Reimagining Schools for Freedom

In her evocative book Troublemakers, Carla Shalaby, a former elementary school teacher and scholar, challenges how schools label and respond to children seen as “troublemakers.”

Through intimate, ethnographic portraits of four young students-Zora, Lucas, Sean, and Marcus-Shalaby invites readers to see the world through the eyes of children who are regularly disciplined, excluded, or even medicated for their noncompliance.

Reading the stories of these children, just 5 or 6 years old, often brought me to tears. Their earnest attempts to express themselves, build friendships, and fit in were often met with reprimands or rejection.

It struck me that school sometimes stamps out the very individuality, audacity, and defiance we later celebrate in figures like Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks.

This book made me wonder: How can we reimagine education to truly value every child’s unique individuality, instead of forcing them into narrow molds of compliance? 

The Big Idea: Freedom

Shalaby doesn’t spend much time in her book describing what an education system that serves the freedom and autonomy of every child would look like. She seems to leave that charge to us as her readers, but she does leave a few signposts.

In one small chapter, Shalaby proposes that children should be engaged in democratic processes, helping to solve problems and shape the classroom community.

Her suggestion is to enlist children themselves in supporting their peers. She argues that children often understand the needs of other children better than adults do. Which makes sense, as it’s hard for us to remember what it feels like to be six years old, grappling with complex emotions!

In practice, this might look like the teacher engaging children in a conversation about how to support a child that is disruptive. Or she might ask children to design the norms and values for the classroom, making sure that all voices are heard and included.

I find this a radical proposal: should democracy in education begin in kindergarten? 

If children learn to govern themselves in the classroom, might they be better prepared to become empowered citizens? Education that exposes students to diverse ideas and fosters fairness can help build beliefs in the institutions of democracy, but only if schools themselves are fair.

The problem is, schools often aren’t fair. This is painfully clear in Shalaby’s profile of Zora, a creative, biracial Black girl with African, Puerto Rican, and American heritage, who attends a mostly white, upper-middle-class school.

At home, Zora is encouraged to express herself and take pride in her identity, which makes her joyful and outgoing among her family and friends.

Yet at school, Zora’s exuberance and desire to be seen and heard are viewed as disruptive. Her teacher expects her to conform to the quiet, compliant norms of a classroom which she is the only child of color. Zora’s attempts to connect-through humor, dramatic flair, and standing out-are met with reprimands instead of celebration.

Eventually, Zora’s nonconformity is pathologized; her creativity and energy are seen as problems to be managed rather than strengths. She is diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed medication, which feels to her family like an attempt to mute her culture and individuality.

Shalaby argues that children like Zora are not the problem, but “canaries in the coal mine,” warning us of deeper flaws in the American school system.

The book shows how schools often prioritize order, conformity, and control over the dignity, freedom, and individuality of students.

What we call “disruptive behavior”-like Zora’s dramatic self-expression, Lucas’s restless intensity, Sean’s questioning of authority, and Marcus’s desire for connection-can be reframed as legitimate responses to environments that fail to honor children’s humanity and needs.

Perhaps you can identify yourself as a child as you read these words. Do you ever recall being punished for behvaiour that was actually a cry to be seen, or a protest at having to sit still when you needed to move? What would it have felt like to have the class engaged in supporting you to get your needs met?

Shalaby critiques how schools punish, exclude, and medicate children instead of addressing the systemic issues behind these conflicts. (5% of all K-12 children today are on medication for ADHD, that is over 3M children).

Exclusionary discipline-like time-outs and suspensions-not only fail to resolve behavioral issues, but can also contribute to the “school-to-prison pipeline,” especially for children of color and those from marginalized backgrounds.

Shalaby calls for a radical reimagining of school as a space of freedom and democracy, where children’s rights to expression, self-determination, and full humanity are protected.

She urges educators to move beyond punitive measures and embrace restorative, inclusive practices that prioritize relationships, community, and justice.

Principles of Practice

So, what could such a just school look like? How do we balance the needs of teachers and classroom management with the needs of individual students?

Here are several principles from a recent Ed article I found that can be put into practice right away to move toward freedom in schools and educational programs (and they apply to home as well):

1. Keep children in the classroom: Avoid removing students as punishment. Inclusion in the learning community is essential.

2. Let children be heard: Listen to students’ voices and understand the reasons behind their behavior, rather than simply silencing or punishing them.

3. Partner with families: Work closely with families, recognizing them as experts on their children and essential partners in supporting student success.

4. Strategize with students: Collaborate with students to find solutions, empowering them to take part in their own behavioral growth.

5. Celebrate all achievements: Recognize and celebrate all forms of student achievement and growth, not just traditional academic success.

My Insights

Reimagining education brings to mind Indigenous philosophy and pedagogy, which feel especially relevant in today’s technological age.

Over millennia, Indigenous societies developed deep insights into what humans need to thrive together, even in the face of existential threats to survival and their way of life.

The first principle is autonomy-a deep respect for each individual’s unique path to knowledge. The adult’s role is to guide gently, not to disrupt or control, and to honor the child as a full person from whom we can also learn.

Balanced with autonomy is responsibility-to the land, the community, and all living things. This is taught through rituals, relationships, and a close connection to the environment.

Finally, we must teach digital literacy, helping children understand the risks of defining themselves through technology. Technology should serve humanity, not the other way around.

Many models are emerging that reimagine early education based on the science of childhood, and I will continue exploring these with you through my writing.

As education becomes increasingly privatized in the US, and as AI opens up new possibilities for individualized learning, we must ask: What kind of schools will truly serve children in the future?

If we want the next generation to grow up as creative and curious individuals who can think critically in the Age of AI where machines are becoming exponentially more intelligent, we must reimagine our schools to cultivate every child’s individuality, creativity and dignity.

References

• Troublemakers by Carla Shalby (buy from your local bookstore if you can!) 

• Podcast with Carla Shalaby

• Ed Magazine article on Carla Shalaby

Further Exploration

• Project Zero is working on a Re-Imagining Early Education Project

• Dr Linda Nathan teaches a course at Harvard on Building a Democratic School

• Consent In the Classroom by Clio Stearns

• Clio Stearns article ‘Let Them Get Mad’