that students from all backgrounds can benefit from the School's educational offering.  The School acknowledges the leadership of teachers in the classroom and recognizes the responsibility of each student for his/her academic effort.

Declaration of Principles

1. Children yearn for meaning and require a basis of solid contextual common knowledge for the development of mature literacy and critical thinking, for growth and communication in a diverse society.
2. The educational "playing field" between students of differing backgrounds should be level to provide all students a basis to the greatest degree practicable, upon which they can build further knowledge and to develop the skills necessary to communicate and succeed.
3. The skills of learning--reading, writing, speaking, calculating, and thinking -- are most meaningfully learned from the knowledge or content of the curriculum, modeling, coaching, and sensible practice.
4. To thrive in work, citizenship, and personal growth, children must be taught the values of a democratic society.  These values include:  Respect for others - their property and rights; Responsibility for actions, honesty, and social justice; Resourcefulness - being ready to learn, to serve, and to share.
5. Inclusiveness is fundamental in responding to the diverse needs of children and raising academic standards.  All parents, regardless of economic status, should be free to choose this educational program for their children.
6. Teachers are professionals; which implies considerable autonomy, mastery, and independence.  Having accepted the academic and philosophic mission of a school, the teacher needs to be free to exercise informed judgment in order to fulfill his/her primary role as an educator.
7. The principal determinants of individual academic success are individual ability and effort.  The policies of the School (grading, discipline, homework, pedagogy) must support the student's adoption of a personal quest for academic growth using the clearly marked path of expectations in knowledge, skill, and character.  The guiding philosophy of the School acknowledges that children can and should be held accountable for their own schoolwork and behavior with the support of teachers and parents.