LREI (Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School)

A leader in progressive education since 1921, LREI teaches children to be independent thinkers who work together to solve complex problems. Students graduate from our diverse community as active participants in our democratic society, with the creativity, integrity, and courage to bring meaningful change to the world.

Welcome to LREI. We pride ourselves on being a progressive pre-K through twelfth grade school. But what do we mean by progressive education? And why is this important?

At LREI, progressive education is:

• Active and interdisciplinary LREI's students are engaged participants in each class, each day - making connections between disciplines, using the arts to find creative solutions and struggling together towards new truths. Our students take their learning out into the community in order to understand the world as it is, not as it's written about.
• Inquiry-based Learning focuses on finding collaborative solutions to real-world problems. We believe that there is much to learn on the journey to the solution.
• Interested in the whole child We care about what kids know, who they are and who they will become.
• Committed to social justice Our 14-year program explores, celebrates, and encourages differences and commonalities, and the challenges and opportunities they present. LREI is committed to each of its community members, each of whom has a responsibility to both the community and to the wider world. This is as important now as it was when LREI was founded.

Simply put, progressive education works with a child's natural inquisitiveness and desire to do, to collaborate and to be involved. Progressive education asks students to truly understand a topic and to demonstrate and to defend their understanding. It asks them to think beyond the page, beyond the "right answer".

There has never been a more critical time to be a critical thinker. When answers can be searched for in seconds, asking the right question is what counts. Living by core values is what matters. Our progressive program equips students with confidence to discern fact from slant, and to contribute to society in a meaningful way.