What is Freedom Side School?
Freedom Side School is a free abolitionist elementary school for young freedom fighters. Because we know the work of building a more free world must be led by people who have been directly impacted by mass incarceration, our school is for children with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated loved ones. We will open our doors and welcome our first class of students in September 2026!
In order to support the needs of our students, we are committed to:
Small class sizes and low student-teacher ratios. Full enrollment at FSS will include three mixed-age classrooms of 20 students: a Kindergarten/1st grade, 2nd/3rd grade, and 4th/5th grade classroom. Each classroom will have two co-teachers. We will add a new class each year until we reach our full capacity.
A staff that includes teachers, administrators, and specialists that provide supportive services such as counseling, learning support, and connecting families with outside providers.
A rigorous education in all content areas that prepares students for the world beyond Freedom Side. Our curriculum includes literacy, math, social studies, science, social-emotional learning, and interdisciplinary arts education.